The Green Edit: Five Bibico Pieces in One Colour

A green midi dress is what started this edit. It went out on the rail, and then we noticed how much green had come through in the rest of the Bibico delivery. Five pieces altogether, in shades that sit closer to watercress and moss than to emerald. That is the whole reason they work. Nothing here fights with the navy, denim and cream already hanging in most wardrobes.

Only one of the five needs hand washing. The rest go in the machine at 30 degrees.

At a glance

• Five green Bibico pieces, across three dresses, a shirt and a knit
• Four in 100% cotton, one in 100% merino wool
• Two of the dresses share the same double gauze stripe in different cuts
• The dot print runs across a long dress and a shirt, so the two can be worn together
• Sizes 8 to 16 depending on the style, and S to L on the knit

• The green midi dress that started it
• Double gauze, cotton and merino
• The other four greens
• Wearing green without overthinking it
• Frequently asked questions

The green midi dress that started it

The Elaine is sleeveless, cut in double gauze cotton with a fine green stripe, and it falls to mid calf. The stripe is the clever part of it. It breaks the colour into something much quieter, so from a few feet away the dress reads as a soft neutral and only shows its green up close. There are side pockets, and the skirt is gently gathered, so it moves rather than hangs.

Being sleeveless makes it the most adaptable of the five. A cardigan over the top carries it from August into October, and it sits happily under a denim jacket on the days that cannot decide.

Double gauze, cotton and merino

Double gauze is two fine layers of cotton woven together and joined at intervals. That is why it feels soft straight off the rail and softer still after a few washes, and why it keeps a slight crinkle that never quite presses out. It breathes better than a heavier cotton, which is what makes it bearable on a warm day.

The dot pieces are plain cotton with the pattern printed rather than woven. The Lauren jumper is the odd one out at 100% merino wool, fine enough to go under a jacket without adding bulk. Merino is the wool that does not itch.

• Double gauze cotton: the Elaine midi dress and the Alexa shirt dress. Machine wash at 30 degrees.
• Cotton: the Lilly long dress and the Rowan shirt. Machine wash at 30 degrees.
• Merino wool: the Lauren jumper. Hand wash only.

The other four greens

The Alexa uses the same double gauze stripe as the Elaine, cut this time as a relaxed shirt dress with a collar, a buttoned neckline and pockets. Same fabric, different mood entirely. If the midi is the one for lunch out, the Alexa is the one for doing the shopping in.

The Lilly is the long one. Cotton, a small dot printed across a green ground, buttons down the front and three quarter sleeves. The gathers through the skirt give it real movement, and the pockets are deep enough to actually use.

The Rowan shirt carries that same dot. Button through, neat collar, three quarter sleeves. Of the five it is the one likely to get worn most, because it goes with denim and with nearly every skirt on the rail.

Then the Lauren. Watercress green merino, a clean shape, long sleeves and one small pocket at the front. It is the only knit here, and the only piece of the five that will still make sense in January.

Wearing green without overthinking it

Green has a reputation for being difficult to wear, and these shades really are not. Watercress and a soft stripe both behave like neutrals once they are on. Treat them the way you would treat navy.

• Cream and off white lift the greens without competing with them
• Denim works with all five, light or dark
• Tan leather in a belt or a sandal warms up the cooler greens
• Two greens together is fine when the textures differ, so the Lauren over the Elaine is a good pairing

The one combination worth thinking about twice is green with black. It tends to go flat. Navy does the same job with rather more life in it.

The full Bibico collection shows what is on the rail today, and there is plenty more colour in the wider dresses collection and among the jumpers. Bibico's own site is worth a look for the story behind the label.

Shop Bibico

Frequently asked questions

Where can I buy a green midi dress in Dorset?

Shirley Allum Boutique carries green midi dresses at 30 High Street, Shaftesbury, and online with tracked UK delivery. The Bibico Elaine is the green midi dress in this edit, cut in striped double gauze cotton. We also carry green in other lengths and other labels through the season, and the dresses collection on the site can be filtered by size so you can see what is genuinely available before making the trip. If you want to know what is on the rail today, ring the boutique on 01747 852444 and one of us will go and look.

Is double gauze cotton difficult to look after?

Not at all. Both the double gauze pieces in this edit machine wash at 30 degrees, and the fabric actually improves with washing, growing softer each time. The one thing to expect is the crinkle. Double gauze has a naturally textured surface and it is meant to look slightly relaxed, so a hot iron pressing it perfectly flat rather defeats the point. Hang it damp and most of the creasing drops out on its own. If you want it crisper, a cool iron on the reverse works without flattening the texture completely.

What is the Bibico Lauren jumper made from?

The Lauren is 100% merino wool in a watercress green shade, with long sleeves, a relaxed shape and a small pocket at the front. Merino is a much finer fibre than standard wool, which is why it sits comfortably against the skin and layers under a jacket without adding bulk. It is hand wash only, so it is the one piece in this edit that does not go in the machine. Washed gently in cool water and dried flat, a merino knit like this keeps its shape for years.

Do Bibico dresses run true to size?

Broadly yes. Bibico cuts on the relaxed side rather than close to the body, so the shapes tend to skim. The dresses in this edit run from a size 8 to a size 16 depending on the style, and the Lauren knit comes in small, medium and large. Where a style has a gathered or elasticated waist there is a fair amount of give, so being between sizes matters less. If you are unsure about a particular piece, call the boutique and we will measure the actual garment for you rather than quoting a chart.

Can I try Bibico on before I buy?

Yes, and we would encourage it with the dresses especially, because the lengths read differently on different heights. The Bibico range hangs at the Shaftesbury boutique at 30 High Street, alongside the rest of the collection, and there is no appointment needed. Green is also one of those colours that shows its true shade in daylight rather than on a screen, so seeing it in person is worth the trip. If you cannot get in, we are happy to talk a piece through over the phone before you order online.