It's hard to beat a sundress during the summertime, and even better, a sundress that doesn't cost an arm and a leg - particularly amid the ongoing cost of living crisis. And now, a popular pick by Kmart is proving to be perhaps the steal of the summer.
The floral frock, named the 'Short Sleeve Square Neck Dress', is making waves on social media for its relaxed fit, winsome print and cheap and cheerful price tag, with it currently retailing at Kmart's New Zealand branches for $27.
On the website, the shift has been styled with a casual slip-on sandal and tousled hair. According to its description, it's a cotton and viscose blend with shirred detail at the back and an empire waistline, complete with a square neckline, voluminous sleeves and a floral print with watercolour pinks, yellows and white. At the time of writing, the dress is available on Kmart's website in sizes 10 to 20.
Several content creators have tried their hand at styling the frugal frock, with Australian fashion stylists and beauty bloggers Lisa Galanopoulos (lisa_gal01), @fashionably_amy and Sarah Strozkiy (@shessoseasonal) showing off the budget item to their followers.
In a sweet post to her 71,000 followers, pregnant Strozkiy cradled her baby bump in the dress, which she teamed with a wide brim tan sunhat.
"Wearing BRAND new @kmartaus $25 short sleeve square neck dress," she captioned the pics. "Can you tell I'm smitten by it? Because when you find a steal like this at K you just have to buy it - I have a feeling she will be a POPULAR style… that's my trend prediction."
In a TikTok, Strozkiy also showed off how she'd style the dress in a slightly different way, adding a pale pink belt to create shape at the waistline, a pair of white strappy heels and a nude shoulder bag.
In a Kmart haul shared to her 24,000 followers this week, Galanopoulos showcased the $25 dress in a changing room with a simple clear heel.
"How pretty is the first dress! I'm 153cm [about five foot] in height, so it would also look better belted for people who are shorter," she noted.
In a clip also shared to her followers this week, Amy teamed the dress with white sneakers, an oversized white 'shacket' - a cross between a shirt and a jacket - and a white crossbody bag.
"Casual @kmartaus summer outfit featuring the MUST HAVE shacket," she captioned the clip. "I'm LOVING @kmartaus' new season summer [range]!"
In a statement to news.com.au, a spokesperson for Kmart Australia confirmed the dress is a new addition to their clothing range and hit local branches in January, calling the design "one of our hero prints".
"It's super comfy with the shirred back bodice detail and has been incredibly popular with our customers," they told the outlet.
