JANET STREET-PORTER: The frock that sums up summer

This is the dress that perfectly sums up our gender fluid, anything goes summer of 2022.

A dress chosen by a queen – and a transvestite comedian – which costs just £32.99. A hot frock that’s been spotted at baby showers, office parties, race meetings, discos and in every chic European resort over the last few weeks.

This summer’s super-frock is pink, printed, and incredibly skimpy – with a comfy elastic waist, it’s designed to accommodate an impressive variety of body shapes and genders.

Hoorah for high street fashion brand Zara – beloved by working women, aristos (the Duchess of Cambridge for starters) and cross-dressing comics off on holiday. Once again Zara has come up with a fashion bullseye, a dress which is so hot nobody seems to mind if everyone else has chosen exactly the same style as you.

Last Sunday, the frock made an appearance in Majorca, worn by a leading member of European aristocracy.

Queen Letizia of Spain (no less) wore the saucy pink number to a street market in Palma, accompanied by her mother-in-law and her teenage daughters 16-year-old Princess Leonor and 15-year-old Princess Sofia.

Mum’s holiday dress was exactly the same length as theirs, which seemed to enrage some Royalists – one commenting on social media ‘far too short for a queen’.

Last Sunday, the frock made an appearance in Majorca, worn by a leading member of European aristocracy. Queen Letizia of Spain (no less) wore the saucy pink number to a street market in Palma, accompanied by her mother-in-law and her teenage daughters 16-year-old Princess Leonor and 15-year-old Princess Sofia

This dress is super-versatile – a few days earlier, comedian, activist and ground -breaking transvestite Eddie Izzard was spotted at Malaga airport wearing the saucy frock teamed with Nike trainers

Remind me – what is the correct skirt length for a member of royalty?

This summer’s super-frock is pink, printed, and incredibly skimpy – with a comfy elastic waist, it’s designed to accommodate an impressive variety of body shapes and genders

This dress is super-versatile – a few days earlier, comedian, activist and ground -breaking transvestite Eddie Izzard was spotted at Malaga airport wearing the saucy frock teamed with Nike trainers.

The style also comes in green. Fashionista Sarah Gledhill has posted a hilarious video on TikTok charting dozens of people she encountered wearing both versions at York Races last month – which has now been liked 48,000 times.

Comments posted in response are hilarious, ranging from ‘I have it in pink and green’ to ‘I see it every day as I work in a restaurant’ and ‘they were everywhere in Croatia’.

Only one misery complained ‘I’m chucking it now’.

Once, wearing the same dress was a social disaster, now it’s a club most are thrilled to join.

Zara’s black and white spotted midi dress turned out to be the frock of summer 2021 – I’m still clinging to the matching skirt, even though it has a sad hole in the side where I jammed it into my carry-on bag en route to Spain.

That black and white dress was prim and a bit too tasteful for me, but this year’s pink mini is rocking and ready to party.

Isn’t it a cause for celebration that fashion can unite so many people and nobody minds if you run into someone wearing your frock? And if that person is a bloke or trans, so what?

A Zara shop assistant says she has sold three of the dresses to men in a single day.

We’ve come a long way since Harry Styles popped on a twinset and pearls to promote gender fluidity (and his latest album). Now, even Brad Pitt is wearing a skirt in an effort to publicise a film that’s had appalling reviews – but am I being cynical about his late conversion to the cause?

 As for Queen Letizia, the real reason she has attracted nasty criticism is because – at 49- she’s had the temerity to wear a really short skirt and look absolutely fantastic

Once again Zara has come up with a fashion bullseye, a dress which is so hot nobody seems to mind if everyone else has chosen exactly the same style as you

Eddie Izzard has never been afraid to rock a pink look – usually his trusty beret or a fluffy coat. In a recent interview she said she was ‘elastic’ about gender pronouns, depending on what she was doing. Izzard is still playing male roles in TV and movie dramas – ‘in boring mode’ as he put it – but, when doing stand-up, campaigning for a cause she believes in, or doing endurance running, Izzard says she’s in ‘feminine mode’.

As for Queen Letizia, the real reason she has attracted nasty criticism is because – at 49- she’s had the temerity to wear a really short skirt and look absolutely fantastic.

I’ve got a news flash for the fashion police.

There is no ‘royal’ way to dress in 2022.

No gender-appropriate way either.

The Duchess of Cambridge has worn short shorts for sailing and sporting events, and although she’s also a fan of Zara, she’s more likely to choose a tailored blazer or midi dress – largely because our Royal dress codes seems to be even more stuffy those of our Catholic neighbours like Spain.

I salute Queen Letizia because age (not sex) is the biggest barrier to wearing this summer’s super-dress and she looks brilliant.

Interestingly, the Spanish government have been running a ground-breaking advertisement designed to encourage women of all shapes and sizes to go to the beach. Produced by the Equality Ministry, it features a woman with a mastectomy scar, as well as different age groups and ethnicities all enjoying a day at the seaside.

Isn’t it a cause for celebration that fashion can unite so many people and nobody minds if you run into someone wearing your frock? And if that person is a bloke or trans, so what?

A Zara shop assistant says she has sold three of the dresses to men in a single day

The ad has been well received – nevertheless, all it takes is a very short skirt on a woman approaching 50 to bring out the haters and the doubters with snotty remarks like –

‘Perfect for her daughters’

‘Trying way too hard’

‘Too old for this length’

Can these sad sods stop being so judgmental? As one lone voice of reason commented – ‘she wasn’t visiting a hospice or opening a museum’ – as if both of these tasks required mid-calf length skirts. Grow up!

As for Eddie Izzard, she’s never cared what we think, and I very much doubt she’s bothered now.

And the dress is still available, in small, medium and large – if you want to join the (very large) crowd.