A Letter From Eleanor · Co-founder of Merlow London
Merlow London · October 2026
For 15 Years, Women Have Told Me a Dress Is Either Pretty or Comfortable, Never Both. Rosemary Is the Dress I Chose So You Never Have to Choose.
On the six things I insisted on when we chose the Rosemary dress, how she compares to the dresses already in your wardrobe, and why she is £49.95 during our anniversary.
Rosemary on an autumn walk along the Thames.
I am Eleanor, and in 2011 my sister Sophie and I started Merlow London with one stubborn belief: no woman should ever have to choose between feeling comfortable and looking beautifully dressed.
Of everything women tell me, there is one sentence I have heard more than any other in fifteen years: I would love to wear more dresses, but they are just not comfortable.
And I understand why. The autumn dresses made for women our age fall into two piles. The first is the plain black jersey dress, comfortable enough, but the same one you have worn to every occasion for years. The second is the pretty dress that clings at the middle, pulls across the arms when you reach for something, and has no pockets at all. I never accepted that a woman had to choose between comfortable and lovely.
One easy shape, from the neckline to the hem.
The Rosemary dress is my answer, and she is the dress I have been reaching for myself on every mild autumn day this October. When Sophie and I were putting together this autumn's collection, I had a list, and I was not going to give up a single point of it. These are the six things I insisted on.
1A leaf pattern with real character.
An abstract leaf pattern in deep, tone-on-tone autumn shades, with a soft texture you can see and feel. It turns a simple, easy shape into a dress that looks thought about, without ever being fussy.
The leaf pattern up close.
"The leaf print is even prettier in person. I've had so many compliments every time I've worn it."
2Proper pockets. Not decoration, real pockets.
Deep enough for your phone and your keys, so you can walk out of the door without a bag. And they sit neatly, so they never spoil the line of the dress.
Deep enough for a phone. I checked.
"It has proper pockets! Deep enough to actually use without spoiling the shape of the dress."
3Comfortable from morning until evening.
A relaxed line that skims the body instead of clinging, a soft round neckline and sleeves that let you reach, bend and carry without anything pulling. The kind of dress you put on in the morning and forget about until bedtime.
A soft round neckline, nothing tight anywhere.
"So comfortable I can wear it from morning until evening. Nothing pulls or feels restrictive when I move."
4Four colours made for autumn.
Forest green, deep burgundy, blue and black, each with the same leaf pattern. They sit with the boots, cardigans and coats you already wear this time of year, and most women do not stop at one.
Green, burgundy, blue and black.
"I started with the green and loved it so much I went back for another colour."
5Every size from S to 3XL.
This was the point I would not move on. A lovely dress should not stop at XL. The woman in a 3XL deserves the same Rosemary as the woman in a small, at the same price.
Relaxed and easy, on the move.
"I'm a 3XL and it falls beautifully without clinging. Finally a dress that feels roomy but still looks flattering."
6An honest fit, so she arrives right the first time.
One honest note from me: if you are between sizes, choose the larger one. Rosemary is made to be relaxed, and a little extra room is exactly what makes her so easy to wear.
"I went one size up and it was the right choice. Just enough extra room without looking too big."
Rosemary, against the dresses you have been buying
You can find an autumn dress for around £50 almost anywhere. I know, because I have tried on a great many of them. Here is the difference, laid out plainly.
- Plain black jersey you have worn a hundred times
- No pockets, or pockets too small for a phone
- Clings at the middle
- Pulls across the arms when you move
- Stops at XL
- An abstract leaf pattern with real character
- Proper pockets for your phone and keys
- A relaxed line that skims, never clings
- Freedom to move from morning to evening
- Every size from S to 3XL
I refuse to sell a dress that asks a woman to choose between feeling at ease and feeling lovely. That is the whole reason Rosemary is in our collection.
Why Rosemary is £49.95 right now
This year, Merlow London turns 15. Sophie and I talked for a long time about how to celebrate, and we kept coming back to the same answer: with the women who made these fifteen years possible.
So for our 15th Anniversary Sale, the Rosemary dress is £49.95 instead of £100. And when you choose more than one piece, you save even more, taken off automatically at checkout: 10% extra on 2 pieces, 15% on 3, 20% on 4 and 25% on 5 or more. So Rosemary in two colours comes to £89.91 for both.
The anniversary prices are only here for a limited time. When the celebration ends, so do they.
If fifteen years of Merlow London have taught me anything, it is that a woman who wears Rosemary once comes back for a second colour. That is the quiet bet I am placing in writing you this letter at £49.95.
"This is one of those dresses you put on and immediately feel comfortable in. The shape is so easy to wear, the pockets are brilliant and the leaf print makes it feel that little bit special. I've worn mine for lunch, shopping and a family dinner and felt lovely in it every time."
Folded, tagged and ready to go out to you.
I am genuinely proud of the Rosemary dress. She is everything I was looking for all those autumns, and I hope she becomes the dress you reach for without thinking. Delivery is free across the UK, and you have our 30-day money-back guarantee. If she does not make you feel wonderful, simply send her back.
With love,
Eleanor & Sophie 🤎
Rosemary · Autumn Leaf Print Midi Dress
- Abstract leaf pattern in green, burgundy, blue or black
- Proper side pockets for your phone and keys
- Relaxed, comfortable line, S to 3XL
- Free UK delivery & 30-day money-back guarantee
Choose more and save: 10% extra on 2 pieces, up to 25% on 5+.
See if your size is still availableAbout the writer. Eleanor co-founded Merlow London with her sister Sophie in 2011. Fifteen years on, she still chooses every piece in the collection with one question in mind: would a woman feel both comfortable and beautifully dressed in it?
This is a personal letter from the founders of Merlow London. Anniversary prices are valid for a limited time and while stock lasts.
15th Anniversary Sale