Summer-over-winter style advocates may be in the minority, but nobody can deny the practicality of single-item dressing.
Dresses are the remedy to any warm weather sartorial concerns. Unlike sub-zero temperatures which call for layering, accessorising and bundling up, ensembles for double-digit degrees require minimal effort.
So why does slipping back into summer fashion year after year feel so pressured? Shedding the cashmere and revealing our Vitamin D-deprived skin to the world is exposing. Yet when we have a new frock to button ourselves into and show off, the process of stripping down and bearing near-all is much more savoury.
Summer dresses are highly versatile. Styles range from shirt to slip, tiered to draped, cut-out to georgette, to name but a few. Print options are boundless. Florals carry over from spring, pastels start taking hold on the runways, crochet comes out of hibernation and sheer fabrics become acceptable to wear once the weather warms up. Shoppers are spoilt for choice.
The most important element to factor in when summer dress shopping is occasion. Occasion dictates the type of garment you should add to your online basket. Summer typically marks the midst of wedding season, meaning family-friendly, romantic numbers are required. Cult brands such as Rixo, Omnes and Reformation have you covered here.
Holiday packing calls for beautiful bold prints à la Farm Rio, Johanna Ortiz, Diane Von Furstenberg and Pucci. Wimbledon ushers in summer whites - with Chloe, Cos and DÔEN paving the way for ethereal snow-toned pieces with a fairytale twist. Out-of-office daywear allows for flirty mini dresses to steal the show, while more modest work attire takes the form of longline shirt dresses and Scandinavian silhouettes. Think Arket, Toteme and Jonathan Simkai.
For a large amount of labels, summer is their forte. Airy, colourbomb designs are entwined in the DNA of fashion houses such as Missoni, Isabel Marant, Jacquemus, Siedres, Ahluwalia, Bode, Louisa Ballou and Zimmerman. Dopamine dressing has never been so easy to source.
While many brands are yet to showcase their summer collections, we’ve already pinpointed a few must-see dresses to consider for summer. Gear up for sun-soaked city soirees, beachside breaks and picnics in the park and browse the edit below.
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DÔEN + NET SUSTAIN Ischia Dress
A radiant clear canvas of a frock, DÔEN's Ischia dress is carefully made from organic cotton-voile featuring refined shirred detailing to flirt with the eye. An elegant scooped necklace allows for ample accessorising, while a relaxed fit across the shoulders flashes the collar bones.
Buy now £352.00, Net-A-Porter
Kitri Roberta Patched Toile De Jouy Mini Dress
Kitri’s dresses have a habit of going viral. Add the ethereal, patchwork Roberta dress to your shopping basket before it flies off the shelves.
Buy now £150.00, Kitri
Arket Silk Slip Dress
Slinky sophistication is always on the cards for summer. Arket’s baby pink midi number, which is made from a smooth satin weave of pure silk, can be thrown on and dressed up for any occasion.
Buy now £129.00, Arket
Siedres Nisha Striped Jersey Mini Dress
Siedres is a brand that excels come summer. The Nisha striped jersey dress is a kaleidoscopic piece that will dazzle passersby.
Buy now £275.00, Harvey Nichols
Laura Ashley X Joanie Rhian Margam Floral Print Midi Dress
Affordable and readily available for cottagecore enthusiasts, the Laura Ashley x Joanie Rhian dress is a heavyweight piece dotted with delicate ditsy florals. Pick from sky blue or sage green and let the frock speak for itself.
Buy now £23.70, Joanie
Acne Studios Wrap-Effect Midi Dress
Infuse your wardrobe with a lick of luxury. Acne Studios’ wrap-effect midi dress features a lightweight hammered crepe printed with a blurred floral motif, perfect for easing your wardrobe from spring into summer.
Buy now £750.00, Net-A-Porter
Cos Draped Asymmetric Maxi Dress
Cos have the in-office commuters covered. The brand stocks a variety of modest summer dresses, like this chalk-white maxi, that make for highly elegant workwear pieces.
Buy now £135.00, Cos
Mango Openwork Detail Shirt Dress
Spotted among the crowd at London Fashion Week, Mango’s Openwork Detail Shirt Dress is affordable and elegant in equal measure. Styled with a bandana and gold Missoma jewels and you have yourself a honied look to last the years.
Buy now £29.99, Mango
Farm Rio Super Fun Daisy Organic Cotton Mini Dress
The name of Farm Rio’s colourbomb mini is self-explanatory. The ‘Super Fun’ piece showcases dopamine-inducing daisy motifs embellished with rainbow hippyish hues.
Buy now £157.50, Farm Rio
Marques’Almeida Asymmetric Lace Mini Dress
A deconstructed, cut-out design and a whimsical lace finish add to the punkish allure of Marques’Almeida’s asymmetric mini dress. Bonus points for the charming cornflower blue and yellow colour palette.
Buy now £152.00, The Outnet
H&M Flounce-Detail Mini Dress
A flash of lemon yellow will help to enhance both a tan and your sartorial summer arsenal. H&M’s ruffled mini exudes South of France style for a fraction of the price.
Buy now £21.99, H&M
Massimo Dutti Sleeveless Linen Dress
Channel Parisian glamour in a chic linen dress that echoes the timeless, quietly luxurious style of Sofia Richie Grainge and Elsa Hosk.
Buy now £89.95, Massimo Dutti
Sandro Ruffled Printed Twill Mini Dress
A departure from the brand’s signature, neatly constructed designs, Sandro’s ruffled mini dress is a fabulously flirty garment to flit down the high street in.
Buy now £164.00, The Outnet
Simkhai Emily V-Neck Draped Gown
If you have some disposable income to spend on a timeless dress to enchant, look to Simkhai. The brand’s Emily dress is whimsical and lustrous in equal measure. Pale shades of yellow and blossom pink are married by gentle, ghost-like ruffles in a floor-sweeping silhouette.
Buy now £886.00, Farfetch
Rixo Freya Silk Bardot Dress
The flowers on the Freya dress were hand-painted originally after inspiration struck co-founder Orlagh when she was in Goa’s Latin Quarter of Fontainhas. The pretty print makes for a piece that even those who shy away from colour can get on board with, not in the least for the silhouette that goes alongside it. It’s a princess-seamed skirt but most attractive of all, it has an off-the-shoulder design and rosette embellishment. Style with a belt or let the piece do the talking.
Buy now £315.00, Rixo
