Not to jinx it, but it looks like we’ve made it through our fifth winter in the spring of 2024. So let me present this season’s most useful new dress collection; ones that will come in handy both in the office, at the party, and even at parties. beach with a small accessory height. Lately, there has been fashion talk about trousers, which are turning wardrobes full of dresses upside down. But I’m here to reassure; Yes, separates and suits are making waves of their own, while those of us who find the thought of a belted pair of trousers a little terrifying are fully catered for. Versatility is key to a hard-working wardrobe, and dresses are the most important piece to avoid as much wear and tear as possible. If you can’t think of at least three ways to wear something and five things you’ll wear it with, don’t add it to your cart.
brave flowers
The much-touted death of the floral dress is like most clickbait: a mere trivial diversion at best. Dame Anna Wintour’s party in New York on Monday night was a floratopia of garden-inspired looks; Net-a-porter reported a 127 percent increase in searches for floral dresses in the last three months. There are still piles of smocked, small-patterned floral dresses in stores and probably in your wardrobe. If you’re looking for an update, may I direct you to bold florals? It’s more detailed, more powerful, and far less cynical than the ones that have dominated the last few summers.
The Sister Jane mini is great and DÔEN also has a flirty mini floral pattern (£245, Net-a-porter.com) – the short length feels a lot less mumfluencer. Meanwhile, the issue mixed by & Other Stories features the most notable guest. I liked the idea of making the look really dramatic – hard-edged accessories, a heavy walking sandal or gladiator instead of a white sneaker (please). If you’re not sure, consider power player instead of Trad Wife. More Bond Street etc. than barn dancing.
wonderful knitting
Knitted and crochet dresses are rising up the trend rankings, and if flounces aren’t your thing, they’re perfect for leaning into a more modern silhouette. Searches for crochet knits rose by 33 per cent on Net-a-porter, while John Lewis reported a 27.5 per cent increase in sales last week. It takes on a neutral hue, making it a super versatile piece.
I love the idea of wearing it over trousers for work and on its own when it’s warmer (Crochet knit dress, £65, johnlewis.com). Sezane’s Reneka dress (£190, sezane.com) is ivory, comes with a pretty floral stripe and has a more romantic vibe; Mother of Pearl’s Jules maxi comes with a cool tassel edge (£350, momofpearl.co.uk); Jigsaw’s flamboyant knitted Ikat dress with red crochet on the skirt is really cool. It is ideal for work with a black jacket and sexy in the evening on holiday.
Denim all day
I love denim dresses and I’m excited for them to be a hot minute (ideally more of them). Well worth your time, thriving indie brand Aligne has made the category special (they all come with pockets). I’ve had the easy Gabriella midi style, which now comes in short and sleeveless versions.
I also love the Cora mini and Rosa’s pinstripe apron style (£125, aligne.co), which can easily be worn as a tunic with trousers or jeans in cold weather. If you want more structure, Ganni’s stylish button-down model is great. Slip-dress fans will like Hush’s Saskia maxi (£99, hush.co.uk); this would be nice on a tee for a 90’s revival.
new bohemian
Keep your Sienna Miller mood, floaty, balloon-sleeved, Seventies nostalgic, boho-tinged new creative director is back, thanks to Chloé’s sparkling new creative director, Chemena Kamali. Net-a-Porter has acquired 20 of her catwalk looks for next season; most of them are dresses (get that, smart suits). To get a look before then and at much less eye-watering prices, take a look at the Faune. This is a nightgown tag that’s too good for bed (bear with me). Inspired by vintage French and English Victorian nightgowns, her beautiful pieces are suitable for every occasion. I wore the Camelia style everywhere last year, from the beach to the super-hot September Paris Fashion Week, and I couldn’t wait to get back to it.
Also check out Loeffler Randall’s cream puff-sleeve Jo dress (about £300, loefflerrandall.com) and & Other Stories, which has this pretty gorgeous over-ruffle flouncer. For true fabric accuracy, Me+Em does well with cheesecloth; I love the giant daisy print.
SBD (black summer dress)
Black for summer is an underrated style flexibility that’s often overlooked in glamorous magazine spreads full of bold, bright color options. Ahem. Some of us are more than excited to melt into the scenery rather than look like we did at the Chelsea Flower Show display. I look out for quirky details that go beyond the boring – see Whistle’s asymmetric hem here, while DÔEN’s wildly popular Ischia style leans into the boho trend with a slight twist.
There are also endless iterations of tank dresses, an easy weekend getaway with jeans or a casual jacket (Norma Kamali is an expert at this). If you want something a little less clingy, Albaray has a great linen waist version (£99, albaray.co.uk).
super shirts
For instant polish, a shirt dress will go a long way. Warning: you may need to iron it. Cefinn’s utilitarian linen Lyra dress in navy, khaki and cream is one of those wonderfully utilitarian pieces that will give you endless uses (Lyra linen maxi shirt dress, £375, cefinn.com).
For those who like it simple and showy, Arket has come up with a gorgeous, oversized, pretty pink and blue pinstripe maxi shirt dress that I think you can wear now and not take off until October. Also see Toteme’s black and white striped tunic (£530, toteme-studio.com); or for something altogether more cheerful, the vibrant yellow flowering weather of Alemais is heaven. Two trends together? Bingo.