If there’s one thing I know, it’s dresses. My wardrobe is full of them, and I wear them 99.9% of the time. I’ve always struggled with casual dressing (long-time Who What Wear readers will have repeatedly read about my ongoing struggle with denim—sorry to be a bore!), so easy, good-looking frocks are my most-trusted fashion staple.
I have affordable dresses that I wear each and every week. I have special, more expensive versions that come out for important occasions or big meetings. I have those in-between, mid-priced options that bridge the gap between casual and fancy days. I own styles that are ultra summery and best for heatwaves and holiday packing, but I’ve also got a fair number of clever, trans-seasonal styles that can work layered up and with tights in winter or with bare legs and sandals during warmer months. I even have dresses that I’ve made at home because I can’t always find the exact colour, shape or fit I’ve been dreaming of. I have some It dresses, I suppose—although, I’m always very careful to buy dresses that really speak to my personal style and that I know I’ll wear even when their cult status has worn off. I may own a lot of frocks, but entry into my wardrobe isn’t easy. I’m a pretty discerning customer who values quality and longevity above all else.
On Hannah: Three Graces (cream); Paper London (blue); Leem (mustard crochet); H&M (striped); Vintage (white-and-blue). So who could be better positioned to bring you a very trustworthy edit of the best new-in dresses than a self-confessed frock obsessive with a very picky taste? No one! Here are the loveliest styles I’ve seen this month—all with a summer vibe.
Dodo Bar Or’s patterned knits are unrivalled in the marketplace, and this new-in piece is giving Wes Anderson, which I love.
The kind of no-fuss dress I know I can fling on all summer long and feel good in.
If you’re after an elegant LBD for the summer months, call of the search!
Never met a gingham dress I didn’t like, but this is particularly fabulous because it looks and feels like a vintage one.
Summer holidays, weddings, heatwave days in the city… This pretty Rhode dress does it all and with ease.
This easy dress trend (contrast jersey top + full skirt) is having a bit of a moment. But it’s also classic enough to look for multiple summers to come.
Over the past few summers, I’ve come to really appreciate a good throw-on dress. This charming shade of green (in silk, no less) is one I’ll love to wear forever and ever.
Looking forward to layering up this retro denim style as autumn approaches.
Leem is a cool new modest brand. I fell in love with this ’70s-style crochet dress. It does come with a neat jersey slip, but I also like the idea of wearing it in the summer with big black undies (like in my photo above).
Pre-order this influencer favourite before it’s released again!
I tried this on the other day and felt sad to leave it behind. It keeps coming into my mind, and I feel like I regret not buying it, so anything could happen in the next few minutes… This is such a perfect fit on my hourglass figure and can be easily jazzed up for a wedding or made casual for a holiday or heatwave day.
I love red. I love pleats. I love ruching. I love cut-outs. I love a sweetheart neckline. Did Self-Portrait make this especially for me? No. But I like to think it.
This vintage-feel dress makes me want to literally book a one-way ticket to the sunniest place I can find. What a gem for holiday season.
If I had an event in my diary that required a real “wow” piece that everyone would comment on, this would be the dream option.
I’m such a sucker for a leopard-print dress, and this one manages to be 100% sassy while looking incredibly chic and premium. The neckline!
Jil Sander has become a hot ticket again, and it’s this kind of interesting take on minimalism that’s making the brand so covetable in luxury circles.
I bought a few things from Warehouse recently and was really impressed by the quality. It does really good prints for a high-street brand, and this patchwork creation is no exception.
This story was published at an earlier time and has since been updated.
