Whether you’re jetting off to balmier climes, planning a weekend in the countryside or simply enjoying the sunshine at home, your perfect summer dress awaits. With hot weather finally upon us, now’s the time to invest in a style that will prop up your wardrobe for the season ahead.
From A-line midis and sweeping maxis to festival or beach-ready minis, the best summer dresses will leave you comfortable, cool and looking effortlessly put-together. After all, when the temperature rises, the last thing you want to do is faff with tricky zips, lace-up styles or anything too constrictive.
Whether it’s a dress made from wafty kaftan, denim, crochet, cotton or linen, the high street is brimming with novel iterations of classic summer fabrics, as well as fresh takes on looks straight from SS24 catwalks.
This season’s trends are as eclectic as ever. Nineties-style minimalism has replaced “quite luxury” dressing (think bias-cut slips à la Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s pared-back street style), while the Eighties-era bubble hem is back with a vengeance, thanks to Free People’s, Peachy Den’s and Abercrombie’s covetable takes. Taking inspiration from the 1920s, drop-waist styles are arguably the silhouette of the summer, as seen at Molly Goddard and Acne Studios.
Elsewhere, Valentino, Stella McCartney and Cecilie Bahnsen made a case for all-white frocks on the catwalks (contrast the femininity with trainers or cowboy boots), while lots of labels, from Simone Rocha to Alexander McQueen, embraced florals in all their forms for summer.
Whether you plump for feminine frocks from Realisation Par or Damson Madder; go big for bold prints from the likes of Nobody’s Child and Kitri; lean into vintage-inspired pieces as seen at Sister Jane and Free People or want an affordable everyday dress from River Island, Asos or New Look, you’re spoiled for choice in our edit of the best summer dresses for 2024.
How we tested the best summer dresses
![We tried more than a wardrobe’s worth of summer dresses, from Free People to Farm Rio options](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/06/24/14/summer%20dresses.png)
Taking note of trends while still looking for pieces that will stand the test of time, we considered quality, wearability and comfort during testing, while looking for options for all budgets. We always advocate shopping consciously for pieces you’ll wear summer after summer, so dresses had to fit the bill to make it into our edit.
The best summer dresses for 2024 are:
- Best summer dress overall – Asos Design wide strap channel waist midi sundress in raspberry: £34, Asos.com
- Best budget summer dress – Asos Design full-skirt midi crinkle sundress: £32, Asos.com
- Best cotton summer dress – Nobody’s Child bandeau Theordora midaxi dress: £89, Nobodyschild.com
- Best linen summer dress – Kitri marina blue Cygnus and Lyra print mini dress: £165, Kitristudio.com
- Best wear-to-work summer dress – Damson Madder Tish midi dress, bow print: £115, Damsonmadder.com