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Whether you’re jetting off to a beach holiday, planning a weekend in the countryside or simply enjoying the sunshine at home, the best summer dresses will keep you comfortable, cool and stylish. With hot weather finally upon us, now’s the time to invest in a design that will prop up your wardrobe for the season ahead.
Whether it’s a dress made from kaftan, denim, cotton or linen, the high street is brimming with novel iterations of classic summer fabrics, as well as fresh takes on looks straight from the SS25 catwalks.
This season’s trends are as fascinating as ever. Bold prints have replaced ‘quiet luxury’ dressing – think gingham, plaid, polka dot, stripes and kitsch florals. When it comes to silhouettes, the Eighties-era bubble hem continues to dominate designs from Free People, M&S and Mango, while contemporary drop-waist styles take inspiration from the 1920s.
Moving from the high street to the catwalk, Louis Vuitton and Bottega Veneta made a case for tomato red designs, while the butter yellow trend shows no sign of stopping, with new designs dropping from Alaïa, Toteme, and Chanel.
Whether you plump for feminine frocks from Realisation Par or Damson Madder; go big with bold prints from the likes of Abercrombie & Fitch and Kitri; lean into vintage-inspired pieces as seen at Free People; or want an affordable everyday dress from River Island, Asos or New Look, you’re spoiled for choice with our edit of the best summer dresses.
How we tested
Taking note of trends while looking for pieces that will stand the test of time, we considered quality, wearability and comfort during hot weather, and considered 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.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Daisy Lester is a senior shopping writer at The Independent. She specialises in reviewing fashion, so she knows what makes a well-crafted, comfortable and on-trend garment. Where summer dresses are concerned, she turns to the best brands that combine affordability and quality, looking for trend-led styles that are still timeless investments.
The best summer dresses for 2024 are:
- Best overall – Uniqlo linen blend mini dress: £35, Uniqlo.com
- Best budget buy – Asos Design scoop neck crinkle maxi dress: £32, Asos.com
- Best midi dress – M&S pure cotton textured midi waisted dress: £35, Marksandspencer.com
- Best mini dress – Free People full of sunshine cotton-linen mini: £60, Freepeople.com
- Best yellow dress–Abercrombie & Fitch linen drop-waist dress, yellow: £115, Abercrombie.com
English (US) ·