Top of the list of our summer wardrobe essentials is easily a white summer dress. Nope, not a swimsuit, or a pair of knee-length Bermuda shorts, or even some stylish sunglasses (though we are shopping all of the above RN, too). But can you blame us? Nothing works as hard as a white summer dress between the months of April and September.
And it seems designers agree. Crisp shirt dresses, flirty minis and billowing maxis all in white were spotted on the SS25 runways at Chanel, Stella McCartney, Bottega Veneta, Moschino and more. Naturally, the high street has followed suit, confirming a white dress in any form is the frock of the szn.
Far from boring, if a crisp white summer dress is a little too clean in aesthetic for your vibe, the options for accessorising are endless. Colourful beaded jewellery or chunky gold chains pop against the neutral hue, and woven raffia basket bags take on a sense of even greater whimsy.
For further styling inspo and a look at the best white summer dresses currently sitting in our online baskets, keep scrolling below.
Maxi
Shrug off bridal connotations with easy, breezy silhouettes and breathable fabrics. A white cotton maxi dress was made for swishing around in on a hot summer's day, after all. Even if you do don an ivory satin slip, embrace the wedding aesthetic or offset the look with flat gladiator sandals and statement accessories.
Midi
This summer, you can't beat a midi dress and opting for a mid-length design in a spotless white hue only elevates the look further. With plenty of necklines from halters to square to sweetheart, we promise there's a white midi dress for everyone.
Mini
No matter your summer weekend plans – picnics in the park, brunch with friends, day trips out – a white mini dress can do it all. Layer on a denim jacket come evening and style with sandals, trainers, or cowboy boots. Whatever your preference, you really can't go wrong.
Linen
This summer, we've been living in our linen trousers, so we're eyeing up a white linen dress as a more formal alternative. The same easy wearability and comfort, just in a slightly different silhouette. Win-win!
Babydoll
Maybe it's because we binge-watched Too Much as soon as it landed on Netflix and became instantly infatuated with Jessica's collection of nighties, but we can't get enough of babydoll dresses RN. Pretty lace trim, delicate ruffles, bow tie detailing – we love it all. Sure, these dresses may look like nightwear (and some might actually be from the pyjama section), but they're far too good to save just for your bed sheets.
Short sleeve
Far from your basic cap-sleeve design, the allure of this summer's short-sleeved white dresses lies in the interesting silhouettes, from milkmaid to puff sleeves. Similarly, there are options when it comes to the skirt, but our favourites are the floaty A-line variety.
Strappy
A strappy dress works just as well strolling foreign city streets abroad on holiday as it does closer to home. With mini, midi and maxi styles, there's no restriction on hem length nor fabric or neckline either. Nothing says summer quite as much as a strappy white dress, after all.
M&S Collection Linen Rich V-Neck Strappy Midaxi Dress
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Alexandria Dale is the Digital Fashion Writer at Cosmopolitan UK. Covering everything from the celebrity style moments worth knowing about to the latest fashion news, there’s nothing she loves more than finding a high street dupe of a must-have designer item. As well as discovering new brands, she’s passionate about sustainable fashion and establishing the trends that are actually worth investing in. Having worked in fashion journalism for six years, she has experience at both digital and print publications including Glamour and Ok!
