The Perfect Summer Dress Is Hard To Find - But We Know Where To Look

By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse

Oh, the joy of rediscovering your wardrobe and dressing for fun rather than for survival in the arctic conditions. Outfits are no longer held back by the tiny symbols of the weather app but, and many will admit to it, it can be hard to get back into styling after so many months of layering and forgoing cuteness for practicality.

That’s why the ultimate clothing item for summer will always be the maxi dress. It’s impossibly easy to style and looks elegant, put-together and chic no matter what you pair it with. But the dress has to be perfect; made from high-quality fabric, its silhouette fitted yet floating, able to be worn with a jacket and boots as well as a sun hat and sandals. There are so many choices on the market that finding the right spring piece can be overwhelming - but we know where to look and have found the upcoming brands who have your back this season and help you find the perfect summer dress.

Christy Dawn

Making all of their pieces from leftover, deadstock fabric, organic cotton, or even their own regeneratively farmed cotton to create their designs, you can frolic in nature in a Christy Dawn piece while also knowing that the clothing you’re doing so in is leaving a small impact on the flowers, woodland and lakes you so love in the spring. Following a slow fashion cycle, Christy Dawn dresses are created in limited supply and it’s no surprise why their pieces are so often sold out. From the Katrina Dress, with its smocked bodice, puffed sleeves and comfort-first design, to the stunning Prairie style Adele Dress with its beautifully feminine vintage-inspired silhouette, lace-up bodice, and gathered skirt, Christy Dawn dresses have something extra, something more exciting and international about their designs, something that a piece from any standard fast-fashion company could never emulate.

With a huge selection of different dresses, ranging from simple, block colour designs to their standout interpretations of pieces inspired by varying online subcultures, like the Emma Dress, for the lover of cottagecore, and the Rachel Dress, for any fans of country and western, there is a piece for everyone’s spring wardrobe that is sure to get more than enough wear throughout the season.

Albaray

Created by an all-female trio, Albaray is the sustainable womenswear brand you’re going to fall in love with this spring. Born in 2020 during the pandemic, founders Paula Stewart, Karen Peacock and Kirstie Di Stazio saw the chance to move towards a more thoughtful, environmentally conscious approach to fashion and launched their brand with a collection of simply flattering and effortlessly chic pieces.

That’s exactly how their dresses remain to this day. Crafted using responsible materials, all of their dresses are incredibly versatile, transitioning from day to night, from season to season, effortlessly. The basic pieces, favourites of which include the Denim Collar Midi Dress, a smock style piece with stunning puffed sleeves and a dramatic V-shaped neckline, and the Chocolate Jersey and Woven Mix Vest Dress whose soft, ribbed fabric provides comfort as well as a chic look, can be as easily worn alone as casual pieces as they can be accessorised to the high heavens for a more impactful look.

OMNES

Based in London, OMNES is both an environmentally and socially conscious brand. Their approach to design is by no means hindered by their unabashedly passionate approach to sustainability and their pieces will no doubt be worn by their customers just as they want them to be - ‘on repeat, this season and beyond.’

Crafted with versatility and longevity in mind, the brand’s collection of ethically-made dresses makes picking out the perfect spring pieces incredibly easy. Whether you want something subtle and playful for every day, like their Harriet Linen Dress or their Woolf Sleeved Slip Dress, or you’re off to a special event and want something that will make a splash while keeping you cool, like the stunning Adopt-a-Nova Tie Back Dress, OMNES will have your wardrobe filled with pastel hues and silky soft fabrics in no time.

Batsheva

New York label Batsheva is reimaging the traditions of female dress. Playing with the influence of subcultures, cherry-picking design features and popular trends from across the decades, all has worked to create a truly unique and showstopping aesthetic for the womenswear brand who hasn’t even yet celebrated their 10th birthday.

The brilliance of the label is their ability to stay true to their design values while still presenting a hugely varied style of clothing, jumping from one aesthetic to the next with each collection. We have their Lillian Dress, made in turquoise taffeta that screams 50s elegance, next to their Laura Ashley collaboration featuring a range of dresses in stunning 80s-esque floral prints. Not afraid of juxtaposition, their trio of Pussy Riot Dresses, made in collaboration with the band of the same name, shows off a series of long white cotton Prairie dresses strewn with graffiti and safety pins. Each design is so unique and yet so Batsheva. If you’re after a bold, unapologetic spring look, they’re definitely the brand for you.

Farm Rio

The brand, based in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, are passionate about its eco-friendly practices and even plant a tree for each item they sell. Not only that, but their designs are truly stunning and beautifully encapsulate the tropical surroundings the brand’s team find themselves in.

Take the Off-White Delicate Garden Dress for example. The dress features a gorgeous pared-back floral print, its colours bold yet muted enough to sit seamlessly and unoffensively among the flowers and green grasses of spring. The Painted Hearts Maxi Dress, with its unique heart-shaped bodice and fun graphic print skirt, is another piece that could seem daunting for its bold design yet manages to feel soft, feminine and spring-like with its thoughtful details. Even their Stitched Garden Blue Dress doesn’t feel like too much and it’s absolutely brimming with colour and pattern and detail. The dresses are fun, bright and unique - the perfect pieces to ward off the winter’s long-standing chill.