Last spring, British Vogue’s Alice Newbold reported that the one dress you needed for summer wasn’t floral or colourful, as scores of white dresses were presented for spring/summer 2024. These confections were all bridal-coded, with craftcore at Gabriela Hearst, exquisite wafting organza and gazar shift dresses at Prada and tiered lace at the likes of Chopova Lowena, with intricate, couture-like creations setting a romantic mood. The white dress memo has certainly continued well into 2025, however these dresses show that sometimes quieter, more humble designs can be just as head-turning.
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Instead of intricate fabrics and painstaking embellishment, designers stripped things back for summer 2025, with simple silhouettes, clean lines and an absence of any elaborate details. Think cotton poplin nighties and strapless calf-grazing midis. But craftsmanship is arguably just as important when perfecting this look, as there is simply no hiding when it comes to fit and construction with a dress like this. This is shown at Bottega Veneta, where Matthieu Blazy had a masterful take on an ivory shirt dress, with a fitted waist with corset-like cinching, sloped shoulders with effortlessly rolled-up sleeves and a flared skirt with just the right amount of swoosh to it. It stands head and shoulders above your average shirt dress.
At Miu Miu, there was a nostalgic charm to the white cotton poplin slip dresses and nighties that were seen throughout the collection, styled in a teenage fashion with knee-high socks, sporty track jackets and draped knitwear. Minimalist powerhouse brands unsurprisingly led the way here — at Khaite a weightless, silk tunic was layered over a pair of champagne-hued silk trousers, while Toteme’s monochrome collection brought a sense of newness to an ivory T-shirt dress.
The benefit of white dresses with an uncomplicated, sleek design sensibility, is that they are far too simple and lacking in glitz to make you look like you’re a TikTok bride compiling an all-white hen party suitcase. When it comes to humble cotton poplin dresses, Arket, Faithfull the Brand and Staud all have beautiful options, while nightwear brand If Only If’s slip dresses have a vintage charm and can be worn in daytime hours. Effortless and timeless, a dress like this will be a long-lasting summer investment – as long as you steer clear of Aperol and gelato splashes, that is. Keep reading for our edit of the best white midi-dresses for summer.
