There are plenty of personality dresses to choose from for the summer season, from ruffled polka dots to fanciful bubble-hem styles, however in a heatwave it pays to avoid anything too fussy and focus on uncomplicated designs with a light-as-air quality. Spaghetti-strap dresses will always be a summer classic, as they have an effortless throw-on quality and a barely-there feel as your arms and collarbones are exposed.
Floss-like straps will forever be associated with Kate Moss who partied her way through the ’90s in silk and sheer slip dresses, while spaghetti straps were also a trademark of Posh Spice, aka Miss little-Gucci-dress. Slips were seen across the spring/summer 2025 collections, from high-shine satin midis at Dries van Noten to blush lace-trimmed négligées at Chloé which have delicate ribbons tied at the shoulder, further adding to the whimsical feel.
Although slip dresses are often lingerie inspired, with lace detailing and high-shine fabrics, not all spaghetti-strap dresses could be mistaken for a nightie. At this year’s Cannes Film Festival Dakota Johnson proved that sometimes nothing is as elegant as a black fitted, column dress with ultra-fine straps – hers was by Gucci and looked refreshingly simple in a town where photo call dressing can be a competitive game of one-up-manship.
Spaghetti-strap dresses can be filed under the “one and done” styling category, as they tend to have a minimalist aesthetic and require very little further decoration – note how Dakota Johnson went without jewellery (apart from some studs) to not complicate the simplicity of the neckline and silhouette. In the ’90s spaghetti strap dresses all had this sculpted, column-like construction, however this summer among the slips you’ll also find styles with an excess of billowing fabric, smocked panelling at the bodice or skirts that flare from the hips. And remember, behind every spaghetti-strap dress is a hard-working strapless bra.
Keep reading for Vogue’s edit of the best spaghetti-strap dresses, from a tangerine COS maxi to a Massimo Dutti brown linen midi.
