Forever dresses to add to your new-season closet

Confidence-instilling, ultra-flattering, super-comfortable and timelessly chic: dresses are officially the unicorns of the fashion world. Once you find one you feel good in and can wear pretty much anywhere, you know it’s something you’ll never want to part with – an approach that lends itself well to more sustainable, ‘buy better’ shopping habits.

The key to finding a forever dress is to stick to classic prints, shapes and colors, and – most importantly – to choose a style that you feel incredible in. Those with a penchant for minimalism will appreciate the clean-lined simplicity of Jacquemus’s slinky black maxi slip and Gabriela Hearst’s white cotton dress – with puffed sleeves, a grandad collar and a belted waist, it riffs on that classic American prairie mood in the most contemporary way. Simply pair with easy-going flat sandals or worn-in ankle boots, depending on the weather forecast.

Those who love prints, color and a little drama in their dresses should consider Valentino’s sunshine-yellow floral maxi, Isabel Marant’s painterly patterned day dress and Ulla Johnson’s delicate crochet midi – combining a modern silhouette with artisanal techniques, this design can be seamlessly worn to formal garden parties and the beach. Though decadent in their details, there is a casual sophistication to these pieces that requires little in the way of styling, too, giving them the kind of one-and-done effortlessness that we can all appreciate first thing in the morning.

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