This satin mini dress is available in both pink and bronze shades (we tried both). We’ve found wearing it instantly creates an effortlessly dressed-up look, while the waist tie, wide sleeves and front pleat complement the piece’s simplicity. The fit feels comfy and chic all in one, and the shape works well with heels and flats alike. Plus, there’s a hidden popper securing the front wrap neckline and pockets.
This chic black and pink poppy-print dress has several key details adding to its spring style appeal. We love the playful tiered skirt and feminine puff sleeves, while the low neckline has two front ties, which we mostly arranged in a bow. The gathered waist adds silhouette definition too, and its floaty material feels a joy to wear. This dress looks fab with both tights and bare legs alike, and we sometimes popped a top underneath on colder days.
This boho-style spring dress ticks a lot of seasonal style boxes, from its shirred effect and flowing skirt to the side-split detailing and pockets. In short, wearing the midi-length piece made us joyful about heading into spring. The cotton composition is lightweight and comfy to wear, and the skirt is lined for extra coverage too.
A bright, ankle-length dress with shirred detailing, this long-sleeved number features a sunflower print and pockets for extra style and practicality points. We’ve been teaming the piece with a denim jacket and white trainers during early spring days, and will add in slides and a straw bag when the weather gets warmer.
Asos design wrap tux midi dress with shoulder pads, black
A workwear piece with short sleeves and a wrap shape, we think this dress is an everyday outfit option for the office. The tortoiseshell buttons, tuxedo collar effect and waistband add a stylish twist to this classic black dress. Meanwhile, the padded shoulders offer a slight structured effect to this otherwise flowing dress. We did need to wear a cami underneath, as the neckline is very low-cut and we would suggest sizing up by one or two sizes, as we found the fit very small.
Karen Millen floral and geo embroidered woven midaxi
This long cotton dress has a classic floral and geo print and a square neckline, plus covered buttons and a cut-out feature at the back. A piece suitable for sunnier spring days and the summer months, we’ve been layering it with a cardi or denim shirt in the meantime. Its soft material feels comfy to wear and fancy at the same time. Available in stone, red and blue shades, there are different colour options to suit your style preference.
A midi dress complete with covered buttons, waist detailing and balloon sleeves, this is an elegant flowing number to wear both now and when the weather warms up. The jade-green fabric has a jacquard print and satin effect, while the long-length shape suits both heels and flats.
This cute pink chiffon mini has sheer sleeves and bib smock detailing. We love it as a long-sleeved short dress option to wear with bare legs and trainers. Plus, we’ve been adding in low-denier tights on cooler days too. The check print is giving us Ganni-on-a-budget vibes, and so is the fun shape. If you’re not someone who goes for floaty, floral dresses, this is an edgier option that can be toughened up with boots too.
This floral dress is a classic wedding guest outfit, combining an elegant shape with the botanical and butterfly print. Key details include the shaped neckline, wide sleeves and fitted bodice, while its pencil shape adds extra smartness. The sleeves have a ruched detailing where they meet the neckline for a bit of extra detail, and there’s a zip fastening at the back.
Slip dresses are still having a style moment, and this one comes in a variety of prints and shades, including tropic natural, lime leopard and classic black. The soft material is comfy to wear, while its shape creates a sleek silhouette. Meanwhile, the scooped V-neck and low back are suitable for dressed-up occasions and spring or summer sunshine.
If you’re looking for an everyday spring dress that can be worn with an additional layer underneath on cooler days, this dark blue Baukjen number fits the bill. There are buttons down to the waist, a relaxed tiered skirt, and denim frill detailing on the cuffs and collar. Plus, pockets add an extra casual element.
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Spring is finally in the air, which means the days are getting longer, and sunnier months lie ahead. This new season provides plenty of opportunity for getting outside, after months of cold and dreary days. Whether you’re planning alfresco entertaining and are shopping for garden furniture or are enjoying fresh scents to get you in the mood for summer, it’s wardrobe changes that can make the most difference when it comes to embracing the new season.
You might favour a classic floral maxi dress as the weather warms up, or perhaps you are looking to follow key SS23 trends. Either way, there are plenty of options available worth perusing. Slip dresses still reign supreme as a wardrobe staple, and they can be layered over a long-sleeved top too. Meanwhile, shirred smock dresses are a keen favourite every year. Spring also tends to mark the beginning of wedding season, so shopping at this time of year means taking into account any upcoming occasions.
On the Fashion Week catwalks, Burberry, Chloé and Givenchy homed in on denim for this season, while Hermès served up tropical colours and Stella McCartney focused on light pink and yellow hues. However, if you favour classic black, fear not, as it was seen showcased by several designers for SS23, including Alexander McQueen, Dior and Versace.
Simply add on-trend accessories such as straw bags and white trainers for full spring-style impact. Whether you prefer floral prints, shirred detailing or shirt-dress styles, we’ve been trialling the best to buy now.
Our expert shopping team has been putting a few spring dresses through their paces, to find the best sartorial picks for the new season. From full-length styles to those with pockets, we’ve got all budgets covered.
We’ve spent several weeks testing a selection of spring dresses, including mini, midi and maxi styles. Our tester trialled the pieces for daytime and evening, and looked at different patterns, shades and shapes across all price points. Keep scrolling for our list of the best spring dresses to buy right now.
See some of our favourite dresses in action
The best spring dresses for 2023 are:
Best overall – Next satin draped mini dress: £42, Next.co.uk
Best mini dress – Ted Baker Priana poppy print tie-front mini dress: £122, Tedbaker.com
Best midi dress – Free People oasis midi dress: £108, Freepeople.com
Best maxi dress – Barbour Coraline dress: £99.95, Barbour.com
This satin mini dress is available in both pink and bronze shades (we tried both). We’ve found wearing it instantly creates an effortlessly dressed-up look, while the waist tie, wide sleeves and front pleat complement the piece’s simplicity. The fit feels comfy and chic all in one, and the shape works well with heels and flats alike. Plus, there’s a hidden popper securing the front wrap neckline and pockets.
Given the £42 price, we think these design details offer excellent value for money. We’ve been wearing the mini dress for nights out and work meetings, plus we will be packing it with a pair of sandals for our summer holiday. There’s a wide range of sizes available too.
This chic black and pink poppy-print dress has several key details adding to its spring style appeal. We love the playful tiered skirt and feminine puff sleeves, while the low neckline has two front ties, which we mostly arranged in a bow. The gathered waist adds silhouette definition too, and its floaty material feels a joy to wear. This dress looks fab with both tights and bare legs alike, and we sometimes popped a top underneath on colder days.
We’ve worn this dress several times – on nights out and when having lunch with friends – paired with trainers, boots and sandals. A versatile buy for daytime and evening wear, we can see ourselves sporting it all season long.
This boho-style spring dress ticks a lot of seasonal style boxes, from its shirred effect and flowing skirt to the side-split detailing and pockets. In short, wearing the midi-length piece made us joyful about heading into spring. The cotton composition is lightweight and comfy to wear, and the skirt is lined for extra coverage too.
We’ve been trialling the pale purple thistle patch shade, but there are dark blue, red, yellow and other colours to snap up too. Already a spring staple in our wardrobe, we’ve been layering it with a denim jacket.
A bright, ankle-length dress with shirred detailing, this long-sleeved number features a sunflower print and pockets for extra style and practicality points. We’ve been teaming the piece with a denim jacket and white trainers during early spring days, and will add in slides and a straw bag when the weather gets warmer.
We’ve found it comfy to wear on a daily basis, and love the uplifting shade, pattern and frill hem. The dress is quite floaty and almost sheer, but we didn’t find its skirt at all transparent. Meanwhile, we think it could be worn alongside smart heels and a clutch bag for a wedding or party too.
Asos design wrap tux midi dress with shoulder pads, black
Best: Workwear dress
Length: Midi
Sizes: UK 4 to UK 16
A workwear piece with short sleeves and a wrap shape, we think this dress is an everyday outfit option for the office. The tortoiseshell buttons, tuxedo collar effect and waistband add a stylish twist to this classic black dress. Meanwhile, the padded shoulders offer a slight structured effect to this otherwise flowing dress. We did need to wear a cami underneath, as the neckline is very low-cut and we would suggest sizing up by one or two sizes, as we found the fit very small.
We’ve been wearing it with pointed court shoes or stacked platforms, and adding metallic accessories. We’ve been sampling the black shade, and there’s also a stone version, if you prefer to wear lighter colours.
Karen Millen floral and geo embroidered woven midaxi
Best: Dress for sunshine
Length: Maxi
Sizes: UK 6 to UK 16
This long cotton dress has a classic floral and geo print and a square neckline, plus covered buttons and a cut-out feature at the back. A piece suitable for sunnier spring days and the summer months, we’ve been layering it with a cardi or denim shirt in the meantime. Its soft material feels comfy to wear and fancy at the same time. Available in stone, red and blue shades, there are different colour options to suit your style preference.
The embroidered detailing adds an extra decorative finish, making this dress perfect for special occasions. We’ll be wearing it with metallic sandals for a few upcoming weddings too.
A midi dress complete with covered buttons, waist detailing and balloon sleeves, this is an elegant flowing number to wear both now and when the weather warms up. The jade-green fabric has a jacquard print and satin effect, while the long-length shape suits both heels and flats.
All in all, we think this dress looks more expensive than it actually is. We wore it for a birthday meal out with friends and felt suitably swish.
This cute pink chiffon mini has sheer sleeves and bib smock detailing. We love it as a long-sleeved short dress option to wear with bare legs and trainers. Plus, we’ve been adding in low-denier tights on cooler days too. The check print is giving us Ganni-on-a-budget vibes, and so is the fun shape. If you’re not someone who goes for floaty, floral dresses, this is an edgier option that can be toughened up with boots too.
This floral dress is a classic wedding guest outfit, combining an elegant shape with the botanical and butterfly print. Key details include the shaped neckline, wide sleeves and fitted bodice, while its pencil shape adds extra smartness. The sleeves have a ruched detailing where they meet the neckline for a bit of extra detail, and there’s a zip fastening at the back.
While the dress has a pencil fit, the crepe material offers a bit of stretch, so it doesn’t feel restrictive to move in. We wore it to an evening do, and felt suitably dressed up, and can see ourselves adding the piece to our work wardrobe too.
Slip dresses are still having a style moment, and this one comes in a variety of prints and shades, including tropic natural, lime leopard and classic black. The soft material is comfy to wear, while its shape creates a sleek silhouette. Meanwhile, the scooped V-neck and low back are suitable for dressed-up occasions and spring or summer sunshine.
We appreciated this dress’s casual flowing cut. We’ve also been wearing it with a white T-shirt underneath, and the simple style works well with chunky jewellery too.
If you’re looking for an everyday spring dress that can be worn with an additional layer underneath on cooler days, this dark blue Baukjen number fits the bill. There are buttons down to the waist, a relaxed tiered skirt, and denim frill detailing on the cuffs and collar. Plus, pockets add an extra casual element.
We’ve been wearing it with a long-sleeved Breton tee underneath, and will be adding sandals or slides when the weather warms up. The midi length is ideal for transitioning into warmer weather, while the elbow-length sleeves offer versatility in all temperatures.
Our best dress overall is Next’s satin draped mini dress, because it’s a versatile buy for both daytime and evening wear, with an affordable price and varied size range. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a floral maxi, Barbour’s Coraline dress is a sunny yellow shade with a floral print, shirring and a frill hem. Finally, for rainy days, we love Baukjen’s Kiera organic dress as it taps into the denim trend and has pockets too.