A dress is the cornerstone of most summer wardrobes. On days when you want to get ready in a hurry, it’s the ultimate ready-made outfit that requires very little styling – the only thing you really need to consider is what shoes to pair with your chosen sundress.
Midi-dresses and chunky sandals have been a winning combination for several summers, however if you want to experiment with some new silhouettes this year there are a number of fashion-forward shapes that are just as effortless. Flat shoes continue to reign supreme, with the ballet slipper trend appearing in the collections of high-street and designer brands alike, meanwhile Mary-Janes are proving particularly popular thanks to Chanel’s take on the pump. A simple flat is a handy way of balancing out some of the more directional dress shapes that have emerged for spring/summer 2024, such as exaggerated bubble-hem minis and minimalist milkmaid dresses that have a bustle-like gathering on the hips and a corset-inspired bustier.
Nineties looks were up 42 per cent for spring/summer 2024, and it was also the most searched-for tag on fashion search engine Tagwalk, as designers across all four cities were inspired by the late Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s elegant, pared-back wardrobe. The easiest way to master this mood is to wear a black maxi dress with no frills or embellishment with a pair of sandals fastened with thin, floss-like straps looped over the foot.
For those after something a little more statement making, perhaps the Noughties is more your decade. Chloé’s new creative director Chemena Kamali is spearheading the return of the cork wedge, which brings some added glamour to the crochet dresses that are sweeping new-in sections this summer. For more ideas of new dress and shoe pairings to try this summer, keep reading.
Best shoes to wear with dresses this summer:
- The Mary-Janes: Kurt Geiger Mary-Jane Flats, £89
- The thin strap sandals: Aeyde Suede Sandals, £240
- The wedges: Ancient Greek Sandals Wedges, £240
- The ballet flats: & Other Stories Leather-Trimmed Mesh Flats, £110
- The retro trainers: Nike Cortez Trainers, £80
- The fisherman sandals: Me + Em Fisherman Sandals, £295
Milkmaid dress and flat Mary-Janes
House Of CB
Tatiana Button-Front Cotton-Blend Midi-Dress
£149
Selfridges
Kurt Geiger London
Mary-Jane Flats
£89
Kurt Geiger London
16Arlington
White Vezile Gathered Organic Cotton Dress
£1,310 £786
Farfetch
Aeyde
Uma Leather Mary-Jane Flats
£290
Aeyde
Reformation
Elvira Dress
£248
Reformation
Le Monde Beryl
Woven Mary Jane
£455
Le Monde Beryl
Black dress and thin strap sandals
Jigsaw X Roksanda
Slip Maxi Dress
£395 £276
Jigsaw
Aeyde
Ella Suede Sandals
£240
Net-A-Porter
COS
Spiral Seam Maxi Dress
£115 £55
COS
K Jacques St Tropez
Abako Leather Sandals
£295
Net-A-Porter
Elliatt
Calypso Dress
£188
Free People
Aeyde
Penny Leather Sandals
£240
Net-A-Porter
Crochet dress and wedges
Holzweiler
Cenci Crochet Knit Dress
£255
End.
COPERNI
Rubber Platform Wedge Sliders
£530
Harvey Nichols
ESCVDO
Marea Crocheted Cotton Maxi Dress
£1,023
Net-A-Porter
Loewe Paula’s Ibiza
Espadrille Wedge Sandals
£825
Net-a-Porter
Sandro
Knit Maxi Dress
£359 £287
Sandro
Ancient Greek Sandals
Lithi Mid Wedges
£240
Ancient Greek Sandals
Bubble hem minidress and ballet flats
Peachy Den
Deba Bubble-Hem Dress
£175
Peachy Den
COS
Buckled Ballet Flats
£115
Cos
Mango
A-Line Dress
£30
Mango
& Other Stories
Leather-Trimmed Mesh Ballet Flats
£110
& Other Stories
Reformation
Babette Minidress
£228
Reformation
LOEFFLER RANDALL
Landon Mesh Ballet Flats
£250
Net-a-Porter
Printed midi-dress and retro trainers
Mango
Asymmetrical Pleated Dress
£110
Mango
Nike
Cortez Trainers
£80
Nike
H&M
Patterned Mesh Dress
£75
H&M
Adidas
SL72 OG Suede Sneakers
£80
Flannels
Kitri
Romily Mixed Polka Dot Maxi Dress
£265
Kitri
LOEWE
Flow Runner Trainers
£450
Flannels
Drop-waist dress and fisherman sandals
COS
Dropped-Waist Maxi Dress
£115
COS
Russell & Bromley
Low Block Fisherman Shoe
£195
Russell & Bromley
Matteau
Gathered Drop Waist Dress
£590 £389
Ssense
Me + Em
Fisherman Sandal
£295
ME+EM
Reformation
Sariah Dress
£298
Reformation
JW Anderson
Fisherman Embossed Leather Sandals
£635 £381
Net-A-Porter