6 Dress Brands We’re Wearing All Summer

When the heatwave hits, all we want to wear is a throw-it-on-and-go summer dress that will help us keep cool in style. A dress that takes you from office to rooftop bar, that sees you from city break to seaside jolly. A dress that pairs with wear-anywhere sandals and can be elevated for weddings and kept casual over swimwear for beach holidays.

Whether you’re looking for lightweight linen and keep-cool cotton, have a penchant for print or prefer a more minimalist slip style, meet 6 independent dress brands we reach for when temperatures rise.

Molly Russell founded Pink City Prints to honour and preserve the colour, creativity and artisanal craftsmanship found in Jaipur, India, from block printing to hand looming. Now working with artisans across Northern India and elsewhere in the world, every style is made in small batches, while fabric offcuts are used to make packaging and small accessories.

Founded in 2008, LA-born brand Rails combines the casual cool of Southern Californian style with a more sophisticated offering of occasionwear. Think tiered cotton sundresses and slinky slips, the brand prioritises comfort, making each dress ultra-wearable for days bouncing from desk to disco, or beach to bar.

Danish brand Stella Nova has been injecting joy into our wardrobes since 2002. Expect the unexpected: clashing prints, voluminous silhouettes, and a mish-mash of prairie femininity and contemporary colour make up the eclectic and playful collections the brand drops four times a year.

One of the original purveyors of Copenhagen cool, Second Female was founded in 2000 with the aim of blending effortless French style with the contemporary clout of Scandinavian design. Releasing four collections a year, the brand is particularly beloved for its dresses, all hand drawn prints, bright and bold colour and oversized silhouettes.

Hello, summer holiday. Creating the perfect destination dresses inspired by Sydney’s sun-soaked Northern beaches, Jaase was founded in 2014 by Australian mother and daughter duo Karen and Amy McDonnell. The brand’s signature bohemian prints come in ‘60s and ‘70s colour palettes and a host of styles, from tiered midi dressed to puff-sleeved minis.

Belgian brand Bellrose was founded back in 1989, inspired by the small Long Island village that founder Patrick Van Heurck discovered on his road trip around the USA. Starting life as a menswear brand with signature all-American plaid shirts, its womenswear offering came in ‘98. Now, it combines retro-inspired preppy details with the playful twist that Belgian’s are known for.