Summer dresses: High Street dresses you can buy right now from affordable brands including M&S and New Look

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The shops are all stocked with the hottest styles for summer, here are some trending dresses you can buy now.

Summer has arrived, despite what the UK’s weather thinks. With a new season comes the perfect opportunity to give your wardrobe a bit of a refresh. From easy breezy floral maxi dresses to elegant evening wear, there’s something for everyone’s style in the shops right now.

Dresses are the ultimate summer fashion life hack because they save so much time when getting ready. There’s no need to worry about what to pair those denim shorts with or if that skirt will look good with that top. Instead, you can just throw on a dress and you’re effortlessly ready to go.

So whatever your summer plans are, if you’ve got a beach holiday planned, or an upcoming staycation on the horizon, I’m sure these dresses would make for some brilliant additions to your wardrobe this summer.

M&S Jersey printed tie detail midi tea dress £27.50 this dress is a great way to do florals for summer without it being too overwhelming. Having such a ditzy pattern makes the dress’ print more subtle, yet still just that little bit more interesting than wearing a plain block colour.

Also, the tie detail at the waist is bound to be super flattering once the dress is on, and the frill elastic around the sleeves and the swishiness towards the bottom points to great quality, always expected of M&S.

John Lewis abstract petal floral dress £65 would be a fabulous addition to your wardrobe if you prefer to wear bolder patterns. It looks really lightweight and airy so would be great on holiday, or if the weather heats up in the UK.

It’s also modest enough to be worn to work, but fun and modern enough to wear out and about too which is always a bonus.

Trending dresses for the summer: top styles you can buy right now (Canva Images)Trending dresses for the summer: top styles you can buy right now (Canva Images)
Trending dresses for the summer: top styles you can buy right now (Canva Images) | Canva Images

River Island green sequin bodycon maxi dress £55 if you’re planning on hitting the beach clubs this summer, or have any exciting evening plans across the season, this sequin dress would be a perfect option for you.

To really lean into the metallic vibes of this dress, you could wear it with some silver or gold heels or sandals with lots of chunky jewellery to give the ultimate cool girl vibes.

M&S floral sweetheart neckline midi tiered dress £48 this French Connection dress stocked on M&S is a gorgeous orange colour. Often people are wary of orange, and I feel as if it is a colour that gets overlooked or shied away from. But actually, it’s really wearable, as proven by this lovely dress.

In addition, a sweetheart neckline is always flattering, and the detail of the bow at the back of the dress is really beautiful too. It would be perfect for a summer picnic.

New Look off-white tropical-print mini slip dress £19.99 is the perfect affordable mini dress to wear this summer. Although the pattern might be a little bold for the UK’s weather right now, if you have any holidays booked over the next few months, this dress could be a great versatile piece to pack with you.

Ruby Watson is a trainee journalist for NationalWorld. If you liked this article and want to read more, you can follow Ruby Watson on X here.