I've Worn This One Dress Style for 6 Years, and It's a Spring Hero

For my birthday last year, instead of shopping for a new dress, I decided to dig deep into the archives of my own wardrobe. If you haven’t done this recently, I highly recommend it, as I found hidden gems that deserve to be noticed. One such gem is the H&M knitted midi dress I first wore six years ago at London Fashion Week. I remember styling it with a pair of striped mules and gold hoops, and if it isn’t broke, why fix it? So I wore this exact same outfit for my birthday dinner, and I love it as much now as I did back then. I’ve also realised I now own five knitted dresses, all of which I wear on heavy rotation across all seasons.

It's so versatile. There’s something about the timeless knit fabric that makes any dress style—from long-sleeved to racerback and cut-out—effortlessly chic, but one thing to keep consistent is the length. We all know the midi is universally flattering, and I'm not alone in backing the knitted midi dress as part of my love-forever capsule wardrobe.

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(Image credit: @harriet.davey)

Here I am wearing my six-year-old H&M knit dress. It also has a tie neck and low back, so it's 360-degree perfection.

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(Image credit: @styleidealist)

This is the most joyful fruit-salad dress from Staud. Karina goes matchy-matchy with chunky pink platforms. The dream.

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(Image credit: @sylviemus_)

Sylvie wears a Peter Do cream dress and keeps it classic with gold hoops and black sandals. A go-to combo for minimalists. 

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(Image credit: @smythsisters)

Proving why the square neckline is back, Marianne's second-skin style is a winner all around. 

So many fashion people wear the knit dress across all seasons, with minimalists and maximalists finding iterations to suit their styles. While there's no wrong time to buy a knit dress, I must say that right now, there are some of the best ones I've seen popping up in time for spring. And I'm particularly impressed with the high street: H&M (of course) has a whole host of designs, including a flower-print dream dress in the H&M+ section; M&S ticks off the collared-dress trend; and & Other Stories has a black floaty-sleeve style that you can throw on and go. Enjoy.

Shop the Best Knitted Midi Dresses

Next up, how to build a capsule wardrobe that will last a lifetime.

Freelance Fashion Editor

Harriet Davey is a freelance fashion editor who has been part of Who What Wear's extended team since 2017. She previously worked in print at Look magazine and has since worked across print, digital and social for many other titles, including British Vogue, Stylist, Grazia, Refinery29 and Marie Claire. Also a stylist, Harriet has had the pleasure of producing cover shoots and editorials along with commercial shoots for brands including Boux Avenue, Watches of Switzerland, Benefit Cosmetics and Revolution. To add to this, Harriet also works in live TV styling for ITV’s This Morning.

Back to Who What Wear. With hundreds of published stories on site, Harriet knows what the WWW reader wants. Keeping up to date with the latest It buys and runway trends, she can guarantee to keep you one step ahead of the most stylish people.

When not writing or styling, Harriet loves to go shopping (yes, more fashion). If she’s not in a local Hackney bar or restaurant, you can find her forever searching for her next holiday destination.