21 Zara-Style Spring Dresses To Buy ASAP — Starting At Just $21
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Spring dress shopping mode: activated! Now is the time! If you want to make the most out of warmer spring weather and sunny days, this is when you should start making some serious spring dress purchases, if you haven't already!
Obviously, there are so many out there, so we rounded up 21 picks to get you started. They all reminded Us of something we'd find at Zara, therefore earning our fashion stamp of approval. Check them out below — from Amazon and more!
Cutout Dresses1. Our Absolute Favorite: Cutouts are so in for warmer weather, and this Verdusa midi is a stunning option. It's comfy and has a gorgeous slit too!
2. We Also Love: We're getting retro vibes from this CUPSHE dress. Such a pretty color too!
3. We Can't Forget: Let's get a little silky! This Jonathan Simkhai Standard dress from Revolve is a bestseller for a reason!
Floral Dresses4. Our Absolute Favorite: Totally boho-chic! We can't get enough of the tassel tie at the waist of this LEANI dress!
5. We Also Love: Bright and colorful pieces are so in right now. You'll just feel happy the moment you slip on this Dokotoo dress!
6. We Can't Forget: This longer Nuofengkudu dress is a great pick for more formal occasions. You'll shine in the photo booth at the next wedding!
Empire Waist Dresses7. Our Absolute Favorite: Bridgerton brought empire waist dresses back in a big way. Now we're always on the lookout for dresses like this 24/7 Comfort Apparel maxi from Walmart!
8. We Also Love: Prefer something shorter? This comfy BTFBM mini is the way to go!
9. We Can't Forget: Babydoll style! This KIRUNDO dress is the cutest thing ever — especially with those Swiss dots!
Puff-Sleeve Dresses10. Our Absolute Favorite: Okay, how badly do you want to go on a picnic wearing this gingham ZESICA dress? Don't forget to snap some photos!
11. We Also Love: This English Factory shift dress from Nordstrom is such a fun color. The sleeves add some seriously stylish drama to the look!
12. We Can't Forget: The sheer puff sleeves on this EXLURA dress just add to the ethereal design of this dress. So pretty — and flattering too!
Shirt Dresses13. Our Absolute Favorite: This LUSMAY collared shirt dress keeps things easy and breezy. It's sort of just like an extended version of a button-up shirt, but leveled up!
14. We Also Love: If you like something that defines your shape, you'll love this Bardot dress from Revolve. The ruched waist creates a beautiful silhouette!
15. We Can't Forget: We can't get over the green shade of this PYGFEMR mini shirt dress. So good for this time of year!
Embroidered Dresses16. Our Absolute Favorite: The pattern-blocking on this KIRUNDO dress is just phenomenal, especially with the flowers at the neckline being embroidered!
17. We Also Love: This Romwe tank dress offers up something simple but with a little bit of spice in the form of some embroidery down near the hem!
18. We Can't Forget: We instantly fell in love with the embroidered floral overlay on this Dress the Population dress from Saks Fifth Avenue. This fit-and-flare cocktail piece is just fabulous!
Satin Slip Dresses19. Our Absolute Favorite: Simple and sweet, this MINEEE slip dress is timeless. Dress it up with heels or down with sneakers!
20. We Also Love: This The Drop dress is for all of the leopard lovers out there! This body-skimming beauty comes in plenty of other variations too!
21. We Can't Forget: This xxxiticat dress is a fan-favorite at Amazon. The cowl neckline is just flawless!
Looking for other ways to elevate your closet? Check out more picks below:
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24 Best Spring Dresses That Are Equal Parts Cute And Comfy
Trees are blooming, days are longer, and there's a fresh energy in the air. Your vitamin-D-deficient wardrobe can feel it too, as the best spring dresses are calling. Now that the sun has made more than a few cameos in 2023, the time to manifest your favorite spring outfits is nigh.
Street style looks from fashion month have caused a number of spring dress trends to take off, from lacy numbers that straddle the line between elegant and edgy to vibrant maxi dresses that add a pop of color on gloomy days. Tried-and-true textiles like poplin, denim, and silk (classic for slip dresses) make appearances, with subtle tweaks in styling (like pairing the latter with an oversized bomber, a key spring jacket trend) to bring them into the now.
After an endless winter, these cute spring dresses feel like a breath of fresh air—and the dominating fashion trends offer a little something for everyone. Shop them below.
Psst! Looking to score deals on cute dresses? Head this way for Nordstrom, Shopbop, Net-a-Porter, and Saks Fifth Avenue promo codes to save big on the best spring dress trends for women. You can also snag Madewell promo codes and Everlane promo codes, along with Free People coupons, Urban Outfitters discounts.
Leather and LaceChristian Vierig/Getty Images
If you're constantly asking WWSND ("What Would Stevie Nicks Do?") the answer is always pair leather with lace. The whimsigoth queen perhaps meant that metaphorically, but we're being quite literal. Bridging from last year's slip dress trend, we're adding a layer of grunge to the classic feminine piece in the form of heavy boots and/or a leather jacket. Snag outfit ideas from #balletcore or #ballerinasleaze, or the Miu Miu spring-summer 2023 show arrivals (we're still sweating from this Cindy Bruna masterpiece) for something more polished. PS: If you're looking for celeb inspo, Alexa Chung has walked these roads for literal years.
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A New Day Women's V-Neck Slip Dress
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Boden Elena Midi Slip Dress
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Abercrombie & Fitch Lace-Trim Satin Midi Slip Dress
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Free People Simply Biased Slip
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Wilfred Only Lace Slip Dress
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Madewell Papinelle Sleepwear Silk Lace Slip
Wedding Guest AttireEdward Berthelot/Getty Images
Edward Berthelot/Getty Images'No One Wants To Spend A Fortune At The Dry Cleaners': Canadian Designers Are Reimaging Women's Workwear
Xenia Chen wore the same uniform to her corporate job at a private-equity firm every day for nearly two years: A suit or dress, heels—and tights. And each day, she grew more annoyed. She had to buy an endless supply of pantyhose since they would constantly rip. But her options were either European name-brand pairs that cost $70 a pop, or cheap drugstore options that felt terrible on her skin. Her co-workers were always eager to commiserate about this awful state of hosiery affairs: Control tops were too restrictive, leg length was never long enough and "nude" tights didn't match their skin tone.
So Chen decided to do something about it.
In 2018, Toronto-based Chen started Threads, a line of high-quality, affordable tights, as a side project. Those watercooler complaints were like gold for Chen; she formulated her products based on feedback from her co-workers and from a survey of 200 people in her network. Chen created tights made with double-covered yarn, meaning that the sewing machine goes over them twice, making them more durable than most pairs on the market. She contoured the control top, lengthened the leg and created numerous shades to match various skin tones. Chen made them less expensive than designer tights too, priced between $20 and $50 a pair. A year-and-a-half after starting Threads, the business was strong enough that Chen made it her full-time gig.
Women's workwear is a burgeoning sector: The global market size is valued at upwards of US$150 billion as of 2023. The women's apparel market, overall, is expected to increase by nearly three per cent annually from 2023 to 2027, thanks to a growing population of working women, ever-evolving trends and the segment's strong spending power. And, as more employees head back to the office, the clamouring for versatile, stylish and practical workwear grows louder.
Chen and her fellow Canadian designers are ready to meet demand. Threads sells tights direct-to-consumer online and offers subscriptions for folks who go through a lot of pairs, like flight attendants. They have a customer repurchase rate of 35 to 40 per cent, and Chen says sales are increasing 200 to 300 per cent year-over-year. Threads recently diversified into men's tights and nipple covers, and is tackling bricks-and-mortar now, too: In the last year, they started partnering with specialty retailers across North America. "We believe the future of retail is with independent retailers, so we're doubling down on that this year," Chen says. "We'd love to expand into Europe in the near future."
Toronto-based engineer Nina Kharey is another designer reimagining workwear. She launched women's line Nonie in 2015, selling wardrobe staples like skinny zippered trousers, trendy trenches (including a trench dress worn by Meghan Markle), tailored tees and oversized blouses.
But in early 2021, she realized a new professional need and created Folds, a medical-techwear brand that makes antiviral and antibacterial scrubs from recycled materials—like old rugs and airbags—that are 100 per cent recyclable. Kharey wanted to provide better options for those working on the frontline of the pandemic, and says her garments last twice as long as regular scrubs since they're made from self-cleaning, durable fabric that requires less washing. "Our growth has been explosive, so keeping up with demand has been an ongoing challenge with having to amp up production so quickly," Kharey says.
Canada has huge potential to create innovative brands like hers, Kharey says, but the high costs and limited funding opportunities can be a burden for budding entrepreneurs. Canadian designers have long been asking for more support and funding, and outside of Quebec, they still struggle to secure grants allocated to other creative industries like music and arts. That's why Kharey recently turned to the U.S. To grow her business; she finds there's more venture-capital opportunities there. Kharey says she had a successful round of fundraising in early 2022, and is starting to work with high-profile U.S. Investors as part of a seed round. "Being self-reliant as a country is important, but the support here is weak. It's no secret people start focusing on other countries and come back to Canada when their ideas have been proven," Kharey says. "It's a bit backwards. The government is slow to see it, but the potential for clothing innovation and manufacturing is right here on our own soil."
Chen agrees that Canada is still a bit of an untapped market—but one with plenty of potential. "It's tough to find cool women's workwear, especially at a more affordable price point," she says. "I also think there is a huge market for workwear that's made from technical materials that are easy to care for. No one wants to spend a fortune at the dry cleaners!"
Helping women avoid big dry cleaning bills was the inspiration behind Michelle Shemilt's workwear brand, Numi. In 2014, the Toronto-based former equity trader created a line of sweat-proof undershirts for women to wear under garments like silk blouses and wool sweaters so they wouldn't need to be dry cleaned after each wear. Numi undershirts are designed with a technical fabric shield in the underarm that absorbs moisture to banish sweat stains.
Since launching her undershirts, Shemilt has expanded into other workwear must-haves, including moisture-wicking shelf bra camis to avoid breast sweat. In 2021, she debuted sustainable silk blouses, which, she says, are the only silk blouses on the market that are both stain-resistant and machine-washable. "You can spill coffee, wine or juice on it and it will just roll off," she says. "At the end of the day, you machine wash and tumble dry."
Easy-to-wear garments are at the heart of Encircled, another Canadian brand making functional-yet-fashionable workwear. A decade ago, Toronto-based founder Kristi Soomer was working 80-hour weeks as a strategy consultant and had little time to find stylish, comfortable clothing that would suit work, travel, socializing and relaxing. She started Encircled in 2012 to address her shopping conundrum. Encircled sells office-appropriate sweatpants and sweatshirts (garments that don't look like sweats), draped blazers and puff-sleeved dresses in soft cotton.
The surest sign Encircled is doing something right? They've been knocked off a bunch of times over the years: Their "Dressy Sweatpants" and "Chrysalis Cardi" dress are their most-copied pieces. It's irksome, but Soomer maintains focus on determining the ever-evolving workwear needs of her clients. One of her most successful recent products was a T-shirt dress. On Instagram, Encircled asked followers what they loved and hated about T-shirt dresses, then designed one based on the feedback. Once it hit their site, it sold out within 24 hours. "The more you can integrate people along the way, and test your product with them, you'll ultimately make a better product," Soomer says.
Post-pandemic buying habits might also help bring in more customers. After a few years of living in our pyjamas, Shemilt says, workers realize that getting dressed isn't just about how we look; it impacts how we feel. More people are reaching for their blouses and dresses again, but what women are looking for in their garments has slightly changed. "There is a need for functional workwear because one pandemic habit we don't want to give up is clothes that are easy to wear and care for," she says.
Chen agrees. "We all got our sweatsuit fix in the beginning of the pandemic and people are now wanting to get the best of both worlds," she says. "They want to be comfortable—but they also want to look good."
