When it comes to the best dresses, these are always the easiest things to wear to ease yourself out of summer and into cooler temperatures. Luckily, this year's autumn midi dresses are built for just such things – and they'll even be great for the colder winter weather, too.
Unlike the warmer months, where long summer dresses take centre stage, dresses with sleeves and midi hemlines become the norm once temperatures drop and the seasonal changes are set in motion. Even the best slip dresses and bodycon dresses can be utilised during the autumn season and can be paired with a leather jacket or trench coat. The options for chic transitional fashion are ultimately endless.
Keep reading for the key autumn midi dresses for 2023 - some of which will already be in your wardrobe - and notes on how to wear them from now until next spring.
The Cord Dress
If you want a dress that's going to keep you warm as the temperatures drop, corduroy is always a good idea. This season more than previous years, there's an abundance of cord styles, from shorter hemlines to midi lengths. Nobody's Child's style has already sold out, it's been so popular, while other great examples can be found at M&S, Monsoon and Aspiga.


www.nobodyschild.com
Description
One of many things that Nobody's Child does so well is length – the brand's 'midaxi' styles hit at

www.aspiga.com
Description
Made from responsibly-sourced cotton, Aspiga's dress has a lovely silhouette with just the right

www.monsoon.co.uk
Description
Swap your lighter workwear for this shirt dress. You could even layer a fine knit roll neck
The Denim Dress
A denim dress will be one of the hardest-working pieces in your wardrobe because of its year-round wearability. Style with two-strap sandals in summer and knee-high boots in winter. As just seen at Copenhagen Fashion Week, it can also look great with a denim jacket over the top – think of it as the new and improved Canadian Tuxedo...


aligne.co
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There's a reason why Aligne's denim midi has sold out more times than we can count – it's

www.thereformation.com
Description
Wear this on its own while it's still (sort of) warm and then layer over fine knit polo necks with
The Silky Dress
From Loewe to Tove, liquid silk dresses appeared on the autumn/winter 2023, reminding us that simplicity can still dazzle. The best news? The new cohort couldn't be easier to wear.
If you’re heading out-out but it’s cold, the silky dress, with its long sleeves and swooshing hemline, is your best bet with a blazer. Wear with flat-pointed pumps now and slouchy knee-highs later.


www.ghost.co.uk
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This is one of those multi-functional dresses. If you add heels, it'll work for the evening, if

shop.mango.com
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Say hello to your new party piece. The flared sleeves make this extra special – you'll want to
The Sweater Dress
The knitted dress has become a seasonal power player – and this year is no different. Ganni's blue mohair midi was spotted several times during Copenhagen Fashion Week recently, proving that it works with trainers, heels, on its own and under jackets.
For peak cosy points, double your dose of wool by wearing a chunky cardigan around your shoulders.


www.ganni.com
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This dress was a hit at Copenhagen Fashion Week, where it proved to be surprisingly versatile.

www.cos.com
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Slightly oversized without being too big, this dress will soon become the thing you want to wear
The Winter Floral Dress
You could barely move without encountering grungy florals on the AW23 catwalks. Jil Sander, Erdem, Carolina Herrera, Emilia Wickstead and Balenciaga were just some of the champions of this moody take on blooms.
Look for all-over pattern or just a smattering of petals and add heeled ankle boots.


www.nobodyschild.com
Description
The square neckline and shirred detailing make this midi more interesting than some of its

rixolondon.com
Description
The ease of this will make it a dress you pull out time and again. Wear on its own or try under a
The Slip Dress
Bottega Veneta, Nensi Dojaka and No.21 showed off a range of (mostly) sheer slips for the new season. Granted, this is not the most wearable of items but you don't have to opt for transparent fabrics. Also, the beauty of the slip is its layering potential – add cardigans, tights and oversized blazers, which you can then shed for party season.


www.stories.com
Description
Most of the catwalk slips were lingerie-inspired. Channel the trend in & Other Stories' silky

www.mytheresa.com
Description
Brown, in all its guises, is big news for autumn/winter. This dress is the most glorious shade –