These Autumn Midi Dresses Will Make Getting Dressed In Cold Weather Much Easier

From sell-out high street hits to dresses that will work for both day and night, here's our ultimate edit of the best.

best autumn midi dresses

by Hannah Banks-Walker and Harriet Davey |
Updated on

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.

PARIS, FRANCE - FEBRUARY 27: A guest wears a blue corduroy long dress, a brown leather crocodile pattern bag, a brown long coat, pointy boots, outside Chloe, during Paris Fashion Week - Womenswear Fall/Winter 2020/2021, on February 27, 2020 in Paris, France. (Photo by Edward Berthelot/Getty Images)

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

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Made from responsibly-sourced cotton, Aspiga's dress has a lovely silhouette with just the right

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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...

autumn midi dresses

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

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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.

woman wearing black silk dress

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

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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.

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - AUGUST 10: Cheyenne Maya Carty wears blue cashmere dress, jacket with print, bag, Nike sneaker outside Ganni during the Copenhagen Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2024 on August 10, 2023 in Copenhagen, Denmark. (Photo by Christian Vierig/Getty Images)

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

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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.

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - AUGUST 10: A guest wears a long maxi dress in purple, red, and pink color combination outside Gestuz during the Copenhagen Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2024 on August 10, 2023 in Copenhagen, Denmark. (Photo by Raimonda Kulikauskiene/Getty Images)

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The square neckline and shirred detailing make this midi more interesting than some of its

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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.

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - JANUARY 31: Grece Ghanem wears mint green scarf, silk dress, mustard yellow blazer, silver Bottega Veneta bag, white sunglasses outside Aeron during the Copenhagen Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2023 on January 31, 2023 in Copenhagen, Denmark. (Photo by Christian Vierig/Getty Images)

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

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