The 7 Dress Trends Everyone Will Be Talking About (and Wearing) in 2024

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(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight/Ferragamo; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Coperni; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Del Core; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Loewe; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Christian Cowan; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Victoria Beckham)

If you ask us, it's never too early to start planning ahead. We may still be a month away from the start of the next season, but there's nothing stopping us from thinking about our spring (and rest of 2024) wardrobes. Lately, we've been doing just that, diving into the spring 2024 collections and pulling out the season's major trends. 

There's a lot to be excited about, whether it be an impactful color trend or a sophisticated new silhouette. We'd even argue that the fall dress trends on deck are some of the season's best. With fashion moving toward classic and sophisticated dressing, the dresses you're about to discover ahead are largely of that variety. Whether it's a pretty satin finish, a sultry thigh-high slit, or an elegant hourglass silhouette, discover the 2024 dress trends that are set to be major for the season (and no doubt the entire year) ahead. Then, of course, shop our picks within each.

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(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight/Altuzarra; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Coperni; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Givenchy; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Victoria Beckham; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Prada; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Jil Sander)

The sheer trend is nothing new, but the spring 2024 collections doubled down on the theme with an influx of translucent dresses with an undeniably angelic effect. Defined by layers of sheer tulle and organza that all came in a wash of cream and eggshell tones, this season is proving that sheer dressing is here to stay. 

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(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight/Ferragamo; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Loewe; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Carven; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Victoria Beckham; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Tory Burch; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Alejandra Alonso Rojas)

If you close your eyes and imagine a classic Greek statue, the image in your mind likely involves a figure with a piece of cloth draped and gathered across their body. This is the inspiration behind some of spring's most beautiful gowns. Seen in collections from Tory Burch to Loewe, these dresses feature the same kind of draping with micro pleats that highlight the gathered material. 

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(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight/Theory; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Gucci; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Carven; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Versace; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Sandy Liang; Launchmetrics Spotlight/N.21)

Now, I'm not saying that this season marks the end of maxi hemlines as we know them, but let me at least introduce you to the silhouette that I'm predicting to be up next: swingy shift dresses. We spotted short dresses with '60s energy all over the runways, where they were styled with ballet flats for even more sweetness. It's been a while since the shift dress had its moment, so it feels exciting to see it resurface.

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(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight/Gucci; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Altuzarra; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Jil Sander; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Saint Laurent; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Loewe; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Victoria Beckham)

Heavy satin is already shaping up to be a major 2024 trend. We've been reporting on satin coats and satin shoes for months now, but satin dresses are arguably where the pretty material hits its peak. In fact, designer Joseph Altuzarra is so committed to the look that he doused nearly his entire collection in the sumptuous fabric, and just this month, Aubrey Plaza stepped onto the Emmys red carpet in Loewe's yellow satin number. All in all, the best dresses are getting the lustrous treatment this season.

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(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight/Alexander McQueen; Launchmetrics Spotlight/16Arlington; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Carven; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Louis Vuitton; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Coperni; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Bottega Veneta)

We've noted how full circle skirts have been bubbling back up this year after a long hiatus, and now, the '50s-inspired silhouette is spilling over into dresses with pretty A-line numbers that feature cinched waists and full-volume skirts.

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(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight/Christian Cowan; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Coperni; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Gucci; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Ulla Johnson; Launchmetrics Spotlight/OperaSport; Launchmetrics Spotlight/N.21)

The classic nightgown is getting a revamp this year. Per Gucci, Coperni, and Ulla Johnson, slip dresses are undergoing a makeover with substantial lace trimming to give them a sultrier spin that's ideal for wearing beyond the bedroom—in fact, they're just asking to be worn for a night out.

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(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight/Khaite; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Acne Studios; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Ferragamo; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Valentino; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Tom Ford; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Del Core)

This year will be defined by elegant and opulent style, but that doesn't mean that risqué fashion is dead and gone—it's just changing shape. Instead of spliced-up midriffs and unusual cutouts, thigh-high slits are set to be the key avenue for showing a little skin, albeit in as polished and sophisticated a way as possible.

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Senior Editor

Anna is an NYC-based senior fashion editor who has been a member of the Who What Wear team for over seven years, having begun her career in L.A. at brands like Michael Kors and A.L.C. As an editor, she has earned a reputation for her coverage of breaking trends, emerging brands, luxury shopping curations, fashion features, and more. Anna has penned a number Who What Wear cover interviews, including Megan Fox, Julia Garner, and Lilly Collins. She also leads the site’s emerging travel vertical that highlights all things travel and lifestyle through a fashion-person lens.