Airy linen is the ultimate summer fabric – there’s something in its natural texture that lends a whimsical sensibility to clothing, making it both inherently elegant and beautifully cool on warm days. This season, designers embraced linen’s relaxed-meets-structured quality by creating slip-on-slip-off styles with effortless appeal – for a vacation closet or easy city days. See Three Graces London’s ‘Nell’ midi dress: crafted in sunshine-yellow linen, its nipped-in waist and puffed sleeves make it the sort of piece you’ll wear with minimal sandals and an oversized basket bag for your sunshine escape, then dressed up with heeled mules and a minaudière for a chic summer wedding.

Designs run the gamut of silhouettes – from Tolu Coker’s baby-pink flared-skirt mini dress, which is available only at NET-A-PORTER, to Bondi Born’s understated cream linen ‘Marigot’ maxi dress. Part of our NET SUSTAIN edit of more consciously crafted pieces, the latter’s A-line style can be worn loose and flowing, or belted at the waist with the coordinating sash tie. For a pop of print, look to Farm Rio’s floral green midi, featuring a cutout bodice that plays into SS23’s focus on back detailing.

Our NET SUSTAIN edit is a great place to look for vacation-ready linen dresses – slip on Faithfull The Brand’s elegant column style over swimwear with salty hair and slides, then amp it up with gold hoops and sleek sandals for evening. Johanna Ortiz’s geometric printed maxi has similar appeal: wear it over a bikini for lunch on the beach, then add sunglasses and a structured tote for an afternoon exploring the nearest town.

Shop the vacation edit

Discover this season’s must-have white dress

5 ways to wear color