As far as I'm concerned, backless dresses are the only way to survive the heatwave

It's giving drama and access to a breeze

backless dresses
(Image credit: Zara)

I'll be honest: I do not deal with the heat well. At all. But if rumours are true, there's one headed our way, and I have just the item that will make it survivable: a backless dress. Aka the next best thing if access to a bikini and a swimming pool is limited.

While they may seem a little too formal for everyday life - after all, they're a red carpet staple - I've found the trick is choosing the right cut and fabric.

I tend to favour mini or midi lengths, and lightweight fabrics like cotton silk and linen. I love a paired back silhouette as well, such as a high neck, which emphasises the dramatic back even more.

For Spring/Summer 2024, we're seeing a lot of white dresses (always a staple), as well as more trend-led prints, including animal prints and florals.

Colour-wise, we're very much leaning into dopamine dressing with pops of red, azure blue and yellow.

The beauty of this style is that it seamlessly takes you from day to night. wear it with flat strappy sandals or mesh ballerina pumps during the day and swap for heels come evening.

I know what you're thinking: it's easy to wax lyrical about backless dresses when you have small boobs and don't need a bra. But if you scroll down, I've included some nifty accessories that my bigger busted friends swear by to make wearing backless gowns a breeze.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Contributing Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK. She writes about catwalk trends and the latest high street and Instagram sartorial must-haves. She also helms the Women Who Win franchise.

She has worked in fashion for over 10 years, contributing to publications such as Cosmopolitan, Red, Good Housekeeping, and Stylist.