Denim has a reputation for being casual and we think that reputation is holding people back. A well cut denim dress is one of the most versatile things you can own, genuinely capable of carrying you through occasions that sit in that awkward middle ground between too smart and too relaxed. A summer wedding in a garden. A birthday lunch that isn’t quite a dinner. A weekend away where you want to look considered without appearing to have tried too hard. These are the moments denim dresses are actually brilliant for and nobody talks about that enough.

What we’ve pulled together here are the styles that do real work. Shirt dresses in a crisp mid wash that look intentional. Pinafore cuts that layer beautifully. Fitted styles in darker indigo that read almost as smart from a distance. The details matter enormously in this category, the right pocket placement, a good collar, a hem that sits properly. A badly cut denim dress looks like an afterthought. A great one looks like you knew exactly what you were doing when you got dressed. These are the great ones.