Mesh has a reputation problem and the high neck is what solves it. Without one, a mesh dress can feel like it belongs at a nightclub rather than anywhere you actually want to be seen. Add a high neck and the whole thing shifts. The coverage reads as intentional. The sheerness becomes a considered texture choice rather than an exposure decision. That is exactly the edit we have made here.

What we looked for were mesh dresses where the construction does the work. Good lining that sits properly underneath. A high neck that genuinely flatters rather than just covering. Silhouettes that feel dressed up without requiring much effort around them. These are the mesh dresses you can wear to dinner, to an event, to any occasion where you need to look like you thought about it.

The fabric catches light in a way that jersey and crepe simply do not. Worn well, it is genuinely striking. We have pulled together our favourites across fitted and more relaxed shapes, in neutral tones and in colours worth committing to. Mesh done properly is not a compromise. It is the most interesting option in the room.