Red and navy together is one of those combinations that looks considered without requiring much effort, which is precisely why we keep returning to it. There is something inherently pulled together about the pairing. It reads as intentional. And yet it works across completely different occasions, a casual day out, a smart office environment, an evening where you want to look polished without feeling overdressed.

The problem with this colour combination is that it can tip into generic nautical territory very easily. Stripes and anchor prints and nothing else. We are not interested in that. What we have been looking for are the red navy dresses that use the combination with more imagination. Colour blocking, bold graphic prints, rich floral arrangements, unexpected proportions. The ones that feel current rather than costume.

These are also dresses that photograph exceptionally well. The contrast between red and navy is strong enough that it registers properly on screen, which matters more than people admit when they are getting dressed.

Every dress in this edit earns the combination rather than just using it.