Claire's Picks

Mesh Dresses Worth Having in Your Wardrobe

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Mesh has a reputation problem and we think it's mostly undeserved. Done badly, yes, it looks cheap and tries too hard. Done well, it is one of the most interesting fabrics in women's fashion because it layers, it moves, it adds texture without weight, and it creates a kind of visual depth that solid fabrics simply cannot. The category earns its place. We are specifically interested in the mesh dresses that sit on the right side of that line. The ones with good construction, a lining that actually works, and a silhouette that flatters rather than clings in the wrong places. Some are overtly dressed up, the kind of thing you wear when you want the evening to feel significant. Others are casual enough to wear with trainers and still look considered. What connects them is that none of them look like an afterthought. Mesh rewards attention to detail more than most fabrics do, and the dresses in this edit have had exactly that. These are the ones that make the case for mesh as a fabric worth taking seriously.

Claire's Top Picks

Green Mesh Dresses That Actually Suit Most Skin Tones DOROTHY PERKINS UK Goddiva Embroidered Mesh Maxi Dress In Green Jump to section ↓

£45.00 DOROTHY PERKINS UK

Long Sleeves Mesh Dresses That Work All Year Round GODDIVA_UK Goddiva Hotfix Diamante Mesh A-Line Long Sleeve Maxi Dress Jump to section ↓

£150.00 GODDIVA_UK

Mesh Dresses Evening for Nights Worth Dressing For PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Black Bandeau Mesh Floral Detail Mini Dress Jump to section ↓

£24.00 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

Mesh Dresses Sleeves Worth the Extra Layer MONSOON Milena Long Sleeve Floral Embroidered Mesh Wedding Dress Ivory Jump to section ↓

£330.00 MONSOON

Pink Mesh Dresses That Don't Look Costume-y PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Pink Printed Mesh Frill Cowl Back Maxi Dress Jump to section ↓

£16.80 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

Izabel London Tropical Print Mesh Layered Midi Dress women's Long Dress in Red

Red Mesh Dresses That Actually Earn Their Place in Your Wardrobe SPARTOO.CO.UK Izabel London Tropical Print Mesh Layered Midi Dress women's Long Dress in Red Jump to section ↓

£30.00 SPARTOO.CO.UK

White Mesh Dresses Worth the Dry Cleaning Risk PRETTYLITTLETHING UK White Woven Cut Out Mesh Drape Skirt Mini Dress Jump to section ↓

£18.20 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

Green Mesh Dresses That Actually Suit Most Skin Tones

Green is the colour most women talk themselves out of, and mesh is the fabric they assume won't work for them. Put the two together and you'd expect this to be a very niche collection. It isn't. The specific greens we've chosen here, the sage, the forest, the muted olive, are the ones that flatter rather than flatten. They work with warm skin tones and cool ones because they sit in that middle ground where green stops fighting with the wearer and starts working with them. The mesh element is doing something important too. A good mesh dress has structure and softness at once, which means it skims rather than clings, and creates a silhouette that is genuinely forgiving without being shapeless. We've been strict about which ones make this edit. No harsh emeralds that only look good on one person in a room. No limp mesh that bags at the wrong moments. These are the green mesh dresses that consistently photograph well, feel considered rather than accidental, and look like an outfit rather than an afterthought. Green, it turns out, suits far more of us than we were told.

DOROTHY PERKINS UK Goddiva Embroidered Mesh Maxi Dress In Green £45.00 DOROTHY PERKINS UK

DOROTHY PERKINS UK Yumi Green Floral Print Mesh Stretch Midi Dress With Pockets £55.25 DOROTHY PERKINS UK

DOROTHY PERKINS UK Jolie Moi Oliana Mesh Bardot Neckline Dress In Green £45.00 DOROTHY PERKINS UK

MONSOON Baby Nessa Floral Mesh Party Dress Green £22.40 MONSOON

Long Sleeves Mesh Dresses That Work All Year Round

Mesh with long sleeves is one of those combinations that genuinely solves something. The coverage means you can wear it in October without immediately reaching for a jacket. The fabric means it doesn't feel heavy or overdressed in warmer months. It sits in a sweet spot that very few dress styles actually occupy. We've become slightly obsessed with this category because it rewards year round dressing in a way that feels considered rather than accidental. Layer it over a slip or wear it as a statement piece on its own. Style it with boots when the temperature drops or with sandals when it doesn't. The long sleeve detail adds structure and a certain intentionality that short sleeve or sleeveless mesh can't quite match. There's something about a well cut mesh dress with long sleeves that looks expensive and deliberate regardless of what it actually cost. These are the ones we keep returning to across occasions, across seasons, across whatever the weather is doing on any given day. Mesh with long sleeves is not a compromise. It's the smarter choice.

GODDIVA_UK Goddiva Hotfix Diamante Mesh A-Line Long Sleeve Maxi Dress £150.00 GODDIVA_UK

MILANOO_UK Mesh Patchwork Dress Long Sleeves See Through Party Bodycon Dresses £17.13 MILANOO_UK

MILANOO_UK Womens Figure Ice Skating Dress High Elasticity Long Sleeve Mesh Diamond Hook Sleeves Competition Ice Dance Dress £58.89 MILANOO_UK

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Burgundy Mesh Long Sleeve Drape Mini Dress £18.20 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

GODDIVA_UK Goddiva Dobby Mesh Feather Sleeve Hem Maxi Dress £120.00 GODDIVA_UK

MILANOO_UK Womens Dance Dress Mesh Long Sleeves Ribbon Neckline Ballroom Dance Costumes £54.53 MILANOO_UK

FOREVER_NEW_UK Forever New Women's Alannah Mesh Long Sleeve Midi Dress in Dark Sabine, Size % Recycled Polyester £25.00 FOREVER_NEW_UK

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Leopard Mesh Long Sleeve Tie Back Detail Shift Dress £18.20 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

TRUFFLESHUFFLE.COM Disney's The Nightmare Before Christmas All Over Print Mesh Midi Dress £64.99 TRUFFLESHUFFLE.COM

MONSOON Lorelai Long Sleeve Floral Embellished Mesh Wedding Dress Ivory £450.00 MONSOON

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Petite Chocolate Mesh Long Sleeve Maxi Dress £11.20 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

SNEAKIN UK Women's tight dress Goddiva Dobby Mesh Feather Midi £83.79 SNEAKIN UK

Mesh Dresses Evening for Nights Worth Dressing For

Mesh does something that most evening fabrics simply cannot. It moves like a second skin, catches light without being loud about it, and has an intimacy to the way it drapes that makes even a simple silhouette feel like a considered choice. We are not talking about anything sheer for the sake of shock value. We are talking about dresses that have been designed with real intention, where the mesh is doing structural and aesthetic work simultaneously. The fabric has a reputation for being difficult to wear and we think that reputation is mostly wrong. The right cut, the right lining, the right weight of mesh and the result is genuinely one of the most flattering things you can put on an evening. These are dresses for occasions that actually matter. A proper dinner. A wedding where you are not the bride but you still want to look extraordinary. A night where you leave the house knowing the dress is doing exactly what it should. We have pulled together our absolute favourites. The mesh evening dresses worth building the whole night around.

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Black Bandeau Mesh Floral Detail Mini Dress £24.00 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

DOROTHY PERKINS UK Goddiva Scuba & Polka Mesh Bella Bow Multiway A-Line Midi Dress In White £85.00 DOROTHY PERKINS UK

EGO (UK) Mesh Cape Overlay Ruched Detail Mini Dress In Burgundy, Women's Size £27.00 EGO (UK)

YESSTYLE_US_GLOBAL Short-Sleeve Off Shoulder Sequin Beaded Mesh A-Line Evening Gown Midi Cocktail Dress Midi Evening Gown - Champagne £76.50 YESSTYLE_US_GLOBAL

FOREVER_NEW_UK Forever New Women's Piper Petite Tie Mesh Midi Dress in Deep Mahogany, Size Recycled Polyester £65.00 FOREVER_NEW_UK

FOREVER_NEW_UK Forever New Women's Brittany Gathered Mesh Midi Dress in Plum Caspia, Size Recycled PolyesterElastane £28.00 FOREVER_NEW_UK

GODDIVA_UK Goddiva Velvet Bardot Dobby Mesh A Line Maxi Dress £150.00 GODDIVA_UK

MILANOO_UK Orange Evening Dress Mesh Cut-Out Chiffon Dress Milanoo wedding guest dress £146.46 MILANOO_UK

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Mushroom Mesh Ruched Bandeau Plunge Maxi Dress £14.25 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Taupe Mesh Long Sleeve Drape Mini Dress £18.20 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

GODDIVA Scuba & Polka Mesh Bella Bow Multiway Skater Mini Dress - Black by Goddiva £68.00 GODDIVA

SNEAKIN UK Women's long dress Freeman T Porter Rommy Mesh £95.29 SNEAKIN UK

Mesh Dresses Sleeves Worth the Extra Layer

Sleeves change a mesh dress entirely. Without them you have something that works in high summer or on holiday and not much else. Add them and suddenly the same silhouette carries you through evenings when the air conditioning is merciless, into autumn when you want the look without the goosebumps, and onto occasions where bare arms would feel like too much of a statement. The sleeve does real work here. What we love about mesh sleeved dresses specifically is the contradiction they pull off so well. The fabric is sheer and light but the coverage reads as considered and intentional. It has an elegance that short sleeves rarely achieve. Long mesh sleeves in particular create a silhouette that photographs extraordinarily well, all that softness and slight translucency against whatever is underneath. We have been extremely selective with this edit because mesh can go wrong fast. Cheap mesh looks cheap immediately. The dresses we have picked have the right weight to the fabric, the right fit through the sleeve, and the kind of finish that actually justifies getting dressed up in the first place. The sleeve is not an afterthought here. It is the whole point.

MONSOON Milena Long Sleeve Floral Embroidered Mesh Wedding Dress Ivory £330.00 MONSOON

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Chocolate Mesh Overlay Ruched Short Sleeve Mini Dress £15.40 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Cream Satin Mesh Detail Bardot Mini Dress £22.40 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

FOREVER_NEW_UK Forever New Women's Alannah Mesh Long Sleeve Midi Dress in Barkley Floral, Size % Recycled Polyester £42.00 FOREVER_NEW_UK

MADE IN PARADIS UK Women's dress Goddiva Dobby Mesh Princess £83.79 MADE IN PARADIS UK

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Plum Mesh Bardot Layered Ruched Maxi Dress £30.00 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

MILANOO_UK Latin Dance Dress Black Women's Fringe Mesh Sexy Short Sleeves Polyester Dance Dress £49.85 MILANOO_UK

INSTOCK UK Lucinda 'S Floral Printed Mesh Tiered Midi Dress £40.00 INSTOCK UK

MILANOO_UK Womens Dance Dress Mesh Round Collar Short Sleeves Pleated Skirt Ballroom Dance Costumes £54.53 MILANOO_UK

DOROTHY PERKINS UK Wovcor Abstract Print Mesh Maxi Dress With Draped Waist Detail £39.61 DOROTHY PERKINS UK

DOROTHY PERKINS UK Jolie Moi Mesh Ruffle Detail Maxi Dress In Blue £60.00 DOROTHY PERKINS UK

Pink Mesh Dresses That Don't Look Costume-y

Mesh and pink together have a reputation problem, and it is completely understandable. Done badly, the combination reads fancy dress. Done well, it is one of the most interesting and genuinely wearable things happening in fashion right now. The difference is almost entirely in the details. Construction, lining, colour depth, and how the mesh is used structurally rather than just decoratively. We have been hunting down the versions that sit firmly in the second camp. Pink shades that lean dusty rose or deep fuchsia rather than bubblegum. Cuts that have actual shape to them. Linings that are considered and intentional rather than an afterthought. These are dresses that photograph brilliantly and look even better in person, which is not always the case with anything involving sheer fabric. We are particularly fond of the options that use mesh as a layering element over a fitted base because the depth of colour and texture that creates is genuinely something special. Pink mesh should feel romantic and a little bold, not like a Halloween costume bought in a hurry. These are the ones that get it exactly right.

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Pink Printed Mesh Frill Cowl Back Maxi Dress £16.80 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

OXYGEN_CLOTHING Stretch Mesh Polo Dress £72.25 OXYGEN_CLOTHING

THE_DOUBLE_F Long pink mesh dress £222.00 THE_DOUBLE_F

SPARTOO.CO.UK Izabel London Printed Mesh Layer Pleat Wrap Midi Dress women's Midi Dresses in Pink £45.00 SPARTOO.CO.UK

MILANOO_UK Pink Skating Dress Nuded Long Sleeves Mesh Rhinestone Women And Girl Ice Skater Dress £100.49 MILANOO_UK

THE_DOUBLE_F Short pink mesh dress £138.00 THE_DOUBLE_F

MONSOON Heart Embellished Mesh Party Dress Pink £29.40 MONSOON

MONSOON Tulip Polka Dot Mesh Disco Dress Pink £30.40 MONSOON

YESSTYLE_US_GLOBAL Long Sleeve Square Neck Mesh Panel Mini A-Line Dress Pink £35.27 YESSTYLE_US_GLOBAL

MONSOON Baby Heart Embroidered Mesh Party Dress Pink £23.80 MONSOON

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Pink Leopard Print Lined Mesh Long Sleeve Mini Dress £13.00 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

SPARTOO.CO.UK Izabel London Floral Mesh Texture Pleated Midi Dress women's Midi Dresses in Pink £45.00 SPARTOO.CO.UK

Red Mesh Dresses That Actually Earn Their Place in Your Wardrobe

Mesh gets dismissed as a going-out fabric, something you wear once and forget about, but red mesh done properly is genuinely one of the most versatile and striking things in a wardrobe. The colour does the heavy lifting on its own. The mesh adds a layer of interest that solid fabric simply cannot replicate, a subtle texture that catches light differently depending on how it falls. We have been particularly selective here because the gap between a red mesh dress that looks intentional and one that looks like a costume is narrower than people realise. Fit is everything. So is weight. Sheer panels need lining in the right places. The cut needs to justify the fabric rather than just use it for effect. What we have pulled together are the red mesh dresses that cleared every one of those bars. Some are evening dresses with real drama. Some work for occasions that are smarter than a night out but still want some energy. All of them treat the combination of red and mesh as a serious style choice rather than a shortcut. Because when it works, it genuinely works.

SPARTOO.CO.UK Izabel London Tropical Print Mesh Layered Midi Dress women's Long Dress in Red £30.00 SPARTOO.CO.UK

GODDIVA Sleeveless Pleated Dobby Mesh Corsage Maxi Dress - Red by Goddiva £48.00 GODDIVA

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Deep Red Mesh Bardot Ruched Detail Maxi Dress £23.80 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

FOREVER_NEW_UK Forever New Women's Minnie Mesh Bardot Midi Dress in Red, Size PolyesterElastanePolyester £55.00 FOREVER_NEW_UK

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Red Mesh Scarf Detail Maxi Dress £31.50 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Shape Red Mesh Sleeve Bandage Mini Dress £31.50 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

YESSTYLE_US_GLOBAL Sleeveless Square-Neck Plain Ruched Mesh Slit Midi Dress Red £16.31 YESSTYLE_US_GLOBAL

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Red Mesh Crossover Bust Detail Ruched Skirt Maxi Dress £15.00 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

GODDIVA_UK Goddiva Sleeveless Pleated Dobby Mesh Corsage Maxi Dress £48.00 GODDIVA_UK

DOROTHY PERKINS UK Finery London Yasmine Floral Mesh Tiered Midi Dress In Dark Red £59.00 DOROTHY PERKINS UK

SPARTOO.CO.UK Izabel London Glitter Mesh Twist Front Midi Dress women's Long Dress in Red £30.00 SPARTOO.CO.UK

DOROTHY PERKINS UK Jolie Moi Gavina Ruched Sleeve Mesh Maxi Dress In Red £75.00 DOROTHY PERKINS UK

White Mesh Dresses Worth the Dry Cleaning Risk

Mesh has a reputation problem and we're going to address it directly. Done badly, it looks cheap, clingy in the wrong places, and aggressively see-through in a way that reads as an accident rather than a choice. Done well, it is one of the most elegant fabrications in womenswear. White mesh in particular sits in its own category entirely. The sheerness is the point. The layering possibilities are the point. The way it catches light without being shiny, holds structure without being stiff, moves without being fussy. These are the things that make it genuinely worth caring about. We've been thorough with this edit because the gap between a brilliant white mesh dress and a regrettable one is wider than in almost any other category. Lining quality matters. Seam finishing matters. The weight of the mesh matters enormously. Some of these are occasion dresses in the truest sense. Others work for summer evenings where you want something that looks considered without being overdressed. All of them justify the care label instructions. White mesh done right is not a compromise. It is the whole point.

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK White Woven Cut Out Mesh Drape Skirt Mini Dress £18.20 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK