How to Wear the Minimalist Trend in 2024

The Little White Dress

White, and white dresses in particular, are a big trend for Spring/Summer 2024, with cotton/poplin styles bringing a classic yet contemporary feel to what can sometimes be a more romantic trend. Of course white shirt dresses are nothing new for Spring, but as they're experiencing a moment in the spotlight this year there will be lots of styles to choose from at all price points, so it's a good time to add one or two to your wardrobe safe in the knowledge that they will serve you well for years to come.

Not only do white shirt dresses tick off the minimalist aesthetic, but they're also a great capsule wardrobe piece, lending itself well to a more generally minimalist lifestyle. The best capsule wardrobe items can be worn for a number of occasions and seasons, and white shirt dresses can be worn to the offices, as beach cover-ups, in modest dressing destinations and out to restaurants, to name a few.

Wide-Leg Trousers

Move over, jeans - it's time for smarter styles to take the reins, and it's wide-leg silhouettes that everyone's raving about this year. They've long been a staple in my wardrobe as I find them highly flattering on my hourglass figure - good-fitting jeans are hard to find as they're always too big at the waist and too tight on the hips/thighs, and wide-leg trousers tackle this problem perfectly.

As a bit of a wardrobe minimalist, I like to keep my colours neutral (dusky/nude pink is a neutral in my eyes), but I do feel wide-leg trousers lend themselves nicely to a pop of colour if you do want to try out the cherry red trend, the sky-blue trend or any of the other many colour trends this season.

These are another garment that lend themselves well to office-dressing as well as more casual looks, plus can be dressed up for an evening out with heels and a clutch bag.

The Maxi Trenchcoat

Normally I share my Burberry trench as a great capsule wardrobe item, but if you want to inject some SS24 trends into your wardrobe then this is a great twist on a classic: the more fluid, flowing duster coat.

We love trenchcoats because they are functional as well as fashionable, regulating our body heat and protecting us from the rain during England's strange, unpredictable Spring months. Plus they make us channel our inner Audrey Hepburn, which always makes us walk a little taller.

Style your chosen trench with over-the-knee boots on cooler days and nude or camel loafers for the office.

The Bodycon Dress

Herve Leger-style bandage dresses are beginning to make a comeback, but another returning bodycon style that's already firmly on our wishlists is what I like to call the 'Jennifer Aniston work dress'. Us mere mortals probably wouldn't be comfortable wearing such tight dresses to the office but Rachel often did in Friends, and it's a style Jen herself has often worn. Personally I would wear this tight-fitting yet smarter dress style out for cocktails, or with opaque black tights and flat shoes for the office if it's closer to knee-length.

There is an emphasis on more classic tailored styles in 2024, but with a casual edge, which is a nice balance to finally settle on in the post-lockdown years. This is a combination I've always particularly enjoyed as part of my polished yet pared-back style and I think as long as you stick to neutral colours, especially black, bodycon dresses will always have a place in our wardrobes.