12 best girls’ summer dresses, from frilly sundresses to handmade frocks

Best: Girls’ summer dress overall

Rating: 9/10

You only have to touch this dress to know it’s a summer wardrobe essential. The fabric is wonderfully tactile and has been crafted from 100 per cent GOTS-certified organic cotton, and the result is a lightweight, beautifully soft and breathable dress.

The pretty checked pattern is reminiscent of picnics on a summer’s day, and is full of thoughtful touches. It was easy to pop over our three-year-old tester’s head, while there’s a soft lining in the top section, a stretchy elasticated back for comfort, and an adjustable button fastening on the adorable cross-over straps.

Sustainably speaking, Frugi has a planet-friendly approach, donating 1 per cent of its turnover each year to charity, which is a nice feel-good touch. There’s an array of matching items too – even a dress for mum!

Best: Handmade girls’ summer dress

Rating: 9/10

If we could only describe this dress in one word, it would have to be: pretty. There’s plenty more to say, of course, starting with the bread and butter of Freya Lillie – a British sustainable luxury fashion brand – which exclusively hand-makes all of its orders in northeast England.

Made to order, so expect a few weeks’ wait, we opted for the gorgeous dusty-pink colourway. We found the linen composition rather luxurious, durable and breathable. The frilled back straps look undeniably elegant, but fashion meets with function, as there are adjustable button holes and an elasticated waist to give this gorgeous dress some extra use. And trust us, you’ll want your little darling to wear this for as long as possible.

Best: Girls’ summer dress for detailing

Rating: 9/10

Hand smocking makes us go weak at the knees, particularly when it comes to childrenswear, so we fell in love with the Indira Gandhi flutter dress straight away. The design talent from Smock London shines through, with incredible hand-smocked detailing in pastel shades of pink, yellow and blue. It’s lovingly handmade using 100 per cent cotton sateen, which made it one of the comfiest frocks we tested. The stretchiness also ensures it lasts that little bit longer than most kids’ outfits.

Fully breathable, complete with cotton lining, our three-year-old tester looked angelic as she floated around in this dress. We adore the ruched-style shoulders and sweet button closures along the back, which beautifully catch the light in the sunshine.

The London-based brand is all about giving back too, so every time you buy from Smock, it donates an item to a child in need.

Best: Lightweight girls’ summer dress

Rating: 8/10

Looking for something cool and relaxed to quickly slip on at the beach or at the park? Kidly has the answer – its much-loved perfect tee dress is a summer essential.

This simple frock is the most lightweight out of all the dresses we tested, and kept our little tester cool. Made from 100 per cent organic slub cotton, it has a slight texture to it, which adds to the casual look.

We love the sweet patch pocket, and are big fans of the non-twistable side seams and dropped back hem, which is great for nappy wearers. Choose from four delicious pastel shades, from size six months to six years.

Best: Colourful girls’ summer dress

Rating: 8/10

For us, this dress from the high-street giant is summer in a frock. The vertical-striped design reminded us of a much-loved ice lolly. Our three-year-old tester soon realised it was perfect for twirling, thanks to its lightweight 100 per cent cotton composition and adorable frill sleeves.

The button-up front looks super sweet, albeit a bit of a faff when dressing, but that’s a suitable price to pay in the name of gorgeous fashion. Part of the Better Cotton Initiative, this dress not only looks good but is doing some good, too.

Best: Girls’ summer dress for special occasions

Rating: 8/10

Childrenswear designer Rachel Riley (rumoured to be one of the royal family’s favourites) has scooped many awards for her standout designs. And tropical days call for pineapple prints. This dress is fully lined and comes with coordinating bloomers to keep nappies tastefully hidden.

Made from 100 per cent cotton, it’s wonderfully light and we love the gathered thrills at the shoulders and back. There are three buttons at the back of the dress for easy dressing, too.

While we can’t deny the more substantial price tag, the quality is undeniable – it’s the perfect outfit if you have a summer baby celebrating their first birthday.

Best: Fun girls’ summer dress

Rating: 8 /10

This brand has been keeping our kids stylishly kitted out for 30 years and continues to impress. While historically dinosaurs have been pigeonholed as a boys-only design, we love this forward-thinking summer dress. Our devoted dino fanatic loved the print, while the 100 per cent cotton composition was soft on her skin. We’re also pleased to hear that JoJo Maman Bebe is a proud member of the Better Cotton Initiative.

There are three buttons at the back, which is great for younger ones (sizes start at six months), while the sleeveless design kept our three-year-old tester cool and free to go about her daily business.

Best: Value girls’ summer dress

Rating: 8/10

Trusty M&S delivers yet again with this pure cotton dress in a leopard print trend – a trend that has no signs of waning and we’re all for it. We love this take on the popular pattern, which looked effortlessly cool on our three-year-old tester.

It’s a casual fit with a dance-ready flared skirt, while the rounded neck had the right amount of stretch for easy dressing. Made from 100 per cent cotton (bar the trimmings, which have two per cent elastane), play is the order of the day with this colourful dress.

Best: Classic print girls’ summer dress

Rating: 8/10

Swedish childrenswear brand Polarn O. Pyret – or P.O.P for short – has been creating sustainable unisex clothes since 1976. Often praised for its sunhats, P.O.P has the whole summer wardrobe sorted. Boasting a classic gingham design, this checked kids’ dress is a beautiful frock for summer.

Fully lined, it’s made from GOTS-certified organic cotton, which felt soft against our six-year-old tester’s skin. At first we were a little dubious about the additional shoulder straps but we needn’t have been – they’re elasticated, so offered plenty of freedom. The wide frilled skirt meant that dancing and adventures weren’t held back, and the back zip fastening kept it fitted without making it fiddly to take on and off.

Best: Luxury girls’ summer dress

Rating: 8/10

If designer clothes are your thing, then we urge you to check out Il Gufo’s stunning collection of summer threads. The Italian fashion brand for babies and children is known for its gorgeous outfit sets and partywear, so naturally, it has summer soiree ensembles sorted.

Unlike the majority of children’s dresses on the market, this one is made using 100 per cent linen. While it’s not as soft to the touch as cotton, linen is known for its hard-wearing and resilient qualities, and thanks to the woven nature, it’s delightfully breathable, too.

As the most expensive out of all the dresses we tested, we expected high quality with an attention to detail, and that’s precisely what you get with this dress. Designed to be passed on to the next generation, the finish is rather wonderful – we particularly love the cuffed sleeves and delicate bow at the top of the buttons at the back. Our six-year-old tester felt like a princess as she danced around in this twirl-worthy skirt.

Best: Girls’ summer dress for baby 

Rating: 8/10

We got some serious tropical vibes with this cute dress from Mamas & Papas, featuring luscious leaves and lemons. Little ones will appreciate the easy-breezy nature, thanks to its floaty design. Our three-year-old tester loved the sweet patch pockets, and as it’s made from 100 per cent jersey cotton, it was soft on the skin too. In sizes newborn to four years, there are buttons at the back to help with changing, and we really liked the turned-up cuffed sleeves.