Each month there seems to be a new colour to get on board with. If it isn’t butter yellow it’s powder pink, and while I’m all for dabbling in a new hue, sometimes I like to stick to the shades that have always, and will always, suit me—and chocolate brown is the hue I always go back to. With a serious sweet tooth, which often sees me carrying around an ‘emergency’ chocolate bar in my handbag, of course, I’m taken by the colour that reminds me of my favourite snack. And talking of bags, a style in rich brown just always looks so premium, especially when worn with neutral linen separates and summery white cotton dresses. This is also the case for sandals, too, but the area of my wardrobe that’s dominated most by 2025's hottest colour trend is my dress collection.

There’s something about a brown dress that doesn’t feel as harsh as the humble LBD but is just as versatile, and I love the fact that the colour works across all seasons, for quite literally any occasion. But if I were to get specific about the brown dresses that are set to be key for this summer, it’s all about the satin. Why? Because it’s the one you’ll want to wear to upcoming weddings, al fresco dinner plans, balmy holiday nights and quite literally everything in between.

I always think a satin dress, in general, always looks more expensive than its cotton counterparts. Maybe it’s the fact they already look incredible without the need for lots of accessories—although I love piling on gold bangles and earrings—or that they feel as good as they look. Either way, I’m not the only one backing brown satin styles for summer, as so many of the most stylish women on the internet have been donning the style already this season. Trust me, you’re about to see more of these chocolatey delights over the next few months—particularly on my Instagram where I’ll be wearing iterations to the 3000 weddings in my diary this year! Luckily for us, there are plenty of expensive-looking high-street styles out there to try, as well as incredibly chic designer numbers that are well worth the investment in my opinion. Scroll on to see my ultimate brown satin dress edit.

Harriet Davey is a freelance fashion editor who has been part of Who What Wear's extended team since 2017. She previously worked in print at Look magazine and has since worked across print, digital and social for many other titles, including British Vogue, Stylist, Grazia, Refinery29 and Marie Claire. Also a stylist, Harriet has had the pleasure of producing cover shoots and editorials along with commercial shoots for brands including Boux Avenue, Watches of Switzerland, Benefit Cosmetics and Revolution. To add to this, Harriet also works in live TV styling for ITV’s This Morning.