The Best Printed Dresses to Wear for Fall

After a long, sweltering summer, cooler winds finally prevail. For your wardrobe, that means: leather jackets, fall-ready dresses—from knit styles to the season’s boldest prints—and an array of boots to style them with. Every season needs a great one-and-done piece after all, and there’s nothing that packs a punch than the best printed dresses in an exciting pattern, be it autumnal florals, checks, or stripes.

Vogue’s Favorite Printed Dresses:

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The Charming Polka Dot

Diane von Furstenberg Stanton silk gown

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This fall, we’re embracing maximalist patterns in bold hues and warm neutrals alike. Think animal-esque spots like those trending at Altuzarra, Tory Burch, and Brandon Maxwell, who each took an abstract approach to wild prints, making them feel utterly modern. And if blooms are more your thing, there are plenty of varieties to pick from—Proenza Schouler and J.Crew set electric-colored florals on dark backgrounds to add a bright pop to your look. Meanwhile others went all in on the bohemian aesthetic by way of ditsy florals and paisley scarf prints in rich burgundy and burnt orange.

Plaids and checks, two quintessential motifs, also made a big showing on this season’s dresses, seen everywhere from Burberry and Dôen to Banana Republic and Zara. Harkening back to the nostalgia of school uniforms and holiday tartans, now is definitely the time to make the most of this traditional print. Likewise, you can never go wrong with a classic stripe, be it bold black and white or a multicolored knit.

From long-sleeved sweater dresses to crisp shirtdresses and romantic floral maxis, you’re sure to find your favorite silhouette refreshed in a brand new print below in our top picks for fall’s best printed dresses.