11 Dresses That Do Double Duty With Pockets

We all remember the feeling — you waltz into your favourite high street shop on your lunch break (the good old days!) for a little spring outfit inspiration. Maybe you had a recent windfall, and you’re finally ready to try on that springy shift that’s been calling to you from the window for weeks. You grab your size, head into the fitting room, and slip it on. You twirl. So far, so good! Then comes the make or break moment: you instinctively reach for the side seams to slide your hands into —

Nothing. You are wearing a dress with no pockets.

Turning back to the mirror, you contemplate. The item in question is dreamy, and you can definitely envision it on weekly rotation in your seasonal wardrobe; or subtly wowing all of your school friends as soon as we can all safely gather together again IRL. But are you really going to commit to an almost-perfect spring dress... without pockets? Nowhere to slide a phone, a business card, a dry cleaning receipt? Nowhere to put your hands while you need to look unbothered while waiting for the lift, nowhere to hide excess buttons, or the too-heavy earrings you had to take off in the middle of the day? You must be realistic. Back on the rack it goes.

Friends, this sense of disappointment ends today. Sure, a frock can function without hiding places, but the best ensemble is the one that’s cute, affordable, and does what you need it to do — all with pockets sewn into the side seam or patched visibly to the front. And there’s no shortage of such garments out there — you just have to know where to look. Luckily, we do; so we rounded some of the best warm-weather dresses out. And rest assured, your hands will have somewhere to go with all of these options.