There is a version of pale blue that looks like a nursery and a version that looks like a considered decision, and the difference is usually saturation. Light blue dresses for women in the second category include the Lulus Kinara Light Blue Floral Jacquard Strapless Midi Dress and the Amsale Janis Dress in Ice, both of which sit cold enough to read as sophisticated. The AQUA Lace Inset Midi Dress in Sky Blue and the Petal and Pup Kirsten Lace Maxi Dress in Cornflower Blue go warmer and softer. Cornflower and ice are genuinely different colours doing genuinely different jobs. Knowing which end you want matters more than the silhouette.

The range of occasions this colour now covers is the actual story. The Princess Polly So Far So Good Strapless Linen Blend Maxi Dress and the Bombshell Minidress are holiday and going-out pieces with no formal pretension. The BHLDN Strapless Basque-Waist A-Line Midi Dress and the Amsale Janis are bridal-adjacent and built for events with a dress code. The Vero Moda Ruffle Bust Chiffon Midi Cami Dress in Light Blue sits in the middle, which is where most people actually need a dress. Having one colour stretch from linen beach maxi to formal midi is unusual, and it is why this shade has quietly become a default in the way navy once was.

The useful thing about pale blue is that it does the job black used to do in warm months, which is to look finished without looking like you tried too hard. The Amsale Janis in Ice is the best-made thing here and the most single-purpose. The Vero Moda chiffon cami is the most versatile and the piece most likely to be worn a dozen times. The linen Princess Polly maxi is the right answer for genuine heat, since linen is the only fabric here that behaves in humidity. The lace pieces will read softer and younger. If you take one thing away, it is that the temperature of the blue matters more than the shape, so decide between ice and cornflower before you decide between midi and maxi.