Stylish women are choosing crisp shirt dresses for this heatwave, here's the 6 best from H&M to Next

There comes a point in a long, hot summer when the novelty of heatwave dressing begins to wear off.

After weeks of reaching for floaty dresses and linen sets, to survive soaring temperatures, many of us, myself included, want to feel polished again. Put together. Like ourselves. And of course, we are thinking of how we’ll get dressed in autumn too.

That's why stylish women are turning to one timeless wardrobe hero to wear now: the shirt dress. Unlike dresses designed purely for a heatwave, a brilliant shirt dress has structure. It looks crisp rather than crumpled, elegant rather than relaxed, and above all it looks (and feels) chic no matter what you are doing.

That's exactly why shirt dresses have become my late-summer shopping strategy. The dresses here will work whether you're heading into the office, attending a picnic, meeting friends for lunch or going shopping. More importantly, you can keep wearing it when the season changes.

Wear it now with flat leather sandals and a basket bag, and you'll feel like the most stylish woman in the room. As the weather cools, simply swap in loafers, trainers or knee-high boots, add a blazer or chunky knit - or even layer over trousers or cream jeans -and it will serve you well into autumn. Because, honestly. a shirt dress is a purchase that will continue to earn its place in your wardrobe long after the temperature drops.

From crisp cotton to softly tailored styles, and from retailers including H&M, Zara and Next, these are the six shirt dresses I'd buy now and wear on repeat for the rest of the season and beyond.