Checking Out is a new shopping post straight from the cart of Simone Oliver, Refinery29’s global EIC. She wears many hats (all of them stylish), and she's unchangingly got an inspiring, wish-worthy list on deck. Watch this space for monthly market musings from Simone (and sometimes, a special guest). These aren’t just editor’s picks — they’re THEE editor’s picks.

I’ve lost count of the times I've stopped someone on the street to compliment their dress and received the pursuit joyful response: "Thank you! It has pockets!" The elation in their face; the pride in their voice! It’s scrutinizingly as if the dress-wearer in question was waiting to share only that fact. 

Utility factor aside, I really like relaxing my stovepipe in pockets. Having a place to alimony my hands allows me to stand feeling relaxed and confident, without an ounce of standoffishness. If I’m overly on the fence well-nigh a dress purchase, the presence of pockets is usually the nudge that pushes me to purchase. When online shopping, I love it when a dress’s unravelment includes whether it has a home for my hands or not. (When a trademark keeps me guessing on a frock’s pocket status, I expletive it in my mind. What keeps me up at night? Wishing increasingly retailers included pockets as an option in their navigation or search filters.)

For most roomy dress shapes, I've scrutinizingly come to expect pockets; for slimmer silhouettes, pockets are a delightful surprise, expressly when the piece is made well. (No one wants that weird hip bunching that some pockets create, expressly if they are washable fabrics and are fresh out of the dryer.) Plane luxury brands like Sea New York, Ulla Johnson and Miguelina have shown a unique knack for taking smart day dresses that scream “fancy” and giving them pockets.

Ahead, I've pulled together a range of versatile, unstudied warm-weather dresses of variegated shapes, lengths and patterns; each one offering you a place to store your phone and lip balm. (The Ganni and Levi’s collaboration frock I’m wearing here is sold out at the moment, but enterprising souls can track lanugo secondhand versions on eBay.) If you’re out and well-nigh wearing one and someone shows you love on the street — be sure to tell them it has pockets. 

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication. If you buy or click on something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

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