My enthusiasm for dresses is well documented. Dresses make total sense to me: nothing has a better effort/impact ratio, and I am both lazy and vain. That said, I do understand why people feel that a full-length white dress or a super-fitted orange one are too demanding. I’m a dress lover and even I only wear things like that when I feel my best.

But not all dresses are the same. A casual, unfitted dress made of a comfortable fabric lets you move as freely as your favourite jeans and is extremely easy to throw on. There is much to say in favour of maxi dresses that combine comfort and impact in the most effortless way (also a big plus: no need to shave your legs). But for this autumn, my first recommendation would be a loose-fitting midi dress.

There are quite a few of them around this season, due to a general move away from body-concious dresses (not necessarily something I wholeheartedly welcome, but fashion doesn’t care) and because the lengths between the knee and ankle are the new mainstream. I’ve got a great one from Zara, featuring long sleeves, a renaissance print and overall seventies vibe.

The dress I wear here, however, is by an Estonian brand Iris Janvier. It is one of the most comfortable items of clothing I’ve ever owned – made of pure silk and cut well away from the body, I put it on when I don’t know what to wear. It’s not extremely casual, so with a navy blazer and heels, it’s OK for the office. With trainers, I’m ready for the weekend and when I add my tan suede boots, I can wear this one well into the autumn and even winter. Its only fault is the lack of pockets – I think most dresses, and definitely the casual ones should have pockets.

There are other types of casual dresses that you might prefer – I mentioned the maxi, but you could also go for a soft sweater dress or an androgynous, boxy shape or a slip dress and Dr Martens. Whatever your taste, I believe there is a casual dress out there for you. Unless you really don’t like dresses at all.