Every summer, fashion promises something new, and every summer the white dress comes back as if it never left. Linen, cotton, light fabrics on thin straps - the look we are seeing everywhere again this year, from Mediterranean terraces to city streets.

The reason for its eternal status is simple: the white summer dress is as comfortable as it is elegant. A light fabric that breathes, a cut that does not squeeze, a colour that reflects heat instead of soaking it up. When it is scorching outside, few things look as fresh and effortless as clean white fabric in the sun.

Stylists insist the secret is in the fabric, not the cut. Linen is the classic - it breathes, it cools, and it has that relaxed texture that looks expensive even when it is not. Cotton is simpler and more practical for everyday wear. Skip synthetics in summer - they trap heat and sweat exactly when you least want them to.

And the beauty of the white dress is that it is a blank canvas for everything else. With flat sandals and a woven bag it becomes a daytime look for the beach or the market; with gold jewellery and heeled sandals it turns into an evening look for a night out. One piece, ten combinations. In a world where fashion constantly sells us new trends, the white summer dress is a reminder that sometimes the most beautiful thing is also the simplest - and that never goes out of style.