While the first official day of summer is still two and a half weeks away, spring has definitely turned to summer here in Charleston! For those of you eager to slip into your summer wardrobe, I’ve rounded up 10 summer dresses to buy now that I can’t get enough of! Each of the dresses I found is fun, flirty, and perfect for a summer event you’re sure to have on your social calendar. I know this summer I’m busy with weddings, bachelorettes, family trips, and couples trips. At 29 years old, I have a lot of fantastic life events to dress for! I live in dresses in the summer so here’s a breakdown of 10 gorgeous ones to scoop up for the coming season.
Dress (also on sale in this colorway)/ Purse (old color combo – similar, similar, similar) / Shoes (on sale!) / Earrings
This spring, I really had my eye on this dress!
I absolutely loved the smocking detail on the back, the floaty sleeves, the sweetheart neckline, the waist tie, the ruffle hem, and the floral pattern. Sounds like everything I like, right? Needless to say, I didn’t scoop it up. However, I kept thinking about it! I’m happy to say that the dress is on major sale now and has since been released in a new blue colorway that is exclusive to Anthropologie. Clearly, this time I snagged it! I just love the blue! This dress is so gorgeous on and I adore the way it flutters when I walk! I’ll be wearing it all summer long and packing it for my girlfriend’s bachelorette in Santa Barbara!
I styled the dress with what I’ve dubbed to be my “chicest” new shoes!
I got these back in April when I moderated a panel at Hampden with Jessie Randall and the Lizzie Fortunato sisters. They are so feminine and smart. I think they make every outfit look extra put together! I also wore my new favorite pearl earrings (last seen here) that were a birthday gift from my best friend, Allison! Fleuri makes the most stunning handmade freshwater pearl jewelry! I also carried a (in my opinion) must-have purse. A designer purse in the $300 range is always a win! The sustainable basket bag comes in so many beautiful variations. My exact colorway is old but I included some similars below!
10 Summer Dresses To Buy Now
1. Navy Flouncy Dress with Braided Belt
This dress is perfect for bachelorette parties or girls’ trips! I will definitely be brining it with me on a summer bachelorette I have. It’s is playful, easy to throw on and style, and looks incredible with espadrilles. To note: it is on the shorter side… I have it and am 5’4″ and it is completely appropriate on me but I would say if you’re super tall, then it might be trickier to pull off. Also available here and here.
2. White Eyelet Maxi Dress
This dress is perfect for beach vacations! I don’t know about you but, when I’m at the beach, I love nothing more than slipping into a fresh white dress after a day in the sand, surf, and sun. Eyelet is always classic but it seems to be particularly abundant this summer and I’m here for it! Pack this for a trip to California, New England, or the Hamptons and I promise you’ll find yourself reaching for it multiple times.
3. Breezy Pastel Ruffle Dress
This dress is perfect for summer wedding season! The color of this dress is ‘Wisteria,’ which is so dreamy! This simple breezy dress would be gorgeous for every type of summer wedding. I honestly think the breezy silhouette with the romantic ruffle detail would fit right it for a wedding by the beach, in the mountains, or in the city. It’s that versatile! Pair it with strappy heels and add some statement earrings if you want to get a little funky.
4. Gauzy Tunic Dress
This dress is perfect for over a swimsuit! Ever summer dress collection needs at least one tunic beach coverup. Roller Rabbit is my personal favorite brand when it comes to this and I can’t get enough of the styles they released this year! This lovely floral print gauzy tunic dress is a beauty! P.S. I also love these three in the same color wheel: one, two, three.
5. Gingham Colorblock Dress
This dress is perfect for everyday wear and for family trips! My family visits Jackson Hole every summer so I always keep an eye out for dresses I think would look beautiful set against the great outdoors. We are super active when we’re there but we also always have family BBQs, go out to dinner and drinks in town and at the Cowboy Bar, and attend a big lawn + band party. This dress would fit the bill for all of these events. I’ll slip a denim jacket on over it for nights in the cool mountain air!
6. Sleeveless Jumpsuit
This jumpsuit is perfect for a summer trip to the city or a rehearsal dinner! Leave it to me to do a dress roundup and sneak one jumpsuit into the mix! This jumpsuit is so darn chic and timeless that I couldn’t not include it. It comes in white and black and I honestly think both could be worn in the summer and year round. I love this jumpsuit for a city vacation or a rehearsal dinner! Jumpsuits are a great way to be dressy but still über comfortable and out of the box at rehearsal dinners. I also think this jumpsuit would be fantastic for a summer trip to New York City, San Francisco, London, or Paris! Also available here. If you don’t love jumpsuits, these are two wonderful city summer trip dresses: casual, dressy.
7. Statement Making Florals
This dress is perfect for any type of party – engagement party, birthday party, wedding welcome party etc. Sometimes you just want to make a statement! The floral pattern on this dress is stunning and will definitely turn heads when you walk into the party. I love embracing a party mentality when dressing so this gorgeous piece has my name all over it!
8. Everyday Cotton Midi Dress
This dress is perfect for everyday wear and for travel days! I have this dress is an old stripe pattern and wear it ALL THE TIME (as seen here). It is so easy to throw on and so comfortable that I could sleep in it. I can’t recommend this soft dress enough and think it is just about perfect in the pale blue!
9. All-American Girl Dress
This dress is perfect for the Fourth of July! It’s doesn’t get cuter than this classic red, white, and blue dress. I love that this dress is festive without being too kitschy. The pockets on the front add the perfect touch! All around, this dress is a 10/10! I also love these other three dresses for the 4th: one, two, three (as seen on me here).
10. In Bloom Maxi Dress
This dress is perfect for a tropical vacation to Hawaii, Mexico, or the Caribbean! The print was inspired by Rio so it just screams fun. My favorite details are the colorful smocking, the bright yellow tassels, and the high neckline. Put me in this dress and put a margarita in my hand… I’ll be one happy girl!
Dress (also on sale in this colorway)/ Purse (old color combo – similar, similar, similar) / Shoes (on sale!) / Earrings
Get my Summer Dresses To Buy Now look:
Photography by Julie Livingston
