Views: 109
When choosing an outfit to wear on a sweltering summer day, our preference will almost always be a light and airy dress. It can be a challenge task to pull together an outfit on days when all you want to do is, well, wear nothing at all, which is why a summer-appropriate dress will always be out first choice.
Not only do summer dresses remove the need for much thinking, thanks to being a one-and-done outfit formula, but also, most summer dresses can be adapted for every event through the warmer months.
ELLE’s Edit Of The Best Summer Dresses
- Best Mini Dress: Matteau Shirred Mini Dress, $460
- Best Midi Dress: Deiji Studios Gathered Linen Midi Dress, $536
- Best Maxi Dress: Faithfull Hedda Maxi Dress, $260
- Best Event Dress: Alemais Gia Mini Dress, $390
Pairing a dress with rubber thongs makes it perfect for casual days, while accessorising with your favourite pieces of jewellery, a heel, and more polished handbag (we love an east-west handbag style) can elevate the look for evening with little effort.
Ahead, we round up our favourite dresses for summer this year, from flirty mini dresses that will see you through any daytime occasion, to event-appropriate dresses that will still keep you cool.
Summer Mini Dresses
A mini dress is to summer what a refreshing ice block is to, well, summer. The minimal fabric makes it our go-to choice for ultra-hot days because it’s the closest we can get to wearing nothing while also having all the necessities covered before leaving the house.
We’d argue this style is the most versatile, because accessorising will go a long way to adapting it for any occasion. For transitional seasons, adding a pair of semi-opaque tights and a slingback heel will provide just the right amount of protection from the unpredictable weather. But, for hotter days, all we really need is a lightweight, cotton mini dress and a pair of sandals.
MATTEAU
Shirred Mini Dress
AERE
Polka Dot Linen Mini Dress
SIR.
Ligera Mini Dress
With Jean
Remie Dress
Summer Midi Dresses
The goldilocks of summer dresses is, of course, the midi dress. Ideal for work days and summer soirees, a midi dress provides the correct coverage and comfort for almost any summer event. Like all our summer picks, wee prefer lightweight and breathable fabrics like linen, cotton, and viscose as they allow air to circulate and keep us from feeling stifled.
REFORMATION
Kiria Dress
WITH JEAN
Otis Dress
GANNI
Black Stretch Cotton Dress
DEIJI STUDIOS
Gathered Linen Midi Dress
Summer Maxi Dresses
Though a maxi dress may sound counterintuitive for summer due to it having more fabric than shorter alternatives, a maxi is undeniably airy. A structured cotton fabric is naturally cooling on the skin, while still providing more structure than your typical linen dress. We also love the extra coverage on our lower half, which means we can avoid slathering on sunscreen to our covered limbs (of course, we still apply is everything the sun can reach).
FAITHFULL
Hedda Maxi Dress
CAMILLA & MARC
Mavis Dress
POSSE
Lori Dress
ACLER
Newmanny Maxi Dress
Summer Event Dresses
Dressing for an event during the warmer months is a challenge that we know painfully well. Because looking polished and put together feels exponentially more difficult when you’re commuting in 30-degree weather.
We typically opt for lighter and slinkier fabrics where possible, as they feel more cooling on the skin but don’t crease like cotton and linen fabrics. That said, for daytime and more casual events, a good quality linen is a great, lightweight option.
FAITFULL
Suis Mini Dress
CHRISTOPHER ESBER
Arced Palm Strapless Dress
ALEMAIS
Gia Mini Dress
HENNE
Rome Dress
Selecting the best dress to wear in the summer months will come down to a few things, including your personal style and just hot hot it is. Regardless of the length, cut, or brand, we always first look to the fabric’s composition.
Cotton and linen will always be our first choice, thanks to their breathability and moisture-wicking (linen is particularly good for this) properties, which make them generally more comfortable on hot and sweaty days. From here, you’ll want to consider whether the silhouette fits with your personal preferences.
There are countless online retailers to turn to for summer dresses, and while we hope our choices above are helpful, they can also be used as a guide to the types of labels you might like to investigate further. A few of our favourite online retailers are: The Iconic, for local Australian labels and international designers; Net-A-Porter and Farfetch, for international and luxury designers; Ssense, if you’re looking to track down a well-priced pieces from coveted international labels; and Myer, for local labels.
The post 16 Light And Breezy Dresses To Wear All Spring And Summer appeared first on ELLE.
