Summer dresses are my favorite to purchase because they are instant outfits. All I have to do is add shoes, and I'm out the door.
Now living in Florida, I find myself reaching for lightweight, fun summer dresses most days of the week. Even working from home, I'm most comfortable in a linen mini or kaftan-style dress. It's like wearing super comfy pajamas all day.
I've predominately purchased dresses since we moved to Florida—across various price ranges. So I thought I'd round up my favorite pieces that range from $26 to $395.
Amazon Linen Mini Dress—$26
I am pleasantly surprised by this linen mini dress I purchased from Amazon for less than $30. I have the pink and just ordered the white and blue color ways because I love this dress that much.
I'm 5'7", and the dress hit right above my knees, so if you're a bit shorter you may want to get it hemmed a little shorter. The dress fits me true to size, which gives me a loose, but not oversized fit. If you want more of an oversized look, I recommend going up one size.
Instead of rolling the sleeves up, this dress has elastic at the end of each sleeve. So, you can push the sleeves up or leave them down and they stay in place.
The buttons are fully functional, and the material doesn't gap between buttons. I didn't wear a slip with the pink dress, but did wear nude under garments. The description does state the white is a bit sheer.
I've worn this dress out to dinner and as a coverup at the beach, so it's extremely versatile, which I really like for items in my closet.
Shop Buru Shirt dresses—$138–$248
I own two of these shirt dresses, and love both of them. The blue striped dress is a bit thicker material with vintage-style buttons down the front. The second dress I own is a floral shirt dress with blue and white striped details, and the material is more lightweight, making it perfect for summer.
The blue striped dress fits more oversized, so I ordered one size down. The floral shirtdress runs more true to size and the hem is a bit shorter in the front, so I ordered my typical size.
I love both of these dresses for everyday wear, brunch or dinner out, and the floral shirt dress actually makes a nice bathing suit coverup, too.
Farm Rio Mini Dress—$210
This floral mini dress is the quintessential summer dress in my opinion, and it's super flattering for my body shape, and the belt detail is super cute. The only complaint I have about this dress is the belt does not stay fastened, so you do have to rig it a bit. I've seen multiple people comment about the belt situation, so I know it's not just me.
This dress was borderline true to size fit. I ordered my true size and it did fit, but I didn't have much wiggle room. So, the next size up might have also worked. If you're between sizes, you may want to try the next size up.
Farm Rio Embroidered Midi Dress—$280
I'll preface this by saying, I got this midi dress for a steal. Farm Rio ran a great sale for Memorial Day, and I was able to get 30% off. I am obsessed with this dress. I own four Farm Rio dresses in total, I think this one is now my favorite (but I love all of them).
The bright patchwork print, the beaded embroidery on the front and back, and the beaded tassels really make this dress feel one of a kind.
This dress is a loose fit, but I would still say runs true to size. I ordered my typical size and really like the fit. If you're between sizes, this one you may want to take a size down. There is some kind of magic in this dress because it works so well on my figure. I feel like it downplays my larger chest, and also makes me look very slim.
I love the billowy sleeves and the length is perfect for my 5'7" height. If you're shorter, you may want to get this hemmed so it fits like a midi. Otherwise, this may be more of a maxi length for you.
More Summer Dresses
I linked a few other summer dresses I've recently purchased, as well as some other cute options and all at various price ranges. I enjoy wearing dresses on repeat to maximize my spend per wear, so I believe dresses are a great investment for my closet.
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