The 24 Best Summer Dresses of 2024
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Give them a twirl this season.
InStyle / Alli Waataja
Summer is laced with the simplest and most arresting notes: play, relaxed elegance, the warmth of sun tingling on skin, and vibrancy. The summer dress, the ultimate one-and-done wardrobe staple, echoes the floating tone of the season. It is undoubtedly our preferred attire for every occasion—the chic essential is perfect with strappy, flat sandals, sunglasses, and a straw bag, or elevated with heels and a clutch for the evening.
We consulted with stylist and editor Jessica Minkoff, stylist Catherine Bibeau, and style content creator Gabriella Gofis. From crisp, snow-white linen shifts to lush, tropical print minis, ’90s-inspired silky slip dresses to drop waist, swishy A-lines, these are the best dresses to live in all summer long.
Best Overall: Reformation Phillipa Linen Dress
Why We Love It: Less is often better, and a simple linen dress is a summertime requisite. This spaghetti strap mini is an airy, chic, linen canvas or fresh piece of copy paper that you can style in a myriad of ways—whether with ballet flats and a string of baroque pearls or with a leather jacket and kitten heels, and it’ll always feel refreshing. It’s paneled and tailored without being too starchy or structured.
Who It’s For: Everyone. If you’re going to purchase one piece for summer, make it a white linen dress. This, with its mini-length and lack of bells and whistles, is the perfect cleanser for any pallet.
Material: Linen | Size: 0–12
Best Affordable: Zara Plaid Organza Dress
Why We Love It: It’s a whipped, seafoam-y concoction of a dress. The subtle plaid print is a nice alternative to classic summertime florals and gingham prints, and the organza overlay provides a layer of cloudy texture.
Who It’s For: Sheer is having its second summer in the spotlight, and we see no signs of the trend slowing down. If you want to experiment with sheer clothing without going with something too revealing, this is a great option because of the built-in, intentional slip.
Material: Viscose, polyester | Size: XS–XL
Best Splurge: Khatie The Mags Dress
Why We Love It: The Mags is beautiful, but it really caught our eye because it’s a playful, graceful, almost dream-like piece that’s perpetually airlifted with volume. The panels and flared swishy pleats of sheer silk organza are tailored into a subversive mini silhouette. It’ll serve as a star piece in your wardrobe that you can wear year after year, so it’s a worthy investment.
Who It’s For: If you’re looking for a special occasion piece that doesn’t feel too stiff and can also work for casual occasions, parties, and dinners, this is a great option. It would also be great with tights, boots, and a jacket during the colder months.
Material: Silk | Size: 0–12
Best Backless: Faithfull The Brand Antibes Midi Dress
Why We Love It: It’s a sophisticated, simple, thoughtfully designed, and beautifully constructed piece with a high, square neckline, bias cut, and a scooped back that’s trimmed with a tie. You can wear it with a swimsuit and flip-flops for a day at the beach or pair it with heels, a clutch, and a sculptural bangle for summer parties—and everything in between.
Who It’s For: Anyone who wants protection from the sun, as it provides more coverage than most summer dresses. It’s also an ideal dress for the person who prefers to build a capsule wardrobe with a few strong pieces that can be styled many ways.
Material: Linen flax | Size: XS–XXL
Most Versatile: Silk Laundry 90s Slip Dress
Why We Love It: My favorite style of dress is a ’90s-inspired, minimalist slip. It always looks both cool and sophisticated, and there’s nothing more versatile. Pair this bias-cut silk slip with Converse high tops or flat sandals for daytime, wear it under a button-down or a structured jacket, or style it with strappy heels and jewelry for an elegant date night look.
Who It’s For: Minimalists and those who are looking for a sophisticated, ultrasimple dress that’s perfect for any occasion, during any season, any year. A slip dress always works.
Material: Silk | Size: XXS–XL
Best White: Hill House Home The Jacqueline Dress
Why We Love It: With wide straps that plunge into a V-neck, a paneled bodice, and a voluminous A-line skirt, it’s a fresh interpretation of a vintage pattern. This refined dress is billowy and soft-to-the-touch, so it also happens to be incredibly comfortable.
Who It’s For: If you’re looking for a breezy cotton dress to wear on hot summer days, look no further. It’s casual and unfussy, but polished enough to wear to summer events.
Material: Cotton | Size: XXS–XXL
Best Red: Amanda Uprichard Oscar Dress
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Why We Love It: It mirrors the heat of summer. Between the lipstick red hue, the flirty, mini bubble skirt, and the strapless corseted top, this is a high-impact summer party dress. Because it’s such a vivid piece in every way, we’d style it simply with sandals in a neutral tone.
Who It’s For: If your party dress collection is lacking color, this will punch things up a bit. It’s a great piece if your summer calendar is filled with concerts and other events. If you love the silhouette, note that it’s also available in eight other colors, including white, black, and beige.
Material: Polyester | Size: XS–XL
Best Mini: A.L.C Poppy Linen Mini Dress
Why We Love It: It looks as though it’s carved from stone—the fluidity, sense of movement and draped elements are sculptural and elegant. With a slanted neckline, single shoulder, ruched detailing, and asymmetrical hemline, it’s a multidimensional piece. We also love that it’s dyed with a muted, clay-like earth tone, so it’s colorful without being too bright.
Who It’s For: If you love texture and draping, you’ll feel at home in this dress. It’s also perfect for those who are looking to introduce a bit of color into their wardrobe but are wary of bright colors and prints—this is more vibrant than a neutral, while still being relatively subdued.
Material: Linen viscose | Size: 00–14
Best Sheer: Jean Paul Gaultier The Short Red Roses Dress
Why We Love It: It’s been 30 years since Jean Paul Gaultier presented his spring/summer 1994 ‘Les Tatouages’ collection of sheer tattoo-printed tulle pieces, and they’re still imprinted in our minds. It can be challenging to source perfect vintage pieces, so we’re thrilled that the house released a new collection of tattoo shirts and dresses. This crew neck minidress is printed with a collage of illustrated peach and brick-toned roses and sporty stripes, making it a perfect warm-weather dress.
Who It’s For: If you, like me, are forever obsessed with the ’90s, this is an important and close-to-the-heart piece to have in your collection. With the crew neck and short sleeves, it’s also ideal for anyone who loves nothing more than a good T-shirt.
Material: Polyamide | Size: XXS–XXL
Best for Weddings: BEC + BRIDGE Moon Dance V Maxi Dress
Why We Love It: It’s elegant, respectful, and simple. Because it’s monotone, silk, and lengthy, it’ll work for anything from a casual beach ceremony to a black tie wedding—and you can also wear it to any dressier event. It’s available in eight colors, ranging from buttery yellow to black, so there’s an option for every pallet and set of invitation guidelines.
Who It’s For: Anybody. With a plunging V-neckline, bias cut, and rolled hem, it’s designed to complement your silhouette without clinging. If you have several formal events on your summer calendar, this dress is a beautiful base piece that you can style with different heels and accessories.
Material: Viscose | Size: 2–14
Best Halter: Saks Potts Angie Dress
Why We Love It: It’s undoubtedly cool, dusted with a coat of sequins for a subtle shimmer, and detailed with slits, buttons, a distinctive back, and narrow stripes. It's made entirely of cotton, so it’s casual enough to wear during the day, but the sequin overlay makes it glitzy enough to wear out to dinner.
Who It’s For: Those who appreciate patterns and details. This dress has a lot going on, but all of the parts totally work together.
Material: Cotton poplin, polyethylene | Size: XXS–XXL
Best Petite: Karen Millen Petite Floral Pleated Crinkle Strappy Woven Midi Dress
Why We Love It: Between the luxurious floral print, splashes of zingy lime, accordion-like pleats, and the sheer overlay, this spaghetti strap dress is a gust of summer wind. The ankle-length hem provides a lengthening effect, and we love that the bottom portion of the dress is semi-transparent.
Who It’s For: Those with petite frames who are looking for a shot of hot color, bold prints, and fluid movement. This is a great dress to have on hand for summer events and for travel, as pleated pieces are ideal for folding into your suitcase.
Material: Polyester | Size: 0–12
Best Long: Faithfull the Brand Anais Maxi Dress
Why We Love It: The subtle, gathered bubble hem, barely there straps, and pinned draping set this dress apart from other floor-length pieces. Available in black, white, olive, and buttercup yellow, it can be worn with anything from a pair of rubber flip flops to stacks of jewelry and stilettos.
Who It’s For: This is a great option for those who gravitate towards longer dresses and are looking for something with a fresh twist, or anyone who’s looking to introduce a maxidress into their minidress-filled collection.
Material: Cotton | Size: XS–XXL
Best Printed: FARM Rio Tropical Forest Off-White Mini Dress
Why We Love It: Lush green palm leaves and jungle-y plants crawl along this printed V-neck sleeveless minidress, offering a refreshing twist on a floral print. It’s flora-y without being saccharine, and it’s, quite fittingly, made from sustainable, eco-friendly fabric.
Who It’s For: This dress screams vacation—if you’re headed somewhere tropical, why not pay homage to the surrounding beauty? It’s also a great piece for anyone who tends to gravitate towards floral prints but wants to try something with a bit of garden variety.
Material: Linen | Size: XXS–XL
Best Strapless: Elliatt Arabella Dress
Why We Love It: It’s a lace field of multidimensional cutout flowers in shades such as minty green, sunset orange, and fuchsia. The embellished florals begin at the strap line and are sewn throughout the entire paneled, nude fit-and-flare silhouette.
Who It’s For: Attention seekers, as this dress is sure to garner a lot of responses and requests to touch the individual flowers. It’s a gorgeous piece to wear to outdoor parties and events.
Material: Polyester, spandex | Size: XS–XL
Best One Shoulder: Line & Dot Lady Knotted One-Shoulder Mini Dress
Why We Love It: This bubblegum pink minidress is a textural delight: it’s swept into playful side knots that literally and figuratively tie the piece together, and we love the shirred skirt. It’s a flirty mini to wear to birthday parties and date nights.
Who It’s For: If you’re typically rushing to get ready, have this dress on hand—you can throw it on with just a simple pair of sandals and you’ve put together a bright, complete outfit.
Material: Rayon, viscose | Size: XS–L
Best Cutout: St. Agni Clip Buckle Mini Dress
Why We Love It: Cutout dresses are ideal for showing a little bit of skin. The ’60s mod-inspired mini works because it’s sexy without being over the top. Despite being centered around the cutouts, it’s not gimmicky: it’s neutral in tone—available in ivory and true black, simple, and understated. It’s detailed with clip buckles at the waist that give it just the right amount of texture.
Who It’s For: Anyone who’s looking for a summery alternative to the LBD: this is a great, easy mini that you can throw on and feel put together in. “I think that wearing black during the warmer seasons is underrated. Not groundbreaking, but underrated,” says Gofis. When you’re in a black dress, you’re ready for anything.
Material: Viscose twill, lyocell lining | Size: XS–XL
Best Pleated: Elie Tahari Elizabeth Pleated Knit Midi-Dress
Why We Love It: Cloudy and swirling, this snow-white knit dress is simultaneously vintage-inspired and modern. It has a clean, scoop neck bodice that pours into a twirl of pleats, finished with an uneven handkerchief hem.
Who It’s For: Anyone who will be traveling, as pleated pieces fold down and shouldn’t be ironed. It’s also a great option for daytime events and would work well as an office staple with loafers or a blazer.
Material: Polyester, viscose, nylon, spandex | Size: XS–XL
Best Shift: Reformation Jessi Linen Dress
Why We Love It: This linen shift is well-structured and refined, without being stiff. Shift dresses are breezy—especially in linen, feel good on, and are incredibly versatile. We love the bright white tone for summer, but the other shades: wine, deep blue, and black-and-greige polka dots are on the mark, too.
Who It’s For: If your go-to summer outfit is a dress, this shift will become a staple in your wardrobe because you can wear it from morning to night, in any setting, and dress it down or up as much as you'd like to. It’s also a great piece to throw into your tote bag and wear to dinner post-beach.
Material: Linen | Size: 0–12
Best Office-Appropriate: Toteme Pleated Organic Cotton-Jersey Midi Dress
Why We Love It: It doesn’t scream ‘work dress’. It’s understated and sophisticated, so we’d happily wear it on the weekend or out after work. Comprised of organic cotton jersey, it drapes beautifully and will feel soft and cool against your skin. The scoop neckline is simple, so you can wear it with a cardigan or jacket when the office air-conditioning is at full throttle. Finally, you can style it according to the level of formality at your office—a pair of loafers, kitten heels, or ballet flats would work especially well.
Who It’s For: Those looking for a fresh alternative to button-down dresses and pencil skirts, and for anyone who wants to love their work clothes enough to wear outside of the office.
Material: Cotton, jersey | Size: XXS–XL
Best Drop-Waist: Nicholas The Label Makenna Drop Waist Corset Midi Dress
Why We Love It: Drop waist dresses are having a moment, and this linen midi is an exceptional option. With a corseted bodice and broomstick pleated skirt, it’s designed to compliment the figure but still feel breezy. We’d pair it with ballet flats and a straw bag.
Who It’s For: If you’re looking for something prim and classic without being boring or too conservative, this is the dress for you. The silhouette is beautifully constructed, and the color offerings: lime, orange, chocolate, black, poppy, beige, and white—are refreshing.
Material: Linen, rami | Size: 0–12
Best Floral: AJE. Cove Pendant Open-Back Floral-Print Linen-Blend Mini Dress
Why We Love It: The floral print is romantic, but not obvious or trite. We love that the immense, monotone roses float across distinct, paneled seams that are ever so slightly tapered. The open back, charmed with a dangling gold-tone pendant, is unexpected and beautiful.
Who It’s For: If you, like me, adore both flowers and minidresses but are hesitant to wear ditzy floral prints, this dress is a perfect bloom.
Material: Linen, viscose | Size: UK4–UK16
Best Embellished: Siedres Fleur Asymmetric Mini Dress
Why We Love It: It’s evocative of natural elements: leaves, reptiles, and droplets of dew. It’s sexy, fresh, and a little bit strange in a good way. The details: the cascading hem, single hanging ruffle, and the scooped neck, are impactful and playful.
Who It’s For: If you’re looking for a playful, busy piece, this is a perfect party and vacation dress to have in your collection.
Material: Polyester | Size: 34–40
Best Beach Dress: ViX by Paula Hermanny Kimmy Woven Mesh Cover-Up
Why We Love It: This sunset-hued woven, sheer cover-up is intended to be worn at the beach or pool, where it’d be the best in shore—but it’s also chic enough to wear as a day-to-day dress. We’d wear it over a nude slip with a basket bag, jewelry, and sandals. Gofis loves two-in-one pieces like this cover-up: “My favorite way to wear a summer dress is over a bikini. I love dresses that double as cover-ups because you can style them in an effortless, undone way.”
Who It’s For: If you’re looking for a piece that you can throw on over a swimsuit and wear out after, look no further. It’s a perfect, easy dress to wear to pool parties and beachside events.
Material: Polyamide, polyester, elastane | Size: XS–L
What to Keep in Mind
Length: During the summer, anything goes. Minidresses are cooling and perfect for daytime, and depending on the fabric, draping, and embellishments, can also be a chic choice for evening. Mid-length dresses perpetually work for any occasion. Floor-length pieces typically read as being more formal, but when composed of a more casual fabric such as cotton or linen, they’re casual and a bit boho. For a day outside, consider going with a longer style to protect your legs from the sun.
Straps: The straps of a dress can shift the whole vibe. A strapless dress is great for party and date night dresses, halters tend to feel more sporty or casual, spaghetti straps and tank dresses are minimalist and versatile, cap and short-sleeved dresses are ideal for work and showing a bit less skin. Regardless of which style you prefer, make sure that the straps feel good on your shoulders, will provide support or can work with the right bra for those with a larger bust, and are in line with whatever activities you’re getting into—a strapless dress, for example, isn’t ideal for running around town or riding a bike, but is a chic option for events. Finally, if you’re going to be in the sun, keep potential tan lines in mind—a wide-strapped halter, for instance, could leave a mark that you don’t want to live with for weeks.
Fabric: The hero fabrics of the summer months are light and breathable: loose knits, linen, and cotton are airy in all ways, making them ideal for warm weather. Silk and chiffon are billowy, chic, dressier options. There are no rules, but we’d advise skipping dense, warming fabrics like wool—such materials won’t be as comfortable on your skin and won’t look as seasonally appropriate.
Fit: When wearing a dress from the morning through the evening, “Ease is key. A looser fit offers a relaxed daytime look that’s perfect for casual outings and can also work for an effortlessly elegant vibe for the evening, so you're prepared for any occasion.”
Your Questions, Answered
Which shoes work best with a summer dress?
Nearly every style of shoe can work with a summer dress. For daytime, a pair of flat sandals, simple, classic sneakers, loafers, and ballet flats are ideal. For evening, we love a heeled strappy sandal, pumps, or wedges. “Flats or delicate sandals are perfect for summer, and they transition seamlessly from day to night,” says Bibeau. “I also love a sporty look for daytime outfits, like pairing a shift with sneakers.”
What makes a summer dress work for both day and evening?
“A summer dress can be incredibly versatile, especially if you’re looking to be adventurous with your styling,” Minkoff says. For a casual, daytime look, “I love layering a slip dress with a baby tee underneath and a denim jacket on top,” she continues. As for probing the versatility of a dress, it’s all in the details: “With the right accessories, you can make a summer dress work for both day and night. For day wear, reach for tie-up flat sandals or sneakers and sunglasses. Elevate the same dress for evening wear with an open-toe heel or mule, and a minibag.”
Gofis also attests to the impact of layering and accessorizing: “I love wearing visible undergarments under a sheer moment to bring something unexpected to the look. I also love wearing a cardigan or sweater to make the outfit more textured, especially in the evening,” she says. As for accessorizing, “hey can change the whole vibe,” she says. “I love switching up the shoes and jewelry to jazz up a daytime look for the evening.”
Bibeau agrees that you can adjust the vibe of nearly any summer dress with styling tricks: “Wearing nice jewelry gives it a personalized, elegant touch. A jean jacket or blazer can make a dress look more textural, and it’s also practical for chilly summer nights. Finally, never forget a stylish bag to complete the look.”
Why Shop With Us
Alexandra Malmed is a contributing writer with more than twelve years of fashion writing experience for publications including Vogue, Man Repeller, Byrdie, and Coveteur. From May to September, she’s usually in a minimalist summer dress. For this article, she consulted with the below experts.
Jessica Minkoff is a stylist who has worked with brands and publications including Harper’s Bazaar, Teen Vogue, Marie Claire, Style.com, Cinq à Sept, and Bergdorf Goodman. She’s also an adjunct professor at New York University.
Catherine Bibeau is a stylist with more than a decade of experience in the industry who has worked with brands including Buffalo Jeans, Ferragamo, and Nacre Voyage.
Gabriella Gofis is a style content creator.
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