Spring and summer brings around the kind of weather that gets us all wanting to spend our days outdoors. Not to mention, wedding season is rolling around as the months with the most sunshine sees some lucky girls who once dreamed of a garden or beach wedding fulfill their fantasy.
Whether you’re a bride-to-be searching for the perfect weather-appropriate dress that won’t sweat you out on your big day, a guest looking for the happy medium of a casual and formal dress, or just a summer gal awaiting her favorite season, these dresses give you something to check all those boxes.
SELF-PORTRAIT Bardot guipure lace-trimmed satin gown
Price: US$487.08
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These coming months are just the perfect time to have a beach wedding. If your big day is coming up at springtime this year, the Bardot gown is our bet for the best day of your life. Inspired by the icon, Brigitte Bardot, it’s made with ivory satin and a panel of guipure lace in an off-the-shoulder style.
SIMONE ROCHA Layered broderie anglaise cotton dress
Price: US$1,035.00
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Out of Simone Rocha‘s Resort 2018 collection, the traditional shirt dress undergoes a major upgrade with the layered broderie anglaise cotton. It creates volume from the front and gives the appearance of a cape at the back while hinting at some skin through floral-shaped holes.
NEEDLE & THREAD Bridal lace-paneled silk-crepe gown
Price: US$797.80
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To put a playful touch to the pure and pristine ivory silk-crepe, this gown allows for a lot of movement through the ruffled straps and A-line skirt. Panels of lace breaks the monotony of the all-white gown as the delicate material sees through your feet to showcase the silhouette of your high heels.
BURBERRY pintuck detail stretch cotton shirt dress
Price: US$915.00
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This dress can’t come at a better time than festival season and spring and summertime. Whether a daytime event or a casual Sunday morning, this shirt dress makes for a model off-duty look that you won’t have to work for. The lace panels and tie belt put this piece above others of its kind.
GABRIELA HEARST Tituba off-the-shoulder silk and wool-blend gown
Price: US$3,695.00
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If you followed along the awards season that just happened at the start of the year, this type of dress won’t be totally new to you. The Tituba gown is slit through the front center to allow you to pair it with matching trousers or pants. It might not be new to the fashion world but it’ll be completely unconventional for a bride-to-be and you won’t have to go far out of your comfort zone because it’s made of ivory silk.
TEMPERLEY LONDON Rosemary embroidered tulle-trimmed silk crepe de chine gown
Price: US$3,015.00
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Beauty experts don’t recommend sleeping on silk sheets for nothing. Obviously if they do something good for your hair, it would do the same for your skin. Temperley London’s been made from pure silk from the outer composition to the lining.
ZIMMERMANN Radiate lace-trimmed fil coupé chiffon midi dress
Price: US$1,150.00
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Who said layering is impossible in the summer? Just wear this Zimmermann dress and make the impossible happen. It’s made of chiffon and panels of sheer lace in a shirt dress style that shows a silhouette of a slip dress inside. A polka dot print, opaque trims, and a mandarin collar make this dress a lot more interesting.
SANDY LIANG eyelet trim dress
Price: US$950.00
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Sandy Liang gives an edgy detail to this shirt dress. Though it’s prim and proper with the spread collar, oversized sleeves, and floral perforations, it’s contrasted by the diagonal slit across the body that’s held together by cotton straps. It arouses curiosity for the unnatural and rare detail.
MANSUR GAVRIEL Silk-tulle midi dress
Price: US$795.00
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Its true what they say, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” If you want a dress that’s not too simple and not too much for a wedding guest to wear, this dress is what you’re looking for. We’d assume Mansur Gavriel made this dress with that quote in mind as it brings a different variation to the slip dress that’s a crime not to flaunt out of the bedroom.
SIMONE ROCHA Asymmetric embroidered tulle midi dress
Price: US$990.00
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Simone Rocha‘s collection for the coming season is one that’s inspired by the clothes she used to have for her dolls as a kid. Who among us didn’t want a twinning moment with our dolls when we were younger, right? This midi dress came a little too late but it’s still your chance to channel the delicate, sheer lace you envied your dolls for.
SARTORIAL MONK spaghetti strap dress
Price: US$439.00
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If it’s a beach wedding you’re attending this summer, make sure you show everyone you got the memo by showing up in this daring spaghetti strap dress that really goes with the setting. You’ll blend in for the wedding through the shiny silk material but also with the beach as you expose a lot of bare skin.
TEMPERLEY LONDON Anastasia embellished tulle and silk-chiffon gown
Price: US$4,425.00
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You may assume those long-sleeved lace gowns are not as hot as they look because of the thin and sheer material but don’t be fooled, you wouldn’t know how icky it gets especially in the weather we’ll have these coming months. Switch to this spaghetti strap dress instead. You might miss out on the veil but not the train that drapes behind as you walk down the aisle.
ISABEL MARANT May ruched cotton mini dress
Price: US$995.00
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When we say lazy summer days, there’s one aspect your chill attitude must not reach–your fashion choices. Turn streets and parks into your own personal runway and wear this May dress from Isabel Marant when you’re out and about. The long sleeves won’t heat you up with its loose bubble effect.
VERONICA BEARD Sarasota dress
Price: US$495.00
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This Sarasota dress packs a lot of our favorite summer details in the thin material: lace panels, button-down fastening, and two-layered tier skirt. Keep it airy with bohemian accessories on your neck and wrists and strappy sandals for your feet.
PINKO V-neck pencil dress
Price: US$271.00
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While other designers shower their dresses with a variety of details, this Pinko dress stays minimally elegant with a plain pencil silhouette and a deep V-neck. The thick straps and racerback are not exactly go-to details for formal wear but this makes up for it with the sleek cut.
JW ANDERSON Cutout textured stretch-cotton midi dress
Price: US$970.00
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A t-shirt dress is very rarely picked out with the intention to be fashionable. It’s usually the last option when you have “nothing to wear” and can’t be bothered. This t-shirt dress from JW Anderson changes that notion with this structured midi dress. Even the raw edges of the neckline and the slit contribute to its fancy look.
HALSTON HERITAGE Cutout crepe gown
Price: US$375.00
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Odd that we’ve never encountered a single dress with cut-outs on the waist like this crepe gown from Halston Heritage. It may be because the style has passed but that’s normal trend cycle for you. It hasn’t lost its charm though. This dress highlights all the best parts like your waist curves and collar bones.
Kobi Halperin Vivi Short-Sleeve Popover Lace Cocktail Dress
Price: US$244.00
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Other dresses give the illusion of being a spaghetti strap dress but Kobi Halperin‘s Vivi dress applies the illusion to an off-the-shoulder look. The sheer lace panel acts as a cape around your upper body and it extends beyond the hem to make an ethereal effect above your knees.
LOVE SHACK FANCY eyelet frill dress
Price: US$570.00
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This Love Shack Fancy dress reminds us of the popular frilly socks every schoolgirl wore in the ’90s. We owe it to the ruffled cape of this V-neck dress and the eyelet details that’s reminiscent of delicate floral prints.
THEORY Crepe wrap dress
Price: US$475.00
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Many people are opposed to wearing a robe outdoors. If it’s an actual sleepwear robe, we’d understand but other designer robes are meant to be worn outdoors and adored by all. Maybe those who don’t get it can find a compromise in this wrap dress that delivers on both comfort and looks as fashionable robes do.
ETRO Lace-trimmed printed cotton and silk-blend gauze gown
Price: US$4,310.00
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Etro‘s Resort 2018 collection is as fun and celebratory as a big wedding because of all the white dresses they’ve paraded down the runway. This gown is just one of their new seasonal pieces that’s a throwback to olden times with its modest style and vintage-looking details.
N°21 Lace dress
Price: US$1,354.00
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Be ladylike and daring at the same time with this white lace dress that’s layered with a beige bordering on millennial pink slip underneath. The sheer lace puts a lot of busy antique patterns that perfectly decorate your skin.
ALICE MCCALL Everything She Wants tiered ruffled broderie anglaise cotton dress
Price: US$400.00
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This Everything She Wants dress says it all in its name. This dress gives everything a girl could want with ruffles, tiered skirts, and a cutout. It has a number of different textures from the different layers of broderie anglaise cotton.
Madiyah Al Sharqi White Frill Dress
Price: US$850.00
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Loose, straight dresses seem like they’re made specifically to not be flattering on your body. No curves to flaunt, no extra details to at least form some shape. But you still see them on fashion shows and on models because it takes a certain panache to rock the style. Consider this dress the perfect exercise to put you out of your comfort zone.
HELMUT LANG fitted knot dress
Price: US$440.00
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This Helmut Lang dress takes the knot trend pretty seriously with all the random knots making this dress have a tight fit around your body, hugging every curve to make the dress mold to your shape. Give this simple cotton dress a twist with boots that changes the vibe completely.
All the signs are pointing to white dresses now as we move towards warm weather and bright, sunny days. These beautiful dresses and gowns provide something for every kind of girl: a bride, a beach bum, or a tropical girl living near the coast.
