I’m not one for fashion rules, but I do love a post-Memorial Day white dress moment. Recently, my favorite activity is walking my dog to the park after work with a contraband hard kombucha in a reusable water bottle (they’ll never know). This is extra pleasurable if I am wearing what my roommate calls my Midsommar dress—it’s a white linen frock that has somehow survived countless encounters with blackberries and red wine. I pair it with clogs or cowboy boots (if I want to tone down the Midsommar element), weave a few tiny braids in my hair, then spend the late afternoon reading on a sheet in the grass. Sure, I could do all of that in jeans, but it just doesn’t feel the same. Ahead, I’ve rounded up 10 white dresses that are perfect for summer, whether you're attending an art gallery opening in the evening or heading to an early morning beach excursion.
Cross Of Sunlight Mini
The puff sleeve and cute cut-outs make this little number the ideal beach or brunch dress. Perhaps brunch then the beach? The square neckline, mirrored in the back of the dress, is ultra-flattering too. Bonus points for the little pockets—we’ll take them whenever we can get them!
Rope-strap Ribbed-knit Dress
This Dion Lee dress is stunning in its minimalism, and the open back with the rope can read subversive or nautical depending on your styling.
Gauzy Mini Dress
This dress is very simple, but that’s why I love it. It's the ideal picnic dress—wear it barefoot on soft grass and accessorize with a Jane Birkin basket, a bottle of orange wine, and a baguette.
Kate Dress
Ukrainian designer Anna October understands the power of a few well-placed cutouts. This frock is subtly sexy with extra long ties that add a bit of movement—an element typically missing from form-fitting dresses.
Ella Tiered Lined Maxi-dress
Something about this dress screams ’90s supermodel to me. The clean lines, the gauzy overlay—it’s simple, dreamy, and can be dressed down with a pair of flat sandals or dressed up with low heels. Accessorize with a large straw tote and oversized sunglasses to feel both understated and glamorous.
Moon-print T-shirt Dress
This Marine Serre number adds cool-girl factor to the classic T-shirt dress and sneakers outfit formula. Wear this dress, and people might mistake you for a stylist or an international DJ.
Carmen Dress
Details like the eyelet fabric and the pretty tie closure in the back make this dress the perfect breezy coverup.
Carini Cotton Midi Dress
This midi dress is a great option if it’s hot, but you would like to dress modestly. Made out of cotton, it has bell sleeves and fits the body loosely, keeping you cool without looking matronly.
Gracen Dress Sand Washed Silk Cream
Constructed from sand-washed silk, this is the dress I would wear if I were to spend the day luxuriating on a chaise lounge on some island in the Mediterranean. I can’t imagine ever feeling stressed while wearing it—just as long as the tomato sauce and olive oil are kept far, far away. With its deep neckline and flattering gathered detail, this Tove frock is devastatingly romantic but completely unfussy.
Side Slit Knit Dress
Another subtly sexy dress, this is perfect for a day-to-night moment. Pair it with a linen blazer for the office then trade the jacket for a martini at 5 p.m.