35 Gorgeous Summer Dresses That Are Also Perfect for the Office

Let's be honest. Warm weather is wonderful, but the prospect of choosing what to wear to work when it's sweltering outside? Well, that's a whole different story. There's so much to consider when you're trying to pick a professional outfit to wear to the office—e.g., what will keep you from sweating while commuting on the subway and still adhere to your office's dress code—that it can feel like another full-time job. On top of that, we all know that some business clothing can be, well, boring to the point that it makes getting dressed stressful. However, I'm here to tell you that you don't have to break a sweat in order to have a solid work wardrobe for the spring and summer. The solution is actually straightforward: invest in professional dresses.
No other staple can strike a balance between being suitable for warm weather and appropriate for work settings like a dress. While there are certain types of dresses you'd likely want to avoid—sorry, strapless, halter, and spaghetti-strap dresses—some styles are just formal enough to show your HR department you're standing on business. In an effort to help you identify them, I've searched high and low to find the best professional dresses for every budget and type of workspace. Ahead, you'll find a curation of casual and formal dresses to ensure that your warm-weather style gets a promotion this season (and maybe you will too).
Under $250
Under $500
Worth Investing In

Jasmine Fox-Suliaman is a freelance writer and editor living in New York City. What began as a pastime (blogging on Tumblr) transformed into a lifelong passion for unveiling the connection between fashion and culture on the internet and in real life. Over the last decade, she's melded her extensive edit and social background to various on-staff positions at Who What Wear, MyDomaine, and Byrdie. More recently, she’s become a freelance contributor to other publications including Vogue, Editorialist, and The Cut. Off the clock, you can find her clutching her cell phone as she's constantly scrolling through TikTok and The RealReal, in search of the next cool thing.
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