I'm a Dress Snob—These 38 Are Pretty Enough to Pass My Test by a Landslide

Best Summer Dresses

Photo:

@emnitta; PICTURED: Christopher Esber Contrast Gathered Dress With Sheer Panel Details ($1076)

Saying that I like to dress up would be the understatement of the year. Most days, I'm fully dressed (even when working from home, which I do most days) in heels and a dress, not to mention jewelry and accessories, by 9 a.m. if not earlier. Because of that, my standards for dresses have become quite high, with comfort, style, versatility, and more all factoring into my buying decisions in the dress department

Lately, though, I've started to get bored of the dresses in my current rotation, leading me to look elsewhere for new styles to add to my repertoire. Many hours and what felt like 10,000 dresses later, I narrowed my search down to just 38 options. Keep scrolling to shop the summer dresses that have my extremely hard-to-secure stamp of approval. 

I have indeed tried on this dress, and I can say with certainty that it's as gorgeous IRL as it is here. 

If balletcore is your new obsession, you need to order this baby-pink dress ASAP.

I'll never not be enamored with this shade of green.

This is one of Olympia Gayot's favorite dresses from the new J.Crew collection. I'd know—she told me IRL. 

Pickleball is trending right now—probably because of this dress. 

The dress every celeb and influencer owns is back in stock. Run. 

You simply cannot go wrong with a dress like this. 

If it has a drop waist, I want it. 

Simple and to the point—just what I want from my LBDs.

I can't help but adore this flower-embellished mini.

Our EIC Kat Collings recently tested out this dress at Nordstrom and gave it a solid 10. 

With the right maneuvering, you could also wear this as a skirt or top. 

Tibi's sporty nylon fabric is everything you want from a summer material—breathable, lightweight, and sweat-resistant. 

If you want to feel like a medieval princess, get this Zara dress. 

The waist on this mini from Simkhai is perfection. I loved it so much online that I ran to the SoHo store to see it in person and was far from disappointed. 

Ugh, I think about this dress too often. 

Have you ever seen a more gorgeous slip? I know I haven't. 

The '90s called. It ordered this on-sale dress with overnight shipping. 

I love the idea of wearing this unbuttoned with jeans and a great pair of sandals or mules.

BRB, I'm looking up the closest Reformation store. 

I'm trying to come up with a reason not to buy this black linen frock and finding nothing. 

This color gets me every single time. 

The every-occasion dress your wardrobe's been begging for. 

Saved the best, prettiest slip for last.