5 Best Places to Wear a Summer Dress

Dresses are awesome. They can outline our silhouettes, communicate a cheerful mood, and billow delightfully in the wind. And a warm summer day is the perfect weather for dress-wearing. But sometimes, dresses can feel a bit... formal; they feel a little bit like you are dressing up for something or someone in particular. This is especially true if your typical loungewear is pajamas, your workplace has either a uniform or a more casual dress code, and you have a super laid-back group of friends. You just don't really wear dresses all that often.

But wait! There are so many places you can wear a summer dress and wearing it makes so much sense! Here are five great situations and locations for dress-wearing so you can finally break yours out of your closet.

Beach, Beach, Beach!

One place a summer dress is always appropriate is at the beach. Since traveling in your swimsuit alone may not be very comfortable, a dress serves as a great coverup to get you there and back. If you are spending a decent amount of your day seaside, you may want the flexibility of going shopping or eating at a nearby restaurant. Sometimes you can wear your bikini there, but it's nice to have the option of something a little less like your underwear to stroll around in.

Thinner cotton dresses work really well for the beach. They dry quickly, they aren't heavy enough to make you feel hot, and they stretch so you can easily take them off and put them back on. Some of them even sport looser skirts so you can have that picturesque experience of the ocean breeze playing in your hair and your dress as you walk along the water's edge.

Summer Wedding

An occasion to wear a dress is there ever was one. Summer weddings are warm, romantic, and charming--and a dress fits right in. The wedding is probably going to be outside, so you need something cooler than pants, but shorts and skirts may not be quite appropriate for the event. Enter the maxi dress. Long enough to pass for formal, loose enough to keep you cool, and elegant enough to make you feel like you are contributing to the lovely atmosphere. Solid colors with belts are more simple and reserved and therefore more dressy. You can spice up these dresses with dramatic jewelry. On the other hand, a tasteful pattern might work, depending on how classy the bride is. Whatever you decide, remember not to wear white!

Pool Party

If you or a friend of yours has a pool, a pool party is a great way to revel in the summer season. Bathing suits will be the main attire at these events, but they often last into the night. If you are still wet or even damp when the evening cools off and there's no hot tub to warm you up again, you might regret not having anything other than your swimsuit to wear. A dress is a great choice here for several reasons. One, if you are sitting, you can pull your skirt over your knees to help them out, and it looks better than having a giant towel that may or may not be dry on your lap. Two, a dress has a very feminine character, and it partners well as an overlayer for that gorgeous swimsuit you have been wearing all day. If you were looking to maintain that sensual flavor in your style, a dress is an excellent choice. Three, it's a party, for goodness sake! You can always wear a dress to a party and feel great about it.

Park Picnic

Picnics are a classic summer pastime. Add in some barbecuing, and you have an event everyone wants to go to. They work for birthday parties, summer holidays like the Fourth of July, and even just as fun hangout activities. A dress with sandals, a floppy straw hat, and a pair of sunglasses just fits so well with the picnic vibe, it's hard to resist. Floral dresses with white or another light color as a pattern base work particularly well since you are most likely either on or next to a bright green lawn or field of some sort. A floral dress on that background looks like a bunch of happy flowers just popped up in the grass. Totally summer!

Summer Shopping

Yep. Shopping is a necessity, even in summer. Woo-hoo! If you are going to be running around a mall or exploring different stores in the area, you should definitely wear a dress. A dress allows for airflow around your legs to offset the heat of both the weather and power walking to get those sales. If you choose the right one, it is also easy to take off and put back on, meaning you can try on potential purchases quickly and make your decisions so you can fit more in. Since it is a little more formal, it may also give the impression you have a little money to spend which could lead to better customer service. A white dress will keep you especially cool since it is the lightest of all the colors. Pair it with some cute sneakers or walking sandals, and you are ready to hit the shops!