When the air gets thick and the shade is no more relief than a sauna, there is nothing you will want to put on but a good loose dress. The sort that is so unencumbered and light you hardly know you have it on; it skims you and lets a breeze pass through rather than holding fast to your body.
Don’t go thinking all non-fitted dresses are little more than shapeless sacks. We would put in a word for how chic one can be. It is all in the fabric. You want natural fibers like flax, hemp, or cotton poplin to get you through a heat wave with some style; they have the structure to keep from sticking to you, but they breatheee. Linen is hard to beat when the thermometer won’t come down. We have a soft spot for a linen blend in a romantic floral or a deep forest green column, or perhaps a slip with fine straps, not minding the way it wrinkles in an attractive, lived-in manner.
The silhouette does the rest. An empire waist or a roomy caftan will see you through a hot afternoon, and an A-line gives you plenty of room to move. A sundress with its hem swishing and bare straps has a way of keeping you in motion. If you need more air, just take a size up in something you like and let the extra material handle the humidity. Even a shirtdress can be a relief if it is cut from a floaty cloth, giving you the polish of an Oxford with the ease of a caftan. And as for the caftan, it remains king for looking like you made an effort without the discomfort.
From a city sidewalk to your back garden or out on the coast, we have put together an edit of the most beautiful, non-clinging dresses for wherever your summer goes. So keep on reading.
Boho Dresses
Sundresses
A sundress is a casual, warm-weather dress made from lightweight, breathable fabric (usually cotton or linen) with a loose, flowing fit. So you could call a sundress the very model of a loose dress. The relaxed cut lets air circulate to keep you cool while the fabric drapes over you without any clinging. For the most part, you will find them sleeveless with a broad neckline and slender straps, meant to be put on as is with no layering required. While there are versions with a belt or cinch at the waist to give it some shape, in the end, the whole point is ease of movement.
A-Line Dresses
Caftan Dresses
Beach Cover-Up Dresses
Shirt Dresses
