42 Best Summer Dresses 2025, According to Fashion Pros

With so much to do this season, the best summer dresses are a need, not a want. You’re likely staring down a schedule packed with weddings, BBQs, parties, and vacations—and the right dresses will get you through everything in style. Looking for a summer wedding guest dress that’ll ace any dress code? Need an Amazon dress that’ll arrive in mere days because you procrastinated shopping for your next getaway? Haven’t found a sundress that’s breezier and dressier than your go-to jeans? You’ve come to the right place. Our style shopping editors vetted the most popular clothing brands to find the summer dress picks to shop right now.

Glamour’s edit of best summer dresses:

The polka-dot dress of the season: Butterfly Babe Maxi Dress, $198
The sporty dress: Lululemon Aling Dress, $80
The summer wedding guest dress: The A&F Julia Slip Maxi Dress, $120
The Amazon dress that will ship ASAP: The Drop Maxi Tent Dress, $39
The versatile white summer dress: Prettygarden Tube Maxi Dress, $47
The beachy summer dress: The Sierra Fringe Midi Dress, $128

The most trendy summer dresses

Of course we have to start with the most popular dress trends of the summer. Walk around NYC and you can’t help but run into a polka dot dress or skirt. The retro style is easy to style with slim sneakers or ballet flats for an everyday look. Drop waist dresses are still going strong this summer and they’re so airy, flowy, and easy to style. If you’re looking for a summer work dress, we recommend styling a shirtdress with work sneaks or sandals. Shirtdresses are refined without feeling too stuffy. And we can’t forget about our sporty summer dresses like the tennis dress. Check out Lululemon’s popular Align dress that our editors recommend for travel, working out, walking, and more.

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Butterfly Babe Maxi Dress

$198

Free People

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Nia Mathilda Dress

$150 $90 (40% off)

Amazon

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Prettygarden Strapless Cocktail Dress

$47

Amazon

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Madewell Bubble-Hem Mini Shirtdress in Pinstripe Poplin

$138 $100 (28% off)

Madewell

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Lululemon Align Dress

$148 $99 (33% off)

Lululemon

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Ewedoos Tennis Dress

$50 $40 (20% off)

Amazon

The best summer wedding guest dresses

Summer weddings can be tricky to shop for, especially when you factor in heat, destination (sand in our toes is fun until heels get involved), and varying levels of formality. Thankfully, there are plenty of flowy cocktail dresses that’ll keep you cool without sacrificing style. This season, we’re especially into sequins, boho slip dresses, gingham, polka dots, halter necks, and neck scarves. Butter yellow is still top of mind, of course, along with a few other favorite pastel shades.

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The A&F Julia Slip Cutout Maxi Dress

$120

Abercrombie

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NBD Janhvi Maxi Dress

$278

Revolve

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Reformation Mela Dress

$428

Reformation

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Lovers and Friends Diamanto Gown

$298

Revolve

Best Amazon summer dresses

When in doubt, Amazon it out (Bezos needs to give us a call). You might not usually turn to Amazon for summer dress shopping, but over the years both the options and quality have seriously stepped up. Below, we’ve rounded up a few top-rated picks across styles, silhouettes, and shades: a tiered maxi tent dress from The Drop, a short sleeve midi from Paige, and a signature LoveShackFancy look that nails the soft girl aesthetic.

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The Drop Women’s Britt Tiered Maxi Tent Dress

$39

Amazon

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Madewell Women’s Smocked Puff Sleeve Midi Dress

$148 $96 (35% off)

Amazon

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LoveShackFancy Women’s Suvi Dress

$395 $276 (30% off)

Amazon

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Zesica Tank Dress

$40 $30 (25% off)

Amazon

Best white summer dresses

The easiest thing to throw on in the summer? A reliable white dress. It instantly gives off the illusion that we have our lives together and just so happens to be a staple in any good capsule wardrobe. Every summer (after a fresh wash with a little bleach) we find ourselves reaching for our white dress staples again and again. Whether it’s a breathable ruffle sundress from Amazon, an off-white linen dress from Alex Mill, or a one-shoulder maxi from Zara, there’s always one that does the trick.

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Alex Mill Chloe Dress

$195 $98 (50% off)

Alex Mill

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Zara ZW Collection 100% Linen Asymmetric Dress

$90 $27 (70% off)

Zara

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Onia Air Linen Smocked Maxi Dress

$167

Amazon

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Paige Women’s Persimmon Dress

$268

Amazon

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Retrofête Alana Sequin Dress

$598 $479 (20% off)

Revolve

Best petite summer dresses

“How’s the weather down there?” they asked. Pretty great, especially when you’re in a summer dress that actually fits. The styles below either come in petite sizes or were made specifically for petite shoppers, which means you can order them online without the hassle of sending them back. Our go-to stores really deliver here—Gap, Madewell, and Abercrombie all have affordable options that are easy to dress up or down.

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Abercrombie Dipped-Waist Smocked Midi Dress

$110

Abercrombie

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Gap Linen-Blend Embroidered Halter Maxi Dress

$118 $94 (20% off)

Gap

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Madewell Petite Poplin Smocked Maxi Dress

$138

Madewell

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CeliaB Lola Linen Blend Tie-Strap Babydoll Midi Dress

$335

Anthropologie

Best polka dot dresses for summer

While we can’t say we’ve never met a trend we didn’t like, polka dots are one we’re especially partial to. Luckily, in the year 2025, there’s no shortage of them, whether it’s a formal strapless number from Reformation or an off the shoulder option from AFRM. Plenty of trends come and go, but we have a feeling polka dots are sticking around for a while, which makes them well worth the investment.

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Reformation Oren Silk Dress

$348

Reformation

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Afrm McCall Dress

$128

Shopbop

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Matteau Gathered Polka Dot Dress

$690

Net-A-Porter

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Eloquii Mixed Dot Print Satin Dress

$130 $104 (20% off)

Nordstrom

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Doen Lorraine Dress

$398

Doen

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Solada Polka-Dot Print Georgette Halter Sundress

$269

House of CB

Best maxi summer dresses

Maxi dresses are one of the easiest things to throw on in the summer. They work as a warm-weather coverup after a beach or pool day, for a picnic in the park, a formal dinner with heels, or even a quick errand run—just in case you get stopped by a “What do you do for a living?” TikToker. No matter if you’re dressing up for a dinner rehearsal (hello, Free People) or need something casual shipped in time for your Hamptons trip (thank you, Amazon Prime), you’ll find something here.

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Catalina Maxi Dress

$198

Free People

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Cider Strapless Floral Maxi Dress

$33

Amazon

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Mango Asymmetrical Dress

$140

Mango

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Significant Other Juniper Maxi Dress

$455

Shopbop

Best mini summer dresses

Whether or not you love mini dresses, there’s no denying that when it’s hot and humid out, less fabric is always better. Minis are comfortable, easy to throw on, and make packing for vacation a breeze. A few short dresses and some flip flops (or flip flop heels) are all it takes for a solid summer lineup. Beach club in Ibiza? We’re eyeing the orange mini from SNDYS. First date at the park? Damson Madder has your back.

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Damson Madder Cassidy Long Sleeve Organic Cotton Eyelet Minidress

$180 $108 (40% off)

Nordstrom

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Sndys Flora Mini Dress

$108

Revolve

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Bali Juliet Embroidered Mini Dress

$350

Free People

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Vrg Grl Anabelle Linen Mini Dress

$132

Vrg Grl

Best beach dresses and cover ups

There’s an art to the beach dress. Some are purely functional—like a simple crochet knit from Zara you can toss over your swimsuit and you couldn’t care less about a little sand. Others are more about the idea of the beach—meant to look good as the breeze flows through your hair. Case in point: this chic shell kaftan from Oséree that works just as well on the sand as it does at the beach club.

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