Today is all about summer dresses.  (Also…purely fyi…today is the start of the Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale!  You need to go check out the deals!)

Y’all aren’t even going to believe how many dresses you are going to see today.

I receive requests all year long to highlight dresses, but I receive these requests even more frequently in the Spring and Summer.  Y’all want dresses for running around town, for church, for weddings, for showers, for graduations, for date nights, for vacation, etc.  You want them for everything.  You also want to know how to style them.  And you want them to be affordable.

WELL.  I’m going to highlight all types of summer dresses today at all different price points.  But even the ones on the more expensive side are still affordable.  Nothing today is over $150, and some of the dresses are closer to $50.  WORD.  Some you’ve seen before, but many are new.

#1: EMBROIDERED DRESS

GIRLS!!!!!!!  THE EMBROIDERED DRESS IS BACK!

I first showed this dress a couple of weeks ago even though it was already sold out when I received it because I wanted y’all to be prepared to pounce on on it if a restock happened.  For the last couple of weeks, I seriously checked on it’s availability at least 5 times a day and was disappointed every dang time.  I know, I need to get a life.  🙂

I posted it on facebook yesterday, and it was gone in like 20 minutes…BUT THEN IT CAME BACK AGAIN IN SEVERAL SIZES!  And then I posted on instagram, and it was gone again.  I decided to go ahead and still post it today even though it sold out last night just to emphasize the point that if it ever does see a full restock, you need to pull the trigger IMMEDIATELY.

At almost 5’4″, I’m wearing a petite small.  It’s definitely on the short side, but I don’t mind wearing my dresses short.  If 5’3″ or over, I’m betting most of you will want to wear the regular size (not the petite). It’s hard to say exactly how it will fit because it obviously depends on an individual’s torso leg length.  When it popped back up yesterday, I went ahead and ordered a regular small for comparison.  I ordered the white too.  When I ordered the white one at first, part of the neckline looked uneven so I sent it back, but I’m trying again because it’s too dang cute not to!

And girls.  Let me tell you what I think is the best part about this dress.  Well, besides the gorgeous embroidery.  You know how most embroidered tops and dresses like this are a stiff and crisp cotton?  WELL, THIS DRESS IS A SOFT COTTON KNIT!  So, not only is it a shift dress (my favorite dress cut) and a throw back to the Mexican dresses we all wore as kids, BUT IT’S ALSO A COOL COTTON KNIT!  Which means it’s comfy and it doesn’t wrinkle!

 

Listen, if you know me in real life, you might as well just get used to seeing this dress.  It will be on repeat all summer long.  I think this dress is best suited (especially at this length) for flat sandals, AND MY FAVORITE FLAT SANDALS ARE ON SALE!

caslon embroidered dress /  earrings (make sure “Sheaffer Sims” is your host and you type in “roman chandeliers” / star straw tote/ sandals

Get The Look For Yourself Here.  I included the red tote as well, because I think it looks great with both dresses, and it’s a great price!  Just click on what you are interested in!

 

Here’s the shot I showed you a couple of weeks ago in case you prefer the selfie angle.

I freaking love this dress.  I do think  the Petite Small is shorter than it appears in this picture, so keep that in mind.

embroidered shift dress / earrings (make sure “Sheaffer Sims” is your host and you type in “roman chandeliers” / sandals (size up a 1/2 size)

#2: CAMO DRESS 

So now that we’ve talked about my new favorite dress (above), let’s talk about the dress that wins 2018 so far.  My #1 dress so far this year is my camo dress. I know I’ve shown it a couple of times already, but I JUST CAN’T QUIT IT Y’ALL.  I reach for it constantly.  The runner up for MVP is my denim jacket.  You’ll see it throughout today’s post with so many different outfits.

I’m wearing a small in the dress, and it’s somehow figure conscious without being fitted.  The fit is dreamy.

AND THIS DRESS COMES IN PLUS SIZE TOO!

camo dress direct from Sanctuary (camo dress at Nordstrom in limited sizes) / Sims stone necklace / must have denim jacket / sandals ON SALE

I wore it again (this is probably the 10th time I’ve worn it) this past week while running around town, and I was super comfy, but I felt totally cute and put together.  I shot a pic when I was running out the door because I was wearing it without the jacket, and I felt it needed to be documented.  😉  See the cute little ties on the sleeves?

Also, I get TONS of questions pretty much every time I post a pic with this bag because everybody wants to know about the additional strap.  Well, I added it last year, and it hasn’t been available since.   But I’ve got some GREAT NEWS!  A follower on instagram (thank you, Allison!) tipped me off to the fact that Rebecca Minkoff has a great selection of guitar straps!  And even better news, lots of them are ON SALE right now!

And girls, these GORGEOUS earrings that I showed you on Monday are NOW 40% OFF!  As mentioned before, they are heavier than the earrings I typically wear, but I don’t even care.  They are show stoppers!

camo dress direct from Sanctuary (camo dress at Nordstrom ) / earrings ON SALE!/  sandals / similar LV bag /  guitar strap options for bags

Here are just some of the guitar strap choices.  Click HERE to see them all, but you can click on a pic you are interested in:

 

And in case you don’t believe I wear it ALL the time, here’s another pic to prove it.  I just style it a little bit differently each time, and it’s so versatile!

camo dress direct from Sanctuary (camo dress at Nordstrom  )/ must have jacket sunglasses / earrings / necklace / sandals ON SALE

#3: Off the Shoulder Shift Dress

In preparation for this post I ordered 18 dresses.  #iknow #bloggerproblems

I obviously ordered such a large number knowing that many of them would go back, but I wanted to have a good selection to highlight for y’all. Well, a lot of them were big ol’ NOs before I even put them on.  But I actually really loved a lot of them, and some of them still haven’t come in….so there will be a DRESSES PART 2 in the near future!  This dress was one that I thought was a fun option, but I wasn’t planning on keeping it for myself.

BUT THEN I FELL IN LOVE WITH IT.  And now it lives in my closet.

I put it on, and it immediately felt like an expensive dress.  There was just something about the material and the fit that made it nice.  You know how you can just tell?

The blue color is gorgeous, the white graphic floral pattern is fun, and the off the shoulder gathered ruffle is stunning and so flattering.  It’s just a great dress.  And you know what, it will look even better with a tan.  I’m wearing a small, so it’s true to size for me.

This dress is normally $238 (see!  expensive!), but it’s NOW ON SALE now for $142!  Sizes are limited at Nordstrom, but I found it at several other retailers that I’ll highlight below.

off the shoulder dress (other retailers highlighted below!)/ white circle earrings / pom pom tote / must have wedges/ my favorite strapless bra / no show undies

As mentioned, I found it at several retailers, and the sizes are picked over at each, but I’m hoping you’ll get lucky at one of them!  You can see that the dress is ON SALE at each retailer, so just click on the one you are interested in!

 

These earrings totally remind me of my beloved Gorjana hoops (my favorite earrings EVER), but these are much less expensive and come in both blue and white!  They are a bit bigger than my Gorjana hoops, and they are ONLY $24!  Both blue and white would be great for the 4th!  (And if you want to speed up your shipping, they’d be great for this weekend as well.)

Get The Look For Yourself Here:

 

#4: Floral Shift Dress

I receive tons of requests for dresses with arm coverage.  This one has a nice little short sleeve, it’s lined, it fits true to size, and IT’S ONLY $45.  Now, imagine me with a tan, and you can see just how cute this dress is!  😉  And it would of course be cute with my trusty denim jacket thrown on top. For size reference, I’m wearing a medium in the dress.  The size chart says a medium is a 4-6.

black floral dress / cork earrings / must have wedges / wooden ring clutch

And the $25 clutch is making yet another appearance.  (If you didn’t catch Monday’s post, you need to click HERE to go see all of my $25 SUMMER PICKS!)

And the cork earrings are light as can be.  I’ve worn them dressy to church and to showers, I’ve also worn them just around the house with denim shorts and a tee.

#5: White Lace Trim Midi Dress

So many of y’all fell in love with the red lace sundress I highlighted a couple of weeks ago, but when it sold out quickly, I got a lot of questions about the white one.  Well, I have two pieces of good news:  1)  It looks like the red is restocked!  2)  The white one is lined as well, so it isn’t see through!  It’s lined to the knees and a perfect little white summer dress.

It has spaghetti straps that are adjustable, which is GENIUS.  Also, the back panel of the bodice is smocked.  Which means it’s stretchy, comfy, and has some give!

I’m wearing a medium, and because it’s junior’s sizing a medium is a 7-9.  A 7-9 in a junior’s dress is true to size for me.

lace trim midi dress /my favorite strapless bra /  must have jacket / earrings / star straw tote / must have wedges

I’m keeping the red one, but dang the white one is cute too!

lace trim midi dress /my favorite strapless bra /  must have jacket / earrings / star straw tote / must have wedges

Get The Look For Yourself Here:

 

#6: Knit Maxi Dress

I had originally photographed this dress for today’s post, but when I saw it was ON SALE for just $38.90, I rushed it to Monday’s post BECAUSE IT’S AMAZING and I was afraid it might sell out. But I of course wanted to make sure it had a space on this official dress post too.

It’s pajama soft, so comfy, and it will make you look taller and skinnier (than you already are)!  😉  I mean, seriously.  Tell me I don’t look at least 5’9″!

I’m wearing a small in the dress and a medium in my favorite denim jacket. At 5’4″ with my must have wedges the dress is still long on me, which is great news for you taller ladies!

The rest of the dresses in this post are from the past… some several years ago, some just earlier this year. For most of them, I link to their original post for details and sizing information.

#7: Off the Shoulder Dress

This first dress is from a couple of years ago, but it’s stood the test of time, and it’s still available!  AND IT WENT 40% OFF YESTERDAY!

This off the shoulder number is a great little dress.  It comes in 8 colors total, as well as in regular and petite!  I fell in love with this cobalt blue and thought it paired so nicely with the electric pink.   The shoulders stay off the shoulder (hooray!), and I like how the ruffle is substantial.  I felt great in this dress and feel like it would be a really good dress to have in your closet for many different types of occasions, especially for wedding season.

For size reference, I’m wearing a Medium Petite, which is true to size for me in dresses (I’m almost 5’4″).  One reader said this last time I posted it:  Best dress ever!! Bought it in black and want it in every color. – Carrie M.

off the shoulder dress / BEST STRAPLESS BRA EVER / earrings /  necklace / clutch c/o GiGi New York, but no longer available / nude patent heels

And get this!  When I originally posted this dress, several readers posted pictures of themselves in the dress as well!  One sweet reader named Natalie (Hi, Natalie!) posted a picture of her in the dress on vacation!  Can we say VA-VA-VOOM?!?  Natalie!  You look absolutely GORGEOUS!  Thanks for taking the time to post the picture and for giving me permission to use it!

Natalie shared the following for size reference:  I wear a size 12-14, after three kids, and wearing a Large. The XL was too big on top for me.

Natalie, thank you so much for the picture and the sizing tips!

#8: T-Shirt Dress

One of my favorite dresses from last year is back in stock in some striped options and a solid black.  The striped sizes are picked over, so I’m linking them all HERE (since they are all on different links).  And good news, it looks like the plus size dresses are fully stocked AND ON SALE!

It’s a knit t shirt dress, and it’s perfect to throw on all summer long! I’m wearing a petite small here, but a little extra length from a regular small wouldn’t have hurt me.  😉    Shoreline converse are true to size, and I’ve also linked the no show socks I wear with them.

striped dress/ rainbow wood tassel necklace / similar hot pink studs / similar cross body / shoreline converse / no show socks

Click HERE for the entire post and if you want sizing recommendations and my thoughts.  When I grabbed the solid black (after loving have the striped one in my closet), I got it in a regular small instead of a petite.  I think the longer length served me well.

Sims stone necklace care of Accessory Concierge / favorite earrings ever ON SALE/knit shift dress / denim jacket / zippered tote care of  Barrington / must have wedges

#9: Off the Shoulder Body-Con Dress

Click HERE for the entire post and if you want sizing recommendations and my thoughts.  I wore this to the finale party of the blogging conference I went to!  It’s a stunner!

off the shoulder dress / earrings / clutch / similar heels / favorite strapless bra ever / spanx

#10: Ruffle Dress 

Click HERE for the entire post and if you want sizing recommendations and my thoughts.

ruffle dress / earrings / colorful clutch / black must have wedges

#11: Pocket Tank Dress

Click HERE for the entire post and if you want sizing recommendations and my thoughts.  Remember, this dress is ONLY $35!

striped dress / must have jacket / tassel necklace / sandals ON SALE

#12: Ruched Tank Dress

Click HERE for the entire post and if you want sizing recommendations and my thoughts.

tank dress / earrings / must have jacket / must have wedges

#13: Red Lace Trim Midi Dress

Click HERE for the entire post and if you want sizing recommendations and my thoughts.  And like I mentioned earlier, THE RED IS BACK!!!!

lace trim midi dress /my favorite strapless bra /  must have jacket / cork earrings (size Medium) courtesy of Nickel and Suede / bracelet stack courtesy of Accessory Conicerge / pom pom tote / must have wedges

#14: Striped Embroidered Butterfly Dress

Click HERE for the entire post and if you want sizing recommendations and my thoughts.

striped and embroidered dress / earrings / rattan bag / MUST HAVE cognac wedges

A couple of SALES I want to draw you attention to!  LOFT is 40% OFF EVERYTHING, and they have a great selection of summer dresses!  They have TONS of new arrivals, so you might want to check everything out!

Ann Taylor is 40% OFF EVERYTHING too, and they also have a wonderful selection of dresses!

As I mentioned earlier, I have several dresses on the way to me, so stay tuned for DRESSES PART 2 in the next couple of weeks.  Now before you go, I have some SERIOUS SALE ALERTS!  Things were flying off the shelves yesterday, so I hope there’s stock remaining!

white dress / white beaded earrings / rose gold sandals /straw bag / beaded gold earrings / white ks earrings / TB Miller sandals  / abalone crawler earrings / white eyelet tee / white bracelet / neutral heels

And if you have a few spare moments, go check out the Half Yearly Sale for yourself!  You’ll find a lot of amazing deals.  See you girls back here on Friday.  Something BIG is happening, so you’ll want to check back for sure!

UPDATED Thursday morning with some NEW TO SALE ITEMS!!!!

turquoise earrings / pink earrings / Tory Burch flip flops / Sam Edelman sandals / ruffled espadrilles

P.S.  If you want to see the pom pom bag paired with jeans and an embroidered blouse, click HERE!