3 STYLE ESSENTIALS TO CASUALLY STYLE A SUMMER DRESS

For all my girls who believe that heels aren’t always the first option…

I know I can’t be the only one, right?

It took me a while to like wearing dresses. As a kid, I would hate when my aunt would buy me the big fufu dresses for Christmas and I’d hate wearing a dress every single Sunday to church. They just felt too girly and that wasn’t me.

I didn’t come to appreciate the ease of a dress until high school and even then, I couldn’t do the girly, frilly types. I went basic, solid color cotton with the empire waist ALL THE TIME and paired them with sandals or sneakers. Primarily sneakers. Specifically red high top chucks. Selena Gomez’s Who Said spoke volume’s to me at the time.

More than a decade later, and I’m still trying to do the absolute least when wearing dresses. To be honest, heels are reserved for special occasions and dat’s it. Still keeping it casual with the dresses, here’s 3 essentials you need to style a summer dress, specifically:

3 Essentials to Casually Style a Summer Dress

1. Light Jacket

For those breezy summer nights or overly air conditioned spaces. They can protect your shoulders from the sun or offer a little modesty if that’s your thing. They also add a little depth to an otherwise basic item. You can also use a cardigan sweater, wind breaker or a hoodie like I did below.

My go to is a denim jacket because they scream casual and can go with almost anything. It makes styling an outfit uber easy.

2. Necklace

I’ll say necklace and I’ll raise that with some dangling earrings. With a bare upper chest, it’s a perfect display area to show off your jewelry because they don’t have to fight anything else for attention. Longer necklaces draw the eye downward, giving your body a lengthened appearance which is good for all my fellow ladies with broader shoulders.

For me, it’s either go all in or play it low key. There’s no middle of the road games here. I prefer the chunky and textured pieces but thinner pieces can also work here.

3. White shoes

Because they’re so fresh and so clean, duh. Sneakers and sandals effortlessly dress down outfits but the whiteness adds that crisp touch and light summer vibe. You can go all white or white with minor contrasting details.

After this, I’m honestly considering a pair of all white Birkenstock’s…and a red pair because me. I don’t own any white sandals and I think it may be time to change that.

Did I miss anything? What do you wear with your summer dresses? Share your style preference in the comments.