Below are five summer dresses that have each been accessorized two different ways. On the left, the accessories I have chosen are more casual and on the right the accessories are slightly elevated to change up the looks. Considering most of us have multifaceted lives, the more we can use accessories to change up our dresss the more we will get with less.
Dress #1 The first dress I am using is a versatile
summer maxi from Modcloth in a bright emerald green. It's easy enough to wear in a super casual way but can also be elevated for dressier needs.
On the left, I styled the dress with a pair of comfortable pink Fit Flops, a casual and colorful statement necklace and a raspberry pink handbag from Ivanka Trump. On the right, the dress can now go to smart casual events with gold accessories. I styled the it with a statement necklace from Stella & Dot, a gold wristlet and sandals from Isola.
Dress #2 This black and white striped jersey dress from Theory can be worn casually while also being elevated. It all depends on the accessories you choose to wear with it. By downgrading this dress for more casual days, like I did here using a pair of red Birkenstock sandals, a white bag from Nine West and red stud earrings from Kate Spade, you can look sharp even when running errands or taking the kids to the park. To take the dress up a notch, I swapped out the red sandals for a pair of black wedges from Nordstrom and kept the outfit streamlined with a black handbag from Banana Republic and black and white chain link necklace from Marc by Marc Jacobs.
Dress #3 This easy linen and Tencel shift dress is so perfect for a hot day. Just slip it on and go. For casual, I used these tan flat sandals from Anthropologie, a Rebecca Minkoff hobo bag and beaded bracelets from Free People. To dress up the shift, I changed up the accessories with navy wedges from MICHAEL Michael Kors, yellow Steve Madden convertible clutch and gold chandelier earrings from Modcloth.
Dress #4 This printed dress from Boden is such an easy piece that can be styled a variety of different ways. On the left, I treated it more casually with the same Fit Flops, white Nine West bag and red stud earrings that I used previously. On the right, the dress looks more elevated with the navy wedges, pink handbag and dressier drop earrings from Dabby Reid.
Dress #5 This blue and white Tory Burch dress has a graceful ease about it that can be styled a variety of different ways. On the left, I chose the same flat Anthropologie sandals, white Nine West bag and used blue stud earrings from Max & Chloe. On the right, all it took was a dressier shoe change, using the same gold Isola sandals used earlier, the gold wristlet and a navy Stella & Dot necklace to give this dress an elevated look.
To get the most out of your summer dresses, identify the needs of your lifestyle and choose dress styles that can easily fit into these parts of your life. You can also consider these tips when traveling on vacation. With just a simple change up of how you accessorize them you can easily take a day dress to evening, a casual errand style to a party, and more.
Shop for summer dresses
Still shopping for summer dresses? Check out these additional styles.
Dresses are so fun and easy in the summer. Once it gets warm I don't think my legs see a pair of pants until at least Labor Day. In order to avoid boredom, I always try to buy dresses that I can wear multiple ways with accessory changes. If you're looking to get more from your summer dresses here are multiple ways to accessorize your favorite summer styles.
