There really is no season that’s more fun and fashionable than summer!! And whether its a weekend road trip, a post-beach girls nights out, a sizzling date night, or a tropical vacay, there’s no look that’s more quintessential for summer than that perfect easy breezy summer dress! And whether you’ve got your heart set on a choice of perfect printed dresses for a girls night, cool summer dresses for that special event, or casual summer dresses to take you from the beach to the street, it can be daunting to find the top summer dresses out there, with so many brands out available! If you’re like most fashion lovers, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed with the plethora of brands out there offering summer dresses, but don’t sweat it, we’re here to help! So, relax! Take in some sun, book that summer trip you’ve been dying to take, and we’ll take care of the fashion, by sharing our picks of the Top 11 Brands for Summer Dresses in 2019!
Our top eleven brands for the perfect summer dresses:
1) For Love & Lemons
When life hands you lemons, make lemonade! Or better yet, go get some much needed retail therapy from one of our very favorite brands, For Love & Lemons! Founded in 2011 by best friend designer duo Laura Hall and Gillian Rose Kern, For Love & Lemons has become known for creating awesome styles that leave you feeling confident, feminine, and fresh as a daisy! For those stylish babes who don’t mind a little adventure in their fashion (spoiler alert, that’s us!) For Love & Lemons is everything! And while this lovely brand from designer team Laura Hall and Gillian Rose Kern does offer styles ranging from Ready-to-Wear, to SKIVVIES, to Knitwear, and even SWIM, it’s the top summer dresses we’re most excited about! One that’s on our radar is the brand’s Monika hook front mini dress made from stretch denim and a Toile print. Yes, please!
2) Saloni
From vibrant textiles to flattering styles, the namesake brand of designer Saloni Lodha has been keeping women dressed to perfection for over a decade now. Praised for her ability to create that highly sought-after effortless femininity with her dresses, Saloni Lodha is always successful in creating looks that are playful, exotic, and elegant. We love the agelessness in her label’s designs, and that both her casual dresses and fancier dresses work on stylish women of all ages. The Indian designer had a vision to infuse the rich culture she grew up in and mix it in with her own nomadic lifestyle, and saw that vision to fruition when she launched her line Saloni in 2011. These days, Saloni Lodha splits her time between Hong Kong and London, further perpetuating the nomadic vibe of her Saloni label, and garnering attention and fans wherever she happens to be. From her latest collection, nothing says summer quite like the Bianca Pink Rosette Silk Dress made from a striking hot pink swirly stamped silk and yellow embroidery, boasting a scooped neckline, gathered waist, and gently puffed sleeves perfect for any fun summer celebration!
3) Raquel Allegra
It’s easy to see the next designer’s Norcal roots in her seamless tie-die printed dresses and boho silhouettes. Born to artisan parents in Berkeley, California, designer Raquel Allegra is a true Cali girl and it shows! With an entire label brimming with unique designs that first began with her signature shredding techniques, the L.A based designer now has a flagship store in L.A and proudly crafts everything locally. Raquel Allegra‘s dresses are truly the opposite of fast fashion – they are those top summer dresses you invest in, and can wear through long summer days, and into California fall weather, and at the farmer’s market on weekends. She captures the true essence of California cool, and we are here for it! For those Cali-loving boho babes out there looking for the perfect summer dress, check out the brand’s Waterfall Rainbow Tie Dye Jersey Gather Caftan Maxi Dress! Now say that three times fast!
4) LoveShackFancy
If there exists a prettier, more feminine, or more summer-perfect brand out there than LoveShackFancy, then please tell us now! Inspired by vintage finds, and with an emphasis on enchanted vintage-inspired romantic floral prints, LoveShackFancy has us all ready for summer and loving it! Founded by creative director Rebecca Hessel Cohen, the lovely, lacy, and girly looks from this brand are rooted in travel, fairy tales, and everything in between. Can we just get a hell yes for all those dreamers and romantics at heart out there? Trust us when we say, you’re just going to love the Ruby Dress! With its vintage-inspired tea rose print, smocked shoulders, and deep v neck design, you’ll be the bell of the ball no matter what summer event you show up to! Rebecca Hessel Cohen just gets soft hues, intricate lace, and whimsical fabrics the way no one else does!
5) Rhode
For the ultimate in vacation wardrobe, feel-good fabrics, and hand-crated embellishments, look no further than Rhode! The label’s founders Phoebe Vickers and Purna Khatau created a brand based on the things they love, and we are all about it! Next time you’re feeling like you want a stylish escape, you’re going to want to shop Rhode. Still soaking up that California Super Bloom? We get it! Slip into the brand’s chic little LEA DRESS, crafted from 100% cotton and featuring delicate skinny shoulder straps. Or better yet, the NALA DRESS, for that perfectly carefree vacation dress that’s both delicate and versatile! We love all the printed dresses, but are particularly infatuated by the Red Botanical print! One thing is for sure! Founders Phoebe Vickers and Purna Khatau sure know how to bring the summer party!
6) Agua Bendita
Agua Bendita started out as a dream, the one of Catalina Álvarez and Mariana Hinestroza, two Colombian women that decided to follow their passion for design and created a brand of unique and exclusive swimsuits, and now their dream is our literal dream come true! And what started as a swimwear line has expanded to include jumpsuits, shirts, tops, jackets, and yup, you guessed it, dresses! The brand’s Daisy Pistacchio Dress with it’s patchwork floral print, white lace hem, and super cute back design has us wishing summer would just show up already! And we’re not the only fans! International icons like Bar Refaeli, Irina Shayk, Izabel Goulart, Candice Swanepoel, Sara Sampaio and even Kendall Jenner have been in Agua Bendita‘s campaigns. The designer team Álvarez and Mariana Hinestroza continue to grow this gorgeous brand, so look for a more robust offering of top summer dresses to come!
7) Yumi Kim
To wear dresses from fashion label Yumi Kim “is to stand out, to view life as a colorful journey, and to be your own exciting and beautiful self”, as the label’s designer Kim Phan puts it. The NYC based designer opened her flagship store in NYC’s Lower East side in 2008 and never looked back! We love the bright color combos, unique printed dresses, and gorgeous florals that are ideal for summer time travel as well as local jaunts. As for the label’s name, designer Kim Phan paid homage to her sweet little Yorkshire Terrier named Yumi, and we’re not sure there’s anything cuter! We’re so in love with the fun and flirty Pretty Woman Dress, with its chest front tie, and pockets that we’d go anywhere in this perfect dress! More of a print princess yourself? We get it! Slip into the modern casual vibe in this Destination Dress and you can’t go wrong! Take it from us, a little ruffle goes a long way!
8) Zimmermann
Sisters Nicky and Simone ZIMMERMANN founded their namesake brand in Sydney in 1991, and have been creating colorful, sophisticated, and ultra feminine designs for a while now, and we’ve been long time fans! If you’re feeling floral and want to keep it simple, comfortable, and sexy, you’ll want to check out the brand’s Corsage Slip Dress, which is a midi slip dress with covered front button closure and low back design! The design has a touch of 70’s inspo which we love, and is perfect for that destination wedding or summer night out! The good news? If you already got your floral fix, and are looking for something a little more classic, try this dress in a rich gorgeous Cocoa. And with almost 30 years of dutifully revealing crowd-pleasing summer dresses, season after season, you could say that Nicky and Simone ZIMMERMANN know a thing or two about designing perfect easy breezy summer dresses!
9) Hemant & Nandita
If you like your cute summer dresses to be sunny, colorful, comfortable, and bohemian, then Hemant & Nandita is going to be at the top of your list! The namesake brand of designer couple Nandita Lalwani and Hemant Lalwani is fun loving, bright, and vivid, and that’s just the way the couple, who met while pursuing their degrees in fashion, like it! Nandita Lalwani and Hemant Lalwani, both natives of India, use their strong cultural roots to create boho designs that pop, and proudly produce designs that are elegant and made to last in their Hemant & Nandita brand. We love love love the Aesha Dress with its super cute fringe tassel, shell accents, and crochet trim! It’s the perfect dress to show off your sun-kissed skin and add a pop of color for a head-turning look. Pair with strappy red heels for a perfectly styled wear anywhere look.
10) Flynn Skye
Tired of playing it safe with your cute summer dresses? We don’t blame you! It’s time to be bold! Flynn Skye is made for the girl who isn’t afraid to take risks and who is powerful and confident! Designer Amber Farr created the free-spirited boho brand, and named it after her daughter Flynn, who is fearless and perfectly exemplifies the Flynn Sky muse! Craving some color? The Jasper Maxi will fix you right up! With its full length design, ruffled skirt and eye-popping pink flowers against a blue background, you’ll never go unnoticed in this dress! Beach-meets-city looks from designer Amber Farr take the form of wrap dresses, mini dresses, maxi dresses, and even slip dresses. So if you’re afraid of commitment, you’ll never be tied down! Unless of course, you happen to love ties, In which case, by all means, you’ll wanna get into the Michelle Maxi Dress, stat! Wink wink.
11) Shoshanna
Cool summer dresses that flatter your figure are ones you’ll hold on to forever, and designer Shoshanna Gruss has managed to stay dedicated to creating just that, for over 20 years now, with her eponymous collection Shoshanna. And if you’re into looks that not only flatter but also include fun and refreshing design details, you’re going to be thrilled with this designer’s collection of dresses. A Manhattan girl at heart who learned her skills hands-on while working at a lingerie factory before beginning her own line, Shoshanna Gruss is a designer who is dedicated to producing clothes locally. We love supported brand’s with a positive mission, and it looks like we aren’t not the only ones! Just ask fans and style icons like Eva Longoria, Taylor Swift and Emma Stone who have become big fans of the beautiful styles coming from this long trusted brand. For a super cute sleeveless style, hit the NYC streets or the L.A beach in the label’s Olevia Dress which features playful multi-colored buttons, a straight neckline, and made from fun stretch denim material. This is one of those pieces that will stay in your closet and continue to flatter your figure and spark joy for years to come.
