I’m joining a few friends today to talk about white dresses. I have seven different ways to wear a simple white dress this summer—perfect for travel! But first, my dress is actually a skirt and shirt from Eileen Fisher. This makes it even more versatile. I can wear it together, and it looks like a dress, but I can accessorize a two-piece dress much more than if it were a regular dress.
Last year, I wore the same two-piece midi skirt with pockets and shirt from Eileen Fisher in gray and black checks, and I wore it so often that I thought I wanted to try it in white this year.
The skirt and shirt are made of organic handkerchief linen, so the ways I’ll be wearing it are all pretty casual. But honestly, that’s how I dress 99% of the time. I love putting outfits together using one new piece like this two-piece dress and then using everything in my closet to accessorize it.
Using items in my closet makes me get more creative. Do you notice that you wear things you might not pair up at home but wear when you travel? The more I travel and experiment with pulling looks together, the braver I am with what I wear at home.
A summer wardrobe starts with a breezy white dress, a versatile wardrobe staple. For a casual outing, wear it with a graphic T-shirt, denim jacket, or a summer cardigan. For a slightly more formal event, wear it with a black blazer and oxfords or ballet flats. A white dress is like a blank canvas. Add a pop of color, statement jewelry, or vibrant red lipstick to personalize your look to your own style.
Below are seven ways I wear a classic white dress for the summer months and maybe even after Labor Day!
Look One: White Dress, Cotton Linen Cardigan, Sambas, and a Tote
This is a perfect summer outfit to wear anywhere during the day. A flea market, lunch, shopping, you name it! The Garnet Hill cardigan is made of linen and cotton and is quite summery. Perfect for a cool day, or pop it into the tote! I always carry one of these bags from Baggu with me to place my sweater inside to protect it. They don’t add weight or take up much space, but you always have a spare bag, and it’s perfect to protect a cozy cardigan or wrap.
I have several pairs of Adidas Sambas. They are so comfortable right out of the box. You can read more in this post or this one. Check Amazon if you can’t find your size! They often have a better selection of colors and sizes. Just make sure you look for the OG in the name for the style you most likely want. And they run true to size even if you need to convert from men’s sizing to women’s!
Look Two: White Dress, Stripe Tee, Cross-Body Bag, and Artemis Loafers.
I love mixing styles, and a little white dress is the perfect starting point for adding anything. I wear this boyfriend Tee from Kule over a dress, with shorts, pants, jeans…just about everything; the right accessories like the Artemis Kilim Smoking Shoes and a red leather bag from Quince complete the overall look.
Look Three: Black Tank, White Dress, flats, and a Tote.
Layer the shirt over a high-neck black tank, black slides, and a tote for an easy, breezy white outfit perfect for various occasions. This is my go-to casual look this summer. I just need to add a straw hat, but sadly, I am not much of a hat person.
Looks Four and Five: White Dress, Blazer, Menswear Style Shoes
I love wearing a blazer over a dress or skirt for a menswear look. It’s very much my preferred personal style. To stay with a menswear look, the perfect footwear choice would be an oxford or loafer. My favorites are from The Office of Angela Scott. I love the classic color combination of black and white, as well as brown and white. The Eileen Fisher white dress styles work for this look, as they’re tailored and perfect to pair with a blazer well past Labor Day…IMO!
Look Six: A Graphic Tee, Skirt, Denim Jacket (with custom embroidery)
The perfect start for a casual outfit starts with a fun graphic Tee. Madeline got me this one from Only NY. I plan to look for a few fun tees in France this summer. I love wearing them with a skirt, denim jacket, or chore coat. I always wore California T-shirts, and then I thought I was too old for some reason. Hello…who makes up the rules? My favorite sneakers are a great option, as well as all-leather Birkenstocks.
Look Seven: White Dress, Will Jacket, Sneakers, and Straw Tote
The Will Jacket from Sézane is a chore coat that comes in several options, but the green is one that they carry all the time. I bought mine at Sézane in Paris, and they were offering free monogramming while I waited. I added my name because it’s Diamond and a little diamond emoji. Since this was a lucky thing that happened, I would like to mention that my friend Meredith of Mermaid Brooklyn does beautiful hand embroidery on everything from denim to linen.
New glasses!
Quince Sunglasses
I have two new pairs of glasses that I must tell you about! The first is a pair of sunglasses from Quince. They are polarized and only $50. I bought them after seeing Mary Ann wearing a pair when we went to North Carolina in the spring. The pair I’m wearing is called the Luna. My son saw them when we were at lunch in the city last month, and he loved them, so of course, I gave them to him and ordered another pair for myself!
Caddis Eyewear
My new progressive prescription glasses are from Caddis. I’m sure you are familiar with Caddis for reading glasses, but they are so much more than that. I did pop into the store in Greenwich Village to have a look, but then I used the virtual try-on to select the pair I wanted. I uploaded my prescription, made all my selections on lenses and whatnot, and they arrived in my mailbox!
The style I chose is called Tectonic. Caddis has every type of glasses from readers to prescription sunglasses.
Let’s see what Mary Ann, Cindy & Juliet say about white dresses!
A white dress makes the perfect outfit for so many different occasions. While I think the perfect white dress is a 2-piece skirt and shirt from Eileen Fisher, I can’t wait to see what Mary Ann, Cindy, and Juliet have to say about white dresses, different styles, price points, and all the fabulous ways to wear them.
You looks so chic, Annie…and sensible to achieve so many looks. I am finally going to order the Sambas…last time I tried they were sold out in the color combo I wanted. I’m so inspired by the black and white outfits. Love Eileen Fisher, too!
Hi Annie,
Such a fun post thank you! You have such fabulous taste l love my Eileen Fisher white skirt thanks to you and those Artemis shoes have been on my Christmas list for years just wanting for Santa !!
Happy summer xo
I love EF skirts because they have pockets, and they are just so well made! I think you’ll lveo a pair of Artemis loafers! I found out about them from Cindy! Maybe you did too! xx
Annie! Wow … one cute summer skirt, and shirt, creates so many amazing outfits. You’re very creative with your styling and I’m taking note. I do love a skirt in the summer. Easy to wear, light, breezy … it’s perfect with the matching shirt and other options. I’d love to add this set to my wardrobe and see if I can style them as many cute ways as you do. By the way, I love a blazer too. xo
Annie! You look like an Eileen Fisher model! Couldn’t agree more about a “two-piece” dress! So much more versatile than a dress! Each look is perfect on you and I love your Caddis glasses!
Annie this was packed with so many great styling tips! I loved all the looks and the white two piece set is really a brilliant idea for travel and so many options!
I totally agree with you that traveling really makes you more creative with your outfits versus being at home. I love those sunglasses and I think I will order a pair. You look fantastic in them . I know if Griffin liked mine, I would give them to him too!! Need a photo of you guys together in them!
I saved so many of these looks and I need Sambas!! Oh and the NY shirt! Keep wearing the California ones. xo
Oh Kim, you do need a pair of Sam=bas! They come in so many colors annd are super comfy! xx