Few things make getting dressed more frustrating than when the weather reaches that sticky, sweaty boiling point. Enter breathable linen dresses. Whether you pick a piece with pure flax fabric (a breezy, lightweight choice, though it wrinkles quickly) or a material blended with something like cotton or viscose (slightly heavier, but softer and less maintenance), there’s a linen summer dress for every occasion.
Heading to a drinks situation in 90 degree weather? Reformation has the ultimate rom-com heroine-worthy red option for that. Need a cute and easy silhouette to throw on for the farmer’s market? There’s a boho maxi (a key summer 2024 trend) on Amazon calling your name. And if you happen to be getting married these next few sweltering months, J.Crew has a beautifully tailored midi that’ll cover all your rehearsal dinner and bridal shower white dress needs. Wedding guests looking for a summer wedding maxi meanwhile, will find the ultimate drama-filled option for drinking champagne and dancing all night.
Below are stand out styles—from brands that I’ve tested and loved during my 15 years as a fashion editor—for every type of summer event.
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
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Best LBD: Endless Rose Strapless Linen Dress”,”dek”:[“div”,[“p”,”If you haven’t added a classic all black option to your wardrobe yet, it’s definitely the best linen dress to buy first. This sleek strapless design (it’s so Audrey Hepburn, no?) is understated enough that you could easily play it down with flat slide sandals and a big straw tote — but if you “,[“em”,”wanted”],” to make it fancy, heels and red lipstick would do the trick. A favorite feature? The subtle smocked panel in the back to avoid any digging or pinching.”],[“ul”,[“li”,[“strong”,”Sizes”],”: XS–L”],[“li”,[“strong”,”Colors”],”: 1 option”]]],”functionalTags”:[],”id”:”667afc23dc16f4936602d649″,”isHedClickable”:false,”isPromotion”:null,”name”:”Endless Rose Strapless Linen Dress”,”offers”:[{“offerUrl”:”https://www.nordstrom.com/s/strapless-linen-dress/7848198?”,”price”:”$150″,”currency”:”USD”,”purchaseUri”:”https://cna.st/p/2h8zKZvUAqv9ZBD2LWAJSVZJMZo3t1Xwzf8DPWfmzpvRZ1XHbRhV1asGW5aMxU5fSBSRDKPLfcfdsN96rQRGMBdT6muMzD9k7jEZxby9KMX7AKzDqznFowLnRaWtuBuLP6xxdLMAbnX2T5P6tkz9bHEzJhFCGnuM28QvRtogyFnNFaqY5U”,”sellerName”:”Nordstrom”,”countryCode”:”US”,”reducedPrice”:””}],”promotionHed”:null,”promotionText”:null,”socialIconsProps”:{“links”:[{“network”:”Pinterest”,”label”:”Post to Pinterest”,”url”:”https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.glamour.com%2Fgallery%2Fbest-linen-dresses&media=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.glamour.com%2Fphotos%2F667afc8d7ff3271cc6c16657%2Fmaster%2Fw_1200%2Cc_limit%2FEndless%2520Rose%2520Strapless%2520Linen%2520Dress.png&description=Endless%20Rose%20Strapless%20Linen%20Dress”}]},”itemSocialSharesProps”:{“showBookmark”:false,”links”:[]},”showLocalisedOffers”:true,”isUpcEnabled”:true,”index”:0,”showClampedProductDescription”:true,”isMobileView”:false,”hasMultipleImageSupport”:true,”showImageCreditText”:true,”showMultipleImageCount”:4,”hasProsConsFeature”:false,”hasRatingFeature”:false,”pros”:[],”cons”:[],”rating”:””,”order”:0,”totalCount”:15,”preHeaderOne”:”1/15″,”showOrderedGallery”:false,”hasAffiliateLinkDisabled”:false,”layout”:”ProductEmbed”,”component”:”unified_product_card”,”hasMultipleImage”:false}”>
1/15
Endless Rose Strapless Linen Dress
If you haven’t added a classic all black option to your wardrobe yet, it’s definitely the best linen dress to buy first. This sleek strapless design (it’s so Audrey Hepburn, no?) is understated enough that you could easily play it down with flat slide sandals and a big straw tote — but if you wanted to make it fancy, heels and red lipstick would do the trick. A favorite feature? The subtle smocked panel in the back to avoid any digging or pinching.
- Sizes: XS–L
- Colors: 1 option
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Best For Vacation: Emmers Linen Midi”,”dek”:[“div”,[“p”,”The smartest thing you can pack on a summer getaway is something made with lightweight linen fabric (so it doesn’t take up much space) that can be worn multiple ways, and as a bonus doubles as a “,[“a”,{“href”:”https://www.glamour.com/gallery/best-cover-ups”,”target”:”_blank”},”swim cover-up”],”. This slip dress checks all three boxes, all while boasting adjustable straps and a texture that looks free-spirited and cool when it gets a little bit rumpled (key if you don’t want to drag a steamer in your suitcase). We love the deep blue shade, but considering the under-$100 price tag, you may want to consider getting more than one color.”],[“ul”,[“li”,[“strong”,”Sizes”],”: XS–XL”],[“li”,[“strong”,”Colors”],”: 8 options”]]],”functionalTags”:[],”id”:”667afca041ec5ac0819f9ab0″,”isHedClickable”:false,”isPromotion”:null,”name”:”Emmers Linen Midi”,”offers”:[{“offerUrl”:”https://www.freepeople.com/shop/emmers-linen-midi/?”,”price”:”$78″,”currency”:”USD”,”purchaseUri”:”https://cna.st/p/2h8zKZvUAqv9ZBD2LWAJSVZJMZo3t1Xwzf8DPWfmzpvRZ1XHbRhV1asGf4EKQ5mtPGGLzD29eFYfhKZQFWDNFJk79KeYEyEtG4i9y6urfxbmB5RhUymv4nJAZUnGv6TkKFthFXWYqrJNZDFWeSfDgYmFDpGHu3kLHxzpXp1toaKDJeQnW2″,”sellerName”:”Free People”,”countryCode”:”US”,”reducedPrice”:””}],”promotionHed”:null,”promotionText”:null,”socialIconsProps”:{“links”:[{“network”:”Pinterest”,”label”:”Post to Pinterest”,”url”:”https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.glamour.com%2Fgallery%2Fbest-linen-dresses&media=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.glamour.com%2Fphotos%2F667afd5244d12cfd01b832c1%2Fmaster%2Fw_1200%2Cc_limit%2FEmmers%2520Linen%2520Midi.png&description=Emmers%20Linen%20Midi”}]},”itemSocialSharesProps”:{“showBookmark”:false,”links”:[]},”showLocalisedOffers”:true,”isUpcEnabled”:true,”index”:1,”showClampedProductDescription”:true,”isMobileView”:false,”hasMultipleImageSupport”:true,”showImageCreditText”:true,”showMultipleImageCount”:4,”hasProsConsFeature”:false,”hasRatingFeature”:false,”pros”:[],”cons”:[],”rating”:””,”order”:1,”totalCount”:15,”preHeaderOne”:”2/15″,”showOrderedGallery”:false,”hasAffiliateLinkDisabled”:false,”layout”:”ProductEmbed”,”component”:”unified_product_card”,”hasMultipleImage”:false}”>
2/15
Emmers Linen Midi
The smartest thing you can pack on a summer getaway is something made with lightweight linen fabric (so it doesn’t take up much space) that can be worn multiple ways, and as a bonus doubles as a swim cover-up. This slip dress checks all three boxes, all while boasting adjustable straps and a texture that looks free-spirited and cool when it gets a little bit rumpled (key if you don’t want to drag a steamer in your suitcase). We love the deep blue shade, but considering the under-$100 price tag, you may want to consider getting more than one color.
- Sizes: XS–XL
- Colors: 8 options
