Light blue short dresses for June parties and the seaside

Around here, a light blue short dress is mostly a summer thing, cut above the knee or right at it and usually printed with small flowers. Call it a pale blue short dress if you’re in Britain. Most styles come back with the warm season, and one rib knit mini with long sleeves covers the cooler months.

Above the knee for a June graduation or a terrace

A graduation in June, a cocktail on a terrace, a walk along the water after work. We sewed the ruffle-hem mini with exactly those plans in mind. It’s short-sleeved with a round neck, and the ruffles widen the hem a little and sway with every step. That’s why the top half should stay plain. Small earrings beat a big necklace here.

Then the wraps. Ties at the waist let you set the shape yourself, and one of them is cut from smooth satin with 2 % elastane in it, so the fabric gives a little. Another wrap covers the arms to the wrist and crosses into a deep V, good for an evening that turns cool. Silver or white heeled sandals look right with it.

What about real heat? There’s a mini that hangs from thin straps, bare at the back, with a flounce along the bottom. You’ll need a strapless bra or clear straps, and it’s best sized by bust, since the straps can’t adjust the fit.

Knee-length dots and a wrap with more cover

Not everyone wants a mini. Some of ours stop at the knee, and that’s where you’ll find polka dots on pale blue. The one with a boat neck shows your collarbones and has long sleeves, so it goes to work under a plain blazer with low pumps. Its round-neck sister with white dots is one we’d wear as a wedding guest, with white heels. There’s a floral wrap at this length too, short-sleeved and adjustable at the waist.

Rib knit when it isn’t summer

One light blue short dress stays for fall and winter. It’s soft rib knit, long-sleeved and round-necked, with a ruffled hem. Those ruffles add volume low down, so don’t pile a bulky sweater on top. Go for a jean jacket or a cropped leather one instead, and a gray coat when it’s cold. Rib stretches. Choose by bust.

All of these are made in XS to XL, where L is close to a US 10.