Short sleeve summer dress, muslin, viscose, satin

Pick a short sleeve summer dress and your shoulders get a little shade while the rest of you stays cool. We sew them in cotton muslin, lightweight viscose and satin, mostly as minis and midis with a V-neck.

Muslin, viscose or satin for a hot day?

It depends on how hot. For real heat we’d pick muslin, a thin cotton that breathes. We double the layer on our pink wrap mini, so it isn’t see-through and still feels light. We sew the muslin midi with a flounce in two colors, light blue and pink. It has a puffy short sleeve and a belt that gathers the waist. You could wear that one to an office with a relaxed summer dress code.

Lightweight viscose is the vacation fabric. The loose minis in a floral print don’t squeeze the waist or cling, which makes them good for a boardwalk or a picnic.

Satin is for evenings. It has a soft sheen, and the lemon dress in white polka dots shows it off with a fitted bodice and a flared skirt that stops near the knee.

Small sleeves with ties, slits and flutter

Short doesn’t mean plain. Some of our sleeves tie, and you can change their length and fullness a bit when you knot them. Others have slits. Flutter sleeves just skim the top of the arm and suit a V-neck best.

Why bother with a sleeve in July? Sun, mostly. It covers the part of the shoulder that burns first, and it lets you wear a regular bra. Off-shoulder styles with a short lantern sleeve are the exception, so plan for a strapless one.

Picnics, trips and a short sleeve summer dress for weddings

For a picnic, the white wrap mini with yellow flowers has a ruffled collar that frames the face. White sneakers are all it needs.

Packing for the coast? The white muslin maxi with a wrap front is long, airy and happy in flat sandals. For a garden wedding we’d take the pink floral maxi in viscose, whose wrap and V-neck sit well on a fuller bust. The lemon sateen midi with an open back is the boldest of the lot. Pin your hair up so the back shows.

Summer styles return with the warm months, so now is a good time to compare cuts and check your measurements. We make each short sleeve summer dress in XS to XL. Continue with all summer dresses, minis with short sleeves or white ones for summer.