Summer midi dresses for city heat and evening terraces

A summer midi dress is the one you put on at eight in the morning and still feel fine in at a late dinner. It covers the knee. We make ours from linen, muslin, lightweight viscose or silk-look satin, and most have short sleeves.

Fabrics for a July heatwave

Linen breathes, and on the hottest afternoons it’s the first fabric to reach for. Our white linen midi leaves the shoulders bare. Wear it at a beach restaurant with your tan showing and a light scarf for later. Before you go out, press it with a hot iron, ideally while the linen’s still slightly damp from the wash. There’s a second white linen style with a floral print, made from crinkled linen, and those tiny creases are part of the design, so it doesn’t look rumpled after a car ride.

Muslin comes next. Our muslin wrap with a flounce is made in light blue and pink, with roomy short sleeves and a belt. It’s fine for the office on a relaxed dress code.

Want sleeves? The white lightweight viscose midi with lilac flowers has long sleeves on cuffs, a tie belt and a flounce at the hem. We’d send you to a christening in it.

Wraps and ruffles for weddings and graduations

Floral wraps come in pink, mint, chocolate, white and black, and they’re the easiest summer midi dress for an event where you’ll sit, stand, eat and dance. Knot the tie where your waist is smallest and it’ll stay put through dinner and dancing.

If you’d like more shine, look at satin. Beige and chocolate wraps have long sleeves, a pink floral style with ruffles at the hem covers your arms too, and the lemon one with an open back is for a garden wedding. Satin hates the dryer. Dry it in the shade.

Yellow’s the happy one. It has no sleeves and a ruffle at the waist that jumps when you dance, and with white sneakers and a denim jacket it goes to the market on Sunday.

What about a windy night by the water? Take the black floral midi with long sleeves. Its hem reaches about halfway down your calf. For a restaurant dinner we’d wear heeled sandals with it, and black loafers when it goes to work.

Frequently asked questions

Which summer midi dress is coolest in the heat?

Linen or muslin. Air gets through muslin easily, and linen stays cool in strong sun.

When do the summer styles return?

In March. Fall and winter are when they’re off the site, and there’s no harm in looking at the size table early.

Sneakers with a midi, yes or no?

Sure. White sneakers with the polka dot wraps or the pink flounce style look great on a weekend.

How do I choose the size for a wrap?

By the bust, because the tie handles the waist. Then compare the shorter summer minis, every hot-weather length on our warm-season page, or more ties and V-necks among the wrap styles.