Summer Cocktail Dresses

A hot summer day, sweltering heat and a party to attend; a situation that needs a perfect dress to help you stay cool. Here are some summer cocktail dresses for you to choose from, for such an occasion.

Every young girl, at some point of time, dresses up in her mother’s high heels, wears her mother’s makeup and trots around the house, ready in her own eyes, to accept any party invite that comes her way. There starts every woman’s intrinsic love for clothes and more importantly, fashion. And whether our intellectual part accepts our ‘fashion consciousness’ or not, it does not take away from the fact that it is that need to look good that drives us to look out for new trends ever season. What we wear in the winter, spring and summer is determined by, definitely the nip in the air and the heat wave but more so by what is in and what is out. So, as the temperature rises and we gulp down glasses of lemonade, what is the prediction for summer cocktail dresses? Here are our top picks as we mark out the best cocktail dresses for summer.

Tips for Cocktail Dresses for Summer

If you are looking out for a summer cocktail dress, then the first thing that you need to keep in mind is to let the dress be simple and well cut. The embellishments on the dress and the accessories you wear need to be determined depending on the time of the day that the party is being held. Given below are some tips that will help you pick out summer cocktail dresses.

• If it is a morning affair, and you are attending a summer wedding, then try and choose cocktail attire for women that will let you be comfortable and let your skin breathe. Avoid complicated straps, sequins, shiny adornments, fabrics like satin, etc. Stick to dresses that are made of a fabric that is summer friendly and more importantly, wrinkle free.
• For evening cocktails, bring out fabrics such as satin, silk, rayon and fine-gauge knits that work very well. A little bit of bling works for evening wear but if this is the case with your dress, then ensure that you do not over-accessorize. Let the prints of the dress be reminiscent of the season that it is being worn in.

• Summer is the season of colors. Ditch the blacks and whites and make new additions to your color palette. Wear a bright summer color like yellow or pink; if colors make you slightly nervous, you can try and experiment with different prints on the dress.
• Focus on your accessories. While matching accessories in shades of the same color as your dress work well, try and experiment with the adornments that you wear and make a statement, for example, if you are wearing a green dress, instead of wearing heels in the same color or plain old black, spice it up with wedges in a canary yellow. But make sure that you are comfortable in whatever you wear.

While choosing cocktail party attire is not a Herculean task, choosing a style that flatters you may test your patience. The next section of this article lists out the different styles of summer cocktails dresses that are in vogue this season.

Summer Cocktail Dresses

One Shoulder Dresses

A one shoulder dress is the perfect way to flaunt well toned arms and to die for collar bones. Try a summer cocktail dress that has either a gathered skirt which flatters someone who does not have a tones belly. If you have a well toned figure, then you could take a leaf out of the books of Hollywood fashionistas and opt for a Goddess dress with a flowing, pleated skirt.

Stretch Side Wrap Dress

The wrap dress has the distinction of being one of the most timeless fashion statements in any woman's wardrobe. Introduced in the 1970's, it was embraced by most celebrities and heralded as the successor to the little black dress. If you are looking for something that will give you the coveted hourglass figure, then a wrap dress in a stretch material in colors like pearl and pastel shades may be the perfect solution.

Cocktail Suit

If you are one of those women, who needs to rush to a cocktail party right from work, then this dress is the answer to your problems. A cocktail suit is more dress than your average business attire and is available in both summer and winter colors. Team it up with a dressy, ruffle top and remove the jacket to make the suit look a little less formal.

Strapped Dress

It is after all summer, and the heat is just a nod to a dress with just-there sleeves. If you can carry off strapped dresses, then this maybe one of the perfect summer cocktail dresses for you. Let the upper body of the dress hug your curves and let the skirt of the dress either be cut in an A-line or a full bodied, flowing skirt. We suggest that you go easy on the embellishments but if you want to add glitter and glimmer to the dress, then the accessories need to be subtle.

Sheath Dress

This is one of those summer cocktail dresses which is strictly for those who have a perfect 10 figure, thanks to its design which demands a tight fit to the body. But this is a dress which is perfect for summers because of the light fabrics that it is generally made off. You can opt for a strapped or a strapless sheath dress.

These were just a few options for summer cocktail dresses. If you are worried about the money that you may need to shell out on these dresses, do not get perturbed. There are several cheap summer cocktail dresses available at shops that have vintage clothes or fashion knockoffs. All you need to do is decide on the style that suits you and flaunt it at the next cocktail party you attend.  By Tulika Nair