Bethann Renee

4 Spring & Summer Dresses for Work & Play

Lifestyle· Self Love

The weather is warming up and this time of year I start turning more and more to spring and summer dresses.  My go-to dresses are versatile options that I can style both for work and play.  Today I have rounded up five of my favorite options and am showing you how I style them for work and play.

Dress 1

There is something about lace that I just love for spring and summer.   I also really love the simple shape of this dress.  It’s fitted and flattering without being too revealing.  What is unexpected about this dress is the color and how the under layer is a contrasting color to the lace.  The soft, nude / blush color balances out the bold and bright gold of the lace.

For Work

Dress | Blazer | Bag | Earrings | Shoes

For work, I’d tame the super bright color of the lace with pieces that pull from the neutral under layer.  While Navy would also make a perfect accent color, I am going full on with the blush trend right now.  The blazer is sleek and simple and help adds a polished vibe to the look.  High, chunky heel pumps in a warm, blushy nude keep the heels from looking too sexy for the office.  Carrying through with the neutrals is a more structured tote perfect for lugging all your essentials to and from the office.  Lastly, I went with very simply drop earrings.

For Play

Dress | Bag | Shoes | Necklace

For the weekend, I could see this dress as a perfect option for lunch with the girlfriends or a casual date night with the husband.  Instead of taming the bold color, I’m playing it up starting with the chunky necklace.  It’s the perfect piece to tie all the colors together in the outfit.  For the bag, I’m pulling the darker teal from the necklace with this fun turquoise bag.  To balance out all the color, I went with a blushy nude sandal but the sandal has some fun ‘bling’ which makes them fun.

Dress 2

There is just something so lady-like about this dress.  It almost has a bit of a retro vibe that I just love.  The fact that the dress is navy makes it so much fun to style because you an go with pretty much any color or colors you want.

For Work

Dress | Bag | Earrings | Necklace | Shoes

For work, I accented with coral.  I just love the earrings and necklace and how they add just enough of a punch without being too much for work.  I originally though heels with this dress but when I found these pointy flat, I was “sold”.  They are polished enough for the office but would be much easier on your feet.

For Play

Dress | Sandals | Tote | Earrings | Cardigan

For weekend I went with yellow.  Yellow seems to be a big trend this spring and summer and I kind of like it.  Yellow isn’t a color that I normally gravitate toward, but it would be so pretty with this navy dress and I really like this seasons shade of yellow.  The tote is the showstopper with this outfit.  With it being so bold, I kept everything else simple.  I can see wearing this outfit strolling through a flea market or farmer’s market.

Dress 3

I’ve had my eye on this dress for a while now.  It’s simple and classic and just seems like a perfect summer dress for every day.  I am also pretty excited about my idea for work.  What I love about fashion is that you can experiment and think outside the box.

For Work

Depending on your work environment, this dress on its own may not be appropriate.  Rather than try to pair a jacket and heels, for work I’m thinking it would look great paired with a great pair of white trousers to make it more like a long tunic.  Add some high, strappy heels, simple earrings and a fun tote and you’ve got an office appropriate look.
For Play
For play, keep it simple.  Go with a fun and comfortable espadrille and a neutral, beachy feeling tote.  Top it off with a ponytail and sunglasses and you are good to go.  This is a perfect look for a beach vacation, grabbing lunch on the boardwalk and checking out the shops.

Dress 4

I actually own this dress and can say that I’ve worn it for both work and play.  This dress is beyond versatile!  It is also extremely flattering and comfortable.  The gathering helps hide trouble spots around the middle and the uneven hemline is fun.
For Work
For work I’ve gone a little edgy.  I’ve added a light-weight black blazer that has a pretty striped lining so it looks great with the sleeves rolled a couple times.  I’ve added a fun, long tassel necklace and some fun open toe booties instead of sleeks shoes to balance everything out.  Even though I’m a tote kind of girl, I went with a smaller bag just for the essentials.
For Play
For play I’m all about going casual.  I’ve paired some white converse sneakers and a denim jacket with the dress to give a more casual vibe.  To finish out the outfit, I’ve gone with a great, classic, brown leather tote.

Whether you are in the market for new dresses for spring and summer or you are inspired to restyle dresses you already have, dresses are great options for summer.  Because they are an instant outfit, you simply need to pair the right accessories to get the look you want.

What’s your favorite look?
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