Breathable linen dresses are essential summer wardrobe essentials. Perfect for dining alfresco or traveling to tropical beach locales, these breezy styles will elevate any warm-weather ensemble effortlessly.
From elegant smocked linen dresses to laidback shirt dresses, we’ve uncovered some of the best linen and linen-blend options for women that will look just as fashionable with sneakers and a crossbody as with heels and sun hats.
1. Lulus Days Like This Sleeveless Ruffled Mini Dress
Goodthreads’ Relaxed-Fit Linen Flutter-Sleeve Dress offers both comfort and an on-trend style for summer wear, making it the ideal dress to keep cool on even the hottest of days while remaining fashionable. Made of lightweight, breathable fabric for maximum breathability and featuring a breezy silhouette that keeps air circulating freely through, its high boatneck provides extra coverage, while its flattering fit fits most body types beautifully.
This linen-blend mini dress will make an effortless statement on any beach vacation or wedding you attend this year with its feminine ruffled front and sleeves and fitted waist with princess seaming to flatter just about every figure. Plus, its mini length means it pairs perfectly with sneakers or sandals for casual looks or elevate it further with heels and statement jewelry!
Lulus offers an incredible selection of wedding guest dresses that will impress everyone at the reception. Narrow down your options by Dress Code and Season to find something fitting to the event.
This beautiful green Lulus floral dress would make an attractive choice for either a spring backyard ceremony or summer beach wedding, with its flowing chiffon material looking gorgeous as it moves with the wind, adjustable spaghetti straps that cross back at the back, high fitted waist and front-tie sash, as well as adjustable spaghetti straps with back crisscrossing, high fitted waist and front tie sash, flattering almost every body shape and body type.
If you’re new to online shopping, sign up for Lulu’s email and text alerts so you’re aware of any sales or restocks (plus you’ll save 15% off your first purchase). Plus, if something doesn’t quite fit right – Lulus provides free returns within ten days!
2. Everlane Smocked Linen Dress
An Everlane linen dress like this smocked style is an essential part of your summertime wardrobe, offering bra-friendly straps and an unstructured, relaxed fit for maximum comfort and polish. Plus, its lightweight material keeps you cool even on the hottest days!
Linen may be more expensive than cotton or polyester, but its low carbon footprint and slow degradation make it more environmentally sustainable. To minimize costs when purchasing linen clothing, look for linen-blend dresses instead of all-linen options, as most brands combine them with another fabric to lower production costs while making production more cost-effective. Popular options include rayon, cotton, or viscose rayon blends.
Frank and Oak’s linen-blend shirt dress is an ideal option for work attire. Slightly fitted for office-appropriateness, it boasts dark blue hues that look great during Zoom meetings and presentations, while its oversized yet put-together silhouette gives off an authoritative vibe.
Goodthreads offers this linen-blend dress as an easy, casual option with its high boatneck and low-back design, featuring neutral hues to pair perfectly with sandals or sneakers.
If you’re searching for a white linen dress to take from a backyard BBQ to a dinner party in style, look no further than For Love and Lemons Becca Mini Dress. With its stylish puffed sleeves and eyelet detailing, this will become your summer go-to dress.
3. Frank and Oak Linen-Blend Shirt Dress
Frank and Oak offer this linen-blend dress as the ideal combination of casual and elevated. As a Canadian clothing brand specializing sustainably with timeless, classic silhouettes. Their label-free pieces provide both comfort and elegance for all shapes. Additionally, the company strives to use organic and low-impact materials wherever possible while packaging products in recyclable/compostable material packages – an additional plus point.
This flowing midi shirt dress is crafted from an exclusive blend of Tencel Lyocell (a wood-based fiber that’s ethically and sustainably harvested from eucalyptus trees) and flax linen for an exquisite texture that makes this piece ideal for hot summer days and effortless style. Easy care means this piece should become part of anyone’s go-to wardrobe staple list!
Another great choice from the label is this versatile linen-blend midi dress featuring a button front that is ideal for sunny weekends. Available in both white heather and black heather hues with space-dye patterns that are trendy this spring, this space-dye pattern dress might be more pricey than others on our list, but it is worth investing in for its versatility and comfort – ideal if you need a dress to dress up or down as per occasion!
If linen clothing is something that speaks to you, but shopping can be time-consuming, consider signing up for Frank and Oak’s Style Plan subscription service. This program curates clothes based on your fit and style preferences before sending them right to your doorstep each month. Only pay for what you keep two days before each shipment to modify or cancel any item if needed.
4. Everlane Button-Front Linen Dress
Everlane offers an elegant linen dress that’s currently on sale that’s perfect for providing additional skin coverage. The shirt-style silhouette makes this piece great for work meetings or lunch with the girls; buttons start about 1/4 of the way down in front (no worrying about exposing bra straps!). Unfortunately, this one only comes in blue, but I can confirm that it washes well and doesn’t wrinkle easily – making Everlane an outstanding small brand making waves due to their transparency when it comes to their supply chain; you can see photos and videos of factories they work with as well as how they operate – giving customers peace of mind about who exactly are making clothes they love their purchases from small manufacturers!
This dress’s linen-blend fabric is thicker than others on our list yet still machine-washable and looks great when worn with strappy sandals. Senior commerce writer Caitlyn Martyn notes its square neckline was “carefully considered,” fitting seamlessly over your bra straps so as to prevent an awkward strapless bra look.
Old Navy offers an incredible linen dress at under $100 that’s sure to make an impression in casual yet relaxed style, featuring button front detailing, an adjustable tie back closure and on sale price half of what other options on our list cost.
Be mindful when shopping for a linen dress that its production requires intensive labor and costs that could potentially make an impactful statement about supporting brands that pay their workers fairly and respect employee rights. When purchasing linen clothing, we must support brands that pay fair wages and respect employee rights – otherwise, our purchases could support companies that exploit the labor force without due compensation.
5. Old Navy Long Button-Front Linen Dress
Old Navy’s long button-front linen dress offers an affordable solution, perfect for relaxed summer days. Although technically only 9 percent linen, its smocked design makes it easier to stretch and pull on; plus, its square neckline and tie-back add thoughtful details that elevate its appearance.
Everlane offers this linen-blend shirt dress that cinches at the waist for work-appropriate attire, perfect as a wedding guest or elevated dinner attire when combined with more excellent sandals and accessories. Even better: this deal costs under $100!
Linen dresses can be highly versatile pieces that offer temperature-regulation properties. However, their production costs are higher due to water and labor used during growing, harvesting, spinning, weaving, and sewing processes – a cost that ultimately gets passed onto consumers. Therefore, you may find linen-blend dresses are more budget-friendly while still providing all of these benefits.
Target offers another budget-friendly linen dress option if you’re in search of something affordable: this long-sleeved striped number with its nice drape and the soft, stretchy fit is an ideal introduction to the linen trend if you have yet to invest in something more costly. Reviewers raved that it was comfortable, flattering, and easy to wear; at just $30, it provides an ideal entryway into this popular trend.
