Summertime Cocktail Dresses

The heat has been turned up this summer and what better way than a lovely cocktail dress to stay cool and look good. The easiest way to beat the summer heat is to make sure you stay cool and comfortable. A nice little cotton sleeveless summer dress is a good way to accomplish this. If you're not one who cares to shop on-line, then many of the larger retail stores will have a nice selection. Next time you go to the mall, then certainly take a little trip through Macy's which has a beautiful selection of summer dresses that would work perfectly for a summer evening cocktail party. The selection they have here is certainly more for a little dressier party than what you might be looking for a nice afternoon party. Calvin Klein has a beautiful silk chiffon pin-tucked dress with a pretty ribbon tie at the waist on sale for $140.00 right now. You can get in pink or black, sizes 6, 8, 10 and 12 and is an elegant choice that will keep you looking and feeling cool. London Times also offers a few dresses with classic colors and looks for under $100.00 in sizes 4 through 14. The one I like the best is the Empire Bubble Hem Dress which comes in a gorgeous lemonade color with a large black ribbon tie at the waist. It has a lovely v-neck cut with a subtle crinkled texture. An option for plus-size women is the Sele Plus Sizes Sleeveless Bubble Dress that comes in 1x to 3x. The gorgeous satin strawberry color will have you looking gorgeous at your party. You may want to peruse their web site before heading out to the store so you know what you're looking for before you arrive.

While you're at the mall then you may want to take a quick look in JC Penney and see what they have to offer for summer dresses which are more appropriate for a daytime cocktail party. The selections here are more colorful and floral in design. These would be perfect for an afternoon party and would keep you in style. Here I would look for American Living summer dresses in sizes 4 to 16. They have a couple cool and crisp white eyelet dresses which, with a pair of sparkling white sandals or strappy little heels, will have you looking perfect for that summer poolside cocktail party.

If you happen to detest malls like I do, then you can also find an incredible selection of summer cocktail dresses on-line. One place I found some really gorgeous sun dresses is edressme.com where you can find something for either under $100 or, if it's in your budget, up to $495. The choices here are quite varied and you can get dresses that are strapless, short-sleeve, halter top styles and even off the shoulder sleeves. The color choices are bold vibrant prints of squares, circles, floral and free-flow designs. You'll surely find something here to fit your needs this summer. I didn't see one dress here that wouldn't work with either a pretty little sandal for daytime or a fabulous bright colored pump for night. All you need to do is add a cute little clutch purse in a bright summer color and off you go.

All of the above suggestions are for knee-length and mini dresses. You may have a desire for something a little longer and more elegant looking and I found this incredible dress at armaniexchange.com. This dress is ankle length and is dip dyed for a beautiful effect. The best part about this lovely summer dress is that the color description is "sunshine." It is available in sizes extra small to extra large, has spaghetti straps and is yellow, blue and white with an empire waist. Colorful beads accent the additional halter straps for extra support. This will certainly keep you relaxed and cool while looking stunning as you stroll around the pool. If you're attending an evening party outdoors this would be perfect with a strappy pair of yellow or white heels. During the daytime, you may want to pair this dress with a wedge heel and ankle straps.

Finally, if you haven't found what you want yet, then it's worth a look at victoriassecret.com where I saw a flirty little baby doll dress on sale for $55 to $65 that comes in a few solid colors and also a couple patterns of polka dots and plaid. The dress is made of cotton and will really keep you cool and the two side pockets will help you carry a few small items. The sizes range from extra small to extra large and have an empire waist. For a great shoe choice, just scroll down the page. They offer a sassy basket weave t-strap shoe that would look great with this dress for $45. There is also an ankle length baby doll dress available in several colors, with a halter top and built-in shelf bra for $49 in sizes extra small to extra large. You can actually find a very large variety of mini, maxi and knee length dresses on their website and all are under $100 with an exception of maybe one or two dresses.