Summer Dresses Under $50 — sarah symbalisty

Summer is in full swing and there is no easier way to keep cool and get dressed in the mornings than by throwing on a lightweight dress… even better when the print is THIS fun!

The dress I’m wearing in the cover photo is dupe of a $600 Alemais dress that’s gone viral. The style comes in several prints/colors and it’s a fun way to add color to your wardrobe this summer - especially when it’s priced under $20! Pair it with nude heels for nighttime or mesh ballet flats during the day. Since it’s gone viral, it’s in and out of stock - you can find it here, here and here all at different prices but still under $30. Keep in mind the dupe is made in China so expect $30 quality.

The bust is double lined with a stretchy back so you don’t have to wear a bra, but the rest of the dress isn’t lined and can be a bit sheer. I’m wearing it with these Madden Girl Mythicall Flat Sandal in the color bone in a size 8.5. I find that I always have to go up half a size in Madden Girl (or half a size larger than in Steve Madden) and these are true to that. The raffia colorway is also a great option for summer - I debated between the two and will probably eventually snag the raffia also.

This blue and white dress by Cider is such a pretty, classic print. It’s giving House of CB vibes and it’s under $50! I love the tie shoulder and the bust detailing. Reviews say to size up in it. Cider has a ton of really pretty dresses on Amazon right now including this mesh sunset one shoulder one and this tie back mini dress - it’s giving major 90’s vibes! Cider is made in China, so I’d size up one size in all of these just in case.

I’ve ordered this strapless leopard dress for our beach trip and I’m D Y I N G to wear it beforehand. When I tell you it’s SO GOOD - trust me. I ordered a medium, and I could’ve sized down in the bust, but the seam across my thighs would’ve been a little too tight. If you carry your weight in your butt/thighs, stick to your normal size, if you don’t carry your weight in your lower half, then size down in this dress. The body is double lined, but the skirt is sheer. I’ll also wear this with a denim jacket thrown over my shoulders or a lightweight cardigan during cool nights.

This short sleeve t-shirt dress is simple but pretty. It has a nice drape to it, nice seam details, POCKETS and it is bra friendly. This is a great dress for chasing after kids since it’s not too short and full coverage. It also comes in 29 solid colors so there’s sure to be one for everybody!

This eyelet yellow dress is a really pretty pop of color. This dress comes in 12 color ways and not a bad one - I even love the “brown red” color for going into fall this year. (This one was under $50 at the time I wrote this blog post. If it’s not on sale anymore, wait a few days because Amazon is always fluctuating their prices.)

This ruffle hem dress is a nice classic piece. I love a ruffle hem - seriously, if I see a ruffle hem dress or top in stores, you can almost guarantee I’m buying it. This one comes in almost 30 really good colors and I love the green for summer! It’s also bra friendly but some reviewers mentioned that it’s sheer, so keep that in mind when choosing lighter colors.

This CUPSHE maxi dress comes in 30 colors and prints and is a great option for a bathing suit cover slash day dress. It does have an open back and a keyhole in the front, but still a lot of coverage in the front.

I found this two pack of crossbody straw bags on Amazon and I’m having some major nostalgia! My sister and I had these bags growing up, I wonder if my mom still has them somewhere. This two pack in nude and black is under $20 and these would be great thrown over any of your summer dresses!

Last year I blogged about Little Black Dresses for summer and most of them are under $50 as well and some of the dresses are even deeply discounted this year. Read that blog post here!