Your wardrobe simply isn’t complete without at least one of the best white dresses on hand. These wardrobe essentials are essentially a blank canvas for your favorite styling tricks—belts, statement earrings, trendy shoes, bold lips. The color (or lack of it) is trending for summer 2024 after appearing on tons of the season’s biggest runways, but make no mistake: These picks are timeless.
We love a good white dress for fancy events, like graduations, birthday parties, or anything you’ll attend as a bride. But they also work well for more casual settings, whether you need a beach cover-up or something to wear when it’s far too hot for pants. (Just don’t wear one as a wedding guest dress.) To set you up for summer—and many more seasons to come—we pulled together the best white dresses for every occasion, from A-line beauties to hidden gems from Amazon.
Glamour’s white dress wish list
- The Linen Dress: Reformation Magnolia Linen Dress, $248
- The Under-$50 Dress: Zesica Summer Swing Midi-Dress, $40
- The Strapless Dress: Petal & Pup Rosetta Cutout Dress, $79
- The Graduation Dress: Abercrombie & Fitch Emerson Dress, $120
- The Cocktail Dress: Elliatt Reception Dress, $170
- The Last-Minute Dress: PrettyGarden Off-the-Shoulder Dress, $53
- The Nap Dress: Hill House Home Ellie Nap Dress, $150
- The Boho Dress: Zesica Summer Boho Dress, $50
- The Short-Sleeve Dress: Madewell Cassie Button-Front Dress, $148
- The Long-Sleeve Dress: Free-est Magdalia Maxidress, $118
- The Shirtdress: Old Navy Short-Sleeve Shirtdress, $36
- The Broderie Dress: Farm Rio Richillieu Broderie Anglaise Dress, $335
- The Beach Dress: Reformation Mariana Knit Dress, $98
Best formal white dresses
When in doubt, wear white! We’d love to see these minimalist numbers paired with gold jewelry and strappy sandals for nearly any formal summertime event; if you’re working with a cocktail dress code, try a raffia bag and slingback heels. Either way, make sure you have a trusty pair of sunglasses in tow.
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Best casual white dresses
Don’t reserve your best summer whites for elevated occasions; these more laidback picks are perfect for everyday wear. They’re also great for adding some of 2024’s most influential dress trends to your rotation, since rickrack trim, eyelet details, and nap dresses are all over our feeds. To stay mobile, pair these with crossbody bags and walking sandals or white sneakers.
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Most elegant white dresses
Strapless gowns and formal events go together perfectly, whether you’re headed to a cocktail reception or a black-tie dinner. And our edit speaks to every trend of the moment, like cutouts, sheer skirts, corsets, and rosettes. (We suggest investing in a great strapless bra along with your purchase.) Our editors also love the relaxed elegance of Reiss’s linen dress, which would work well for your aunt’s birthday celebration or your rehearsal dinner.
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Best white dresses on Amazon
Why buy a white dress on Amazon? For starters, each of these picks will come in two days or less, making them great for anyone who tends to procrastinate before events or trips. Then, they also tend to stay under $75 and feature details like ruched backs and elastic waists to fit a wide variety of bodies. Glamour readers particularly love Exlura, Zesica, and PrettyGarden, but those brands are just the tip of the (surprisingly chic) iceberg.
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Best short white dresses
The right minidress will take your usual daytime uniform to the next level. Brands like Amanda Uprichard, Reformation, and Mango offer the standout event dresses of the season; wear them now with celeb-beloved ring sandals and well into fall with knee-high boots. And for more relaxed days—think last-minute brunch or post-beach strolls—Madewell and Amazon have you covered for less than $125.
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Best white midi-dresses
Need we explain the appeal of a white midi-dress? This is the perfect all-occasion length, especially when it’s hot out, and the color is refined and relaxed all at once. The tiny details matter the most here, so pick a style that speaks to you; cutouts, broderie, eyelets, lace, and puff sleeves make our edit stand out from the crowd.
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Best white maxidresses
Combine white fabric with extra-long silhouettes, and you get full goddess vibes. We love Abercrombie’s sweetheart dress for semiformal occasions; Mango and BHLDN, meanwhile, offer simple stunners that’ll dial up the drama without any gimmicks. (Style them all with on-trend metallic heels or fisherman sandals.) You’ll also find trendier details like cutouts, ruffles, and lace trim among our other favorite maxis.
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Best white dresses with sleeves
Sleeves and summer might seem at odds, but some of the prettiest dresses of the season feature some much-appreciated arm coverage. Puff-sleeve minis and midis are great for graduation and birthday celebrations, not to mention wedding-weekend cocktail hours. Old Navy and Tuckernuck, meanwhile, offer preppier, more casual numbers that’ll transport you (at least mentally) to the Hamptons.
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Best white vacation dresses
No matter where you’re headed for summer vacation, you could use a white dress in your carry-on. Beyond helping to keep you cool during long, sunny days, they also dress up nicely for pricey dinners or museum visits. All you need is a pair of chunky sandals or comfortable heels—you will be walking a lot, after all—and that sun-kissed glow that only comes from visiting somewhere new.
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