Photo courtesy of Anthropologie.Believe it or not, your hair type and pattern can be a major deciding factor is what type of summer dresses look best. After all, your hair is one of your major fashion statements, and you better than anyone that it can’t be ignored! Whether you’re rocking long, bohemian waves, an afro or a TWA, here are our picks of the best summer dresses for curls, coils and waves.
Wavy Maxis
The more patterned of a dress you put on, the more texture your waves will appear to have. As a wavy, one of our biggest concerns is trying to get bigger, better curls without heat. It’s a daunting task to say the least given that most of us sport fine, thin manes that don’t hold larger curls very well or for very long.
But not to fear! With summer near, you can simply slip on a colorful, patterned maxi dress and let your waves hang loose. The more pattern that the dress has, especially closer to your face (think v-neck rather than strapless”>, the more texture your hair will appear to have. It is a great time-saving trick that will let you show off your tan too!
Our favorites:
- Budget: Open Back Floral Print Maxi Dress, Forever 21, $22.80
- Splurge: Parvarti Maxi Dress, Anthropologie, $298
- MUST: Mossimo Women’s V-Neck Maxi Dress, Target, $29.99
Photo courtesy of Anthropologie.Curly Color Blocking
With type 3 curly hair, you already have enough definition and curl as it is. Adding bold pattern close to your face will take away from your texture and put the attention on the dress, rather than show off your ringlets. Too much pattern with a curly texture can be overwhelming also, so the best summer dresses for curly hair use monotone colors that are color blocked to give a fun touch of color without an in-your-face pattern.
Our favorites:
- Budget: Colorblocked Combo Dress, Forever 21, $17.80
- Splurge: Ribbed Chevron Maxi Dress, Anthropologie, $148
- MUST: Beach Emma Too Fer Dress, Free People, $88.80
Photo courtesy of Target.Afro Asymmetry
If you are rocking out with an afro this summer, your style is already screaming, “FIERCE!” Stick to monotone colors like pastels that will highlight your skin tone and keep the focus on your hard-earned hair. Plus, to offset the big-on-top look that a big head of hair can give you, balance it off with an empire waist that is either part of the dress’s design or that you create yourself with a skinny belt.
Our favorites:
- Budget: Pleated Shift Dress w/ Belt, Forever 21, $24.80
- Splurge: DV By Dolce Vita Sawyer Dress, Urban Outfitters, $125
- MUST: The Webster Scoop-Neck Short-Sleeve Dress, Target, $36.99
Photo courtesy of Anthropologie.TWA Tribal Tops
There is really only one rule when it comes to TWAs and fashion: NEVER wear big sleeves! Other than that, the best summer dresses for the brave and independent women rocking shorter crops have fun tribal tops with extra fabric to balance out your mid-frame with your hair.
If you are on the larger chested side, a tribal fabric top may make you look a little over voluptuous, so stick to fun tribal patterns instead.
Our favorites:
- Budget: Floral Butterfly High-Low Dress, Forever 21, $27.80
- Splurge: Pernille Silk Dress, Anthropologie, $178
- MUST: Silence & Noise Printed Strapless Dress, Urban Outfitters, $39
