The white sundress

I have this vision of the perfect summer outfit. It's both boho and crisp, rockerish and girly, floaty and subtle. Actually, the outfit takes on myriad shapes depending on the day, the event at hand and my mood. But it always involves a vintage white sundress.

Here's a fave from the now-defunct vintage shop Maiden Rapture. Sweet eyelet and a sweetheart/crossover neckline allow for lots of interpretations on how to wear it. Cute flats and a picnic basket? Shortie harness boots and a straw fedora?

Exhibit B: The floaty dress paired with Western boots. Blog The Cowboy Boot Review gets it just right with these two outfits worn by Ashley Olsen (left) and Kate Bosworth. High/low pairings tend to make for easy glamor, so the more feminine and lacy the dress, the more rugged the boot.

Next up: Crochet. Chictopia ran this image of a 3/4 sleeve dress Zara back in the fall; the loose crochet makes this a multi-season dress. Throw it over a bathing suit or a cami and jeans, or fancy it up over a pretty colored slip for a night out.

Moving on to stappy. Here's a disco-y version found on Vintage Jenny. Yeah, it's probably polyester but think how great it will look with tall cork and leather wedges. Or clogs. Or peaking out from under a herringbone menswear vest.

Finally, there's the tube dress. Seems like every decade has its version, from pouffy and corseted to slim and Hawaiian-printed. Terry cloth has made a comeback, thanks to Juicy Couture, but look for a vintage 70s version of that theme, with a color block waist band and (if you're lucky) kangaroo pocket. Here's an 80s-reminiscnet version from ebay. Wear it alone with flip flops for a beachy look, or make it an easy piece under a boyfriend blazer and loose scarf.