By: Staci Rutherford

I currently have one maxi dress that I wear to death!  I challenged myself to style it differently each time I wear it so no one else recognizes that it’s the same dress.  It has a very distinct print so it’s relatively easy to remember.  I wore it once with a navy and white pin striped button down shirt, another time with an olive green short sleeve hooded top over it, and most recently, with a gray v-neck sweater.  The v-neck sweater received the most attention, because it accentuated the jeweled neckline on the dress.

It soon occurred to me that I never wear dresses, and for the life of me, I could not figure out why.  Summer after summer, I have been missing out on all of the pretty dresses because of reasons that add up to my own silly insecurities.  This time around, I am determined to wear more dresses because they are easy to shop for and extremely versatile.  If you want to update your summer wardrobe with a few new dresses, check out my top five favorites, all priced under $100!

V-back Dress, Price: $89.90 at Zara

T Tahari Samara Dress, Price: $88.00 at Bloomingdale’s

Evan Picone Sleeveless Paisley Printed Dress, Price: $99.00 at Macy’s

FELICITY & COCO Stripe Jersey Tank Dress, Price: $68.00 at Nordstrom

Donna Morgan Flame Print Blouson Dress, $64.99 (original price: $94.00)

The key to making a dress versatile is to experiment with how you wear it.  For a daytime look that is appropriate for work, throw on a cardigan or cotton blazer to cover up bare shoulders and arms.  For evening, add a bold statement necklace or metallic accessories.  Don’t be afraid to switch from your everyday tote to a clutch or from a flat sandal to a platform pump so your dress has a totally different personality.