Summer Dresses: Let The Color Flow

I LOVE warm weather clothes. The actual temperature, not so much- especially by August, but dressing in short, colorful, flowy fabric feeds the fashion soul.
Another plus of summer is there seems to always be more parties. People are anxious to break out the patio furniture, stir up some champagne punch, and string up white lights. And this leads to the need (ok, "want") for a new set of summer dresses.
Here are a few bright ones that caught my eye:

(DISCLAIMER: Just because I like these dresses doesn't mean I can actually afford them, so if you ever find their cheaper, just as cute cousin, lemme know!)

Isn't this Diane von Furstenberg number a beaut?! I love how perfectly it compliments the platform wedge, which seems to be here to stay as a summer trend. I love this in both colors, but the purple really calls to me. Wouldn't it be perfect with a sleek updo and a bright lip?

I have a love/hate relationship with maxis. Too often, I get frustrated with the length- a woman's legs are one of her best assets, so why cover them completely? But the handkerchief folds of this lovely dress allow peekaboo glimpses of your stems, and that is a sexy little summer touch.

Want just a touch of color? Want to experiment with the neon trend? I LOVE this Cynthia Vincent concoction! It's sweet enough for high tea, with enough pop of color to light up your night plans as well. As a blonde, I tend to shy away from yellow shades, but I think this dress would look flattering on all sorts of skin shades.

I'm not a fan of tight clothes. Sometimes I can take that loathing a bit far and wear things that threaten to swallow me. This can especially be a problem during the summer when I combine my love of big, flowy, bright clothes with my love of sparkles. J has best described this style as "what a senior citizen lady would wear to the beach."
What I like about this dress, is that while not tight, it shows plenty of skin, and it's muted color is not overwhelming, making it perfect for anything from a graduation brunch to a night wedding.

If you are looking for something cute, tight, and bright, this French Connection piece might be perfect. And since it's made of jersey, it shouldn't get too hot when you wear it out on a summer day. And at under $100, it should be easy to talk yourself into this pretty dress!

So here's hoping we get lots of chances to wear our best and brightest summer dresses in the next few months. And for all my Houston peeps, given our current trend of weather, some of these might also be perfect for the company Christmas party, no?