The Dress That’s About to Be My Summer Uniform

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I love summer and I love clothes, but the two don’t always mesh as well as I want them to. In New York City especially, where the transit system is descending through various circles of hell at an ever-hastening pace, a blouse that’s perfectly breezy in the spring months can turn into a boob-sized hot tub quicker than it takes some jerk to put a deposit down on your dream apartment.

Most of my wardrobe is non-functional from June to September, but wearing seasonally appropriate cut-offs and a T-shirt never fully feels like me; I always wind up staring wistfully at others’ more exciting summer outfits, wishing I’d pulled something else out of my drawer that day.

Rebdolls’ Essential Tank Midi Dress ($27.50) is my solution. It’s light, stretchy, and equally perfect for throwing on in a pinch and pairing with any number of scene-stealing accessories (my go-to is a sculptural vintage crocodile necklace that’s just too gaudy to wear with my normally gaudy outfits, but you do you).

On top of that, I love the brand’s size inclusivity — from small to 5X, Rebdolls offers the same piece at the same price, which is an infuriatingly rare occurrence at most stores. Not to mention it’s cheaper than a weekly Metrocard, and much less likely to result in getting stuck underground.

This dress is sold out in black in most sizes (for now, that is; you can add your email address to Rebdolls' wait list), but is still available in all sizes in white. Alternatively, the brand offers similarly summery styles, like this body-conscious T-shirt dress.