My summer at-home/casual wardrobe (if you can even call it that) has been really sad for so long, I no longer know what to do about it. Until this year, my non-work hours in the summer have been spent largely outside puttering around in my garden and doing yard work, with trips to the garden centre, grocery store and library added in here and there. All I wore were Gap or Joe Fresh shorts (chinos, mostly) and ill-fitting t-shirts. Birks or Cons completed this super-hot look . I've moved recently, and gardening and yard work are now a thing of the past (little bit sad ) and I'd like to up my game and get some pieces that are nicer, and more modern in terms of fashion .

Here's where dresses come in : Preston Davis' last post is about finding the "perfect" dress and slides, and letting that be her summer look. I'm into this. But what dresses do you all wear for casual/around the house/good enough to slip out to the store etc ?? A friend's response when I asked her what she's packing for a trip to Italy right now : " sundresses". I feel so out of touch with dresses, I don't even know what a sundress is anymore! Last time I wore one, they all had smocked bodices and shoulder ties . Seriously. I haven 't been able to keep pace with my changing body (back on a huge weight upswing again) and basically dress to hide myself. Dresses seem really challenging.

I'm hoping most of you have seen enough of me to be able to recommend some summer casual dresses ( nothing above the knee, thanks- that ship has sailed). I really like the photo in Preston's post https://keepitchic.com and would love to be able to emulate that look. Which brands and labels do you all like for summer dresses? What else do you wear that isn't a shorts/t combo?