Now that summer is unofficially here, we are in the thick of dress season. Dresses are my preferred clothing type for warmer weather – they are cute and make getting dressed easy (nothing like one piece dressing!)

I initially set out to do one major summer dress guide, but with all the great options out there it was getting cumbersomely large, so I decided to break it down by specific styles and trends.  First up: The button front dress.

This vintage-inspired style has a little romance and a little whimsy, and can be styled up or down based on shoes and accessories.  This Reformation number would look amazing with classic Adidas and a denim jacket, for example.

While covered placket shirt dresses (like my current favorite from Lane Bryant) are technically button front as well, this trend is all about buttons as a design feature.  Whether it is contrasting tortoiseshell buttons or an asymmetrical button placement (or both!), buttons are meant to be the star of the show.

The bold black buttons down the front of this Eloquii puff sleeve dress set off the crisp white of the fabric (while the voluminous sleeves are a nod to the milkmaid dressing trend).  I paired it with silver cowboy boots and a gold crossbody bag to keep it from being too costumey (I’m not actually a milkmaid, after all!)

This trend is versatile enough to work for all sorts of personal styles, so I’ve rounded up some of the best button front dresses in plus to shop now.  Click through below to find your fave (or three!) – I’ve included options in a range of price points and aesthetics:

P.S. If navigating summer dress trends seems like too much work, I recommend trying a focused Stitch Fix for summer dresses – read all about my experience with it here.