My Hunt for the Perfect No-Bra Summer-Heat-Wave Dress
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There comes a point every summer, usually mid to late July, when the concept of an “outfit” goes out the window. It’s simply too hot for multiple pieces — bra included. I need to bejustadequately covered by a single swath of floaty fabric, otherwise known as the perfect no-bra summer-heat-wave dress (PNBSHWD). I like myheat-wave dresslike I like my plans to “grab coffee soon”: flimsy. Think of it like a reverse Emperor’s New Clothes: Ifeelnaked but appear clothed to everyone else. While we’re here, shout-out toThe Emperor’s New Groove(2000, director Mark Dindal). I love cinema! Anyway, I have a few criteria on my PNBSHWD rubric:
1. Material: 100 percent cotton is preferred. Linen is acceptable but often too wrinkly considering thedresswill more often than not be stored on “the chair” (you know the one). Polyester is a no; it’s not breathable and makes sweat smell worse. Hemp is cool. Silk is iffy, because you often have to dry-clean it. I need to be able to throw on my PNBSHWD multiple times a week without needing to wash it every single time. Which brings me to my next point:
2. Arm holes: The lower the cut of the arm holes, the better. Tight arm holes that dig into my armpits are more likely to need frequent cleaning.
3. Tone: This one is specific, but mid-tones are not ideal. Dark or light tones are not likely to show sweat stains. Mid-tones like browns and grays are vulnerable to high-contrast, visible sweat stains.
4. Opacity: The bodice of the dress must be opaque to satisfy the NB part of the PNBSHWD. As for the bottom half, my attitude toward opacity is time and place.
5. Hang: I want my PNBSHWD to fit me like a slip dress on a hanger: dangling precariously on my shoulders, with merely the suggestion of a body underneath. The less points of contact on my body, the better. This means no cling anywhere, including a built-in bra. Ideally the lack of support is countered by the opacity covered in criteria No. 4.
6. Length: I’ve found length can add a nice ventilating swish.Short dressesare a hard sell: I don’t like my bare sweaty thighs sliding around on the subway seats.
7. Size range: I want all of us to enjoy the unique pleasure of slipping into the PNBSHWD.
8. Cute: Be cute.
I test-drove over 30 dresses on this hunt, fromGapto cult NYC favorite Rachel Comey. No stone was left unturned. A crucial element of the heat-wave dress is rewearability, so the cost-per-wear softens the blow of a more expensive piece (the finalists ended up ranging from $60 to $1,450). Below, I present to you the finalists:
Close, but no cigar
Dresses I loved but fell short in one or more criteria:
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Folks: tens across the boardsexceptfor one crucial factor — a little razzle-dazzle. But let’s start with the good: 100 percent cotton; completely opaque; low-cut armpit holes; great hang; long enough to swish but not too long;anti-sweat-staindark shade. The Mainstay’s strength is in its simplicity, but it also keeps it from reaching a ten. It’s a bit boring. I’ll certainly throw it on for a hot day but not necessarily when I need to dazzle.
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The Ona dress has a lot going for it: the proper hang (my body disappears under it), 100 percent cotton, stylish ’90s-inspired cut. However, the beautiful mid-tone brown left me with sweat stains after an hour in thebrutal NYC heat. I might save this one for mid-September.
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There should be no tugging involved in slipping into the PNBSHWD, and this one floated right over my head and over my hips flawlessly. It’s opaque enough for NB, and the backless detail keeps it from feeling too plain. I’m docking points, however, for its length: I prefer the swish factor of a longer summer dress. But for $60, it’s a steal.
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Breathable fabric: check. The hanger effect: check. Opaque top half: check. The Tahlia linen-blend midi dress has a lot of promise for the PNBSHWD, but the exaggerated length made it impractical for daily wear, and the linen is no match for “the chair”-induced wrinkles. (Also, I thought midi meant mid-length? This is as maxi as it gets?)
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Flattering shape, solid swish factor. The rayon upper, however, isn’t as breathable as a 90-degree day requires.
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I love being the youngest person in the room, which might be why I love shopping at Eileen Fisher. I also genuinely love the clothes — nobody does easy breezy like Eileen. Once I slipped into this little number like an invisibility cloak, I knew it’d be getting a lot of play (my fiancé said he’s growing “nose blind” to all my “dementor dresses”). The size range is a breath of fresh air, ranging from petites to 3X. While its silk fabrication is luxurious, it requires dry-cleaning, thus disqualifying it from the winner’s circle.
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The silk/cotton blend doesn’t require dry-cleaning, and the shape looks like you found it at a luxury vintage shop, notFree Peoplein midtown. The opacity, however, is borderline: You can get away with no bra, but the bottom half is a little mischievous. Do with that information what you will!
The Winner’s Circle
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This is the platonic ideal of the PNBSHWD. The cotton poplin is cooling to the touch, the armpits are cut nice and low, it swishes perfectly, is totally opaque, and the exaggerated proportions lend a stylish POV. See how the back of the dress isn’t even touching my body? That’s what it’s all about.A bead of sweat could format the nape of my neck, drip down my back and land on the concrete without touching the dress once. Heaven. Toit Voilant could have easily phoned it in and made this a one-size-fits-all deal, but I appreciate that it included multiple ranges. It’s cutverygenerously, thus making it a great option for a range of sizes. The proportionsareextreme, and if this scares you, I invite you to consider what might happen if you let your style evolve beyond what makes your waist look the smallest. Come on in, the water is warm …
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I’ll say this much: This dress was such an immediate hit for me that I went ahead and bought thetop version(in both colors). The adjacence to nudity while still being covered is what I crave on an ultrahot day, and the style was an absolute compliment trap. I received three compliments on my walk to get mymorning coffee! The wrap style is adjustable, so you can wear it as cinched or free-flowing as you’d like, and the sturdy, matte wild silk didn’t show sweat stains. It’s also cut so far away from the armpit that the material isn’t in the danger zone. Despite the composition, it can be washed on a cold, gentle cycle. This one will be with me for the long haul.
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Rachel Comey Sted Dress
I’ll warn you: This one is an investment piece, but I’ve never regretted adding a Rachel Comey piece to my closet. I loved this one so much that I promptly wore it to a rehearsal dinner on a steamy Brooklyn night. The hang is perfect; it touches meonlyat my shoulders and just barely. The cotton skirt is swishy, and the bodice is totally opaque. It’s also my favorite style of everything that I tried on. One caveat: Itisdry-clean only, but the arm holes are cut so generously that I’m confident I can go many wears without a trip to the cleaner.
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