Get This: T-Shirt Dress

More than any other season, summer requires a wardrobe of no-fuss staples, the kind that you can throw into your bag for a weekend on the Cape or pull on for a blistering day of shopping. This season’s flattering take on everyone’s favorite basic proves the T-shirt dress is no longer just a swimsuit cover-up: The latest designs from 3.1 Phillip Lim, Vanessa Bruno, and Diane von Furstenberg are dolled up with fluttering cap sleeves and rosette details in cotton, linen, and silk. Easily transformed with strappy wedges and a clutch for an evening al fresco or played down with slim jeans and gladiator sandals, this style is as laid-back as a morning at the beach—but won’t leave you looking as though you’ve just crawled off the sand.

Pictured: 3.1 Phillip Lim dress, $375, Dress, 221 Newbury St., Boston, 617-424-7125, dressboston.com. Other options: Love by Ya-Ya striped dress, $85, Intermix, 186 Newbury St., Boston, 617-236-5172, intermixonline.com; jersey dress with gold trim, $230, Reiss, 132 Newbury St., Boston, 617-262-5800, reiss.co.uk. want more? Sign up for our Shop Talk e-newsletter at bostonmagazine.com.