Quick answer: Nikol's affordable summer shirt dress is a cotton, button-front dress she found on Amazon for about $42.99 (the navy is just $32.99) and loved enough to buy in five colors. It works because a solid shirt dress is a blank canvas — swap the belt, scarf, jewelry, shoes and lip color and one easy piece carries you from errands to brunch to the office all summer.
Key takeaways
- A cotton shirt dress for about $43 (navy $32.99) is an easy, breezy summer piece Nikol liked enough to buy in five colors.
- A solid shirt dress is a "blank canvas" — belts, scarves, jewelry and shoes make one dress look different every time.
- The elastic waist runs snug, so she sized up from a small to a medium.
- Lip liner and lipstick double as accessories that pull a simple dress together.
- Rotating a few colors all summer drives your cost-per-wear way down.
Hey ladies! If you've been hunting for one easy summer dress that does it all without costing a fortune, this is the video for you. Nikol found a classic shirt dress on Amazon, loved the fit and feel so much she bought it in five colors, and walks through exactly how she restyles the same silhouette so it never looks like she's wearing the same thing twice.
Why did Nikol buy this shirt dress in five colors?
Nikol wanted a summer dress that felt easy, breezy and feminine — something she could dress up or down and not worry about the price. After a long search (most dresses were too expensive or didn't come in multiple colors), she found this cotton shirt dress on Amazon for about $42.99, with the navy at $32.99. She bought it in black, white, navy, hunter green and cream so she could wear it on repeat all summer. It's a relaxed, comfortable cut that she felt was surprisingly good quality for the price, and buttons down the front with two adjustable buttons at the waist.
How do you style one shirt dress multiple ways?
Because the dress is a solid, simple silhouette, Nikol treats it like a blank canvas and lets accessories do the work. A few of the ways she restyles it:
- Cinch it with a belt — she likes belts with a little gold or silver hardware so the detail pops in front.
- Wear it loose and breezy on hot days; the elastic waist has two adjustable buttons for a little give.
- Layer a blazer or a camel jacket over the shoulders, tone on tone, for a pulled-together look.
- Add a scarf — as a belt, an accent, or tied into your hair with a ponytail (as she showed in her Instagram and TikTok reel).
- Change the shoes: flats like her cork-and-gold Jack Rogers, black open-toe heels, leopard heels, or a red heel to match a bag.
- Finish with jewelry and extras — sculptural earrings, a chunky gold necklace, a brooch and a pair of sunglasses.
As Nikol puts it, adding just a belt or the right heels makes it look like she spent a lot of time getting ready when she really didn't.
Which color shirt dress should you choose?
If you only pick one, Nikol suggests white — it's a true summer classic that reads as a weekend, cruise or brunch dress and takes a black or colored belt and scarf beautifully. Black is her no-brainer for going all-black (or adding one poppy bag), hunter green looks rich with camel, brown, leopard heels and a chunky gold necklace, and the cream is a pretty neutral. A quick heads-up she noted: some reviewers mentioned the cream arriving more pink than expected, though hers all came consistent in color and fit.
How do you finish the look with makeup?
Nikol's whole styling philosophy here is to let your lip be an accessory. In the video she's wearing a lined lip topped with a creamy shade, and she points out how a bold berry or coral instantly makes a simple dress look put together. A waterproof lip liner helps keep that color in place through hot, humid summer days, and a creamy lipstick in a flattering shade is an easy way to pop your lips with very little effort. Think of it as the fastest, lowest-cost way to elevate an inexpensive dress.
The bottom line
One well-chosen, affordable shirt dress plus a handful of accessories is a summer capsule in itself — by season's end, rotating a few colors makes your cost-per-wear almost nothing, and you feel effortless and elegant every time you put one on. Want to nail the bold-lip part of the look? Explore our lipstick and lip liner collections, or browse all of makeup to find your perfect summer shade.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is Nikol's affordable summer shirt dress?
Nikol found this cotton shirt dress on Amazon for about $42.99, with the navy coming in even lower at $32.99. She liked it enough to buy it in five colors — black, white, navy, hunter green and cream — so she could rotate them all summer and keep her cost-per-wear low.
What size should I order in this shirt dress?
The dress has an elastic waist that runs a little snug, so Nikol found the small cinched in and lifted the hem. She sized up to a medium, which left the top slightly roomy and comfortable in the Florida heat. If you prefer a closer fit up top, you can always have it tailored.
How do you make an inexpensive dress look expensive?
Nikol says the polish is all in the accessories. A belt with a little gold or silver hardware, sculptural earrings or a chunky necklace, good shoes and a bold lip make a $43 dress look considered. Steaming it and letting the buttons lie flat helps too — grooming reads as luxury more than any price tag.
What shoes go with a summer shirt dress?
Almost anything, which is part of the appeal. Nikol wears hers with flats like her cork-and-gold Jack Rogers for daytime, then switches to heels — black open-toe, leopard, or a red heel to match a bag — when she wants to dress it up. The simple silhouette lets the shoes do the talking.
Which color shirt dress is the most versatile?
If you only pick one, Nikol suggests white — it reads as a classic weekend, cruise or brunch dress and takes a black or colored belt and scarf beautifully. That said, black, navy, hunter green and cream are all easy to accessorize, so any color works as a summer staple.
