Summer dresses are a crowded category at this point. From flowery frocks to lightweight linen styles, there are plenty shapes and lengths to choose from no matter your personal preferences. But as

a seasoned summer dress connoisseur, I quickly realized that some really just trump all the others: Welcome to my hit list of the top dresses of the season.

If there’s one wardrobe piece that I can trust more than any other to get me through the endless heat and a slate full of Google Calendar dates, it’s a chic dress. Next to my stretchy pants, it's likely the style I repeatedly wear the most during this time of year. A big factor is the element of versatility—it's super simple to dress up or down, and I never have to expend a lot of brain power to come out with a solid look. With that said, my collection is continually overflowing, but there are ones that I can always rely on to elicit compliments wherever I go. Ahead, keep reading to the dresses in my closet that never miss. Expected compliments... and a lot of them.