My favorite summer trend is off shoulder dresses and tops. I previously discussed the trend and mentioned all the reasons why I like it. The very first reason I love this trend is because off shoulder dresses are so light and romantic for summer.I personally love the dress I am wearing because it has a unique material and is not the expected white lace or eyelet. The print of the dress made it more visually interesting and ensured the feel of the dress wasn’t too pretty. I know what you’re thinking, how can something be too pretty? Well, I am all for feminine clothing, but I also don’t want something to almost feel like a costume. Off shoulder dresses can pretty quickly feel like a costume if they are in too frilly of a material.

If you plan to try out off shoulder dresses this summer (and I think you should!) here are my three styling tips you should follow.

Invest in a High-Quality Strapless Bra

Unless you’re one of the lucky ladies who doesn’t need to wear a bra, you need a strapless bra. I highly suggest you get yourself a good quality strapless bra in a neutral color. I personally own a beige one because beige is invisible under white clothing and can be worn with literally any color clothing. A white or black strapless would be OK too, but you might be limited in terms of what you can wear it under. For example, have you noticed how wearing a white bra under a white top actually shows through more than a nude/beige bra? If not, test it out, I promise nude undergarments are better, even if they aren’t that pretty.

Wear your Hair Up

If you’re going to wear an off the shoulder top or dress, I think you should pull your hair back. The benefit of the off shoulder dresses is the fact that they show off your neck, chest, and shoulders. It can feel like a lot of skin, but I personally think the whole point of these tops and dresses is to show off your shoulders and neck in the summer.

The decolletage is such a gorgeous part of a woman’s body and it is sexy without being overly revealing. I personally love the way off shoulder tops and dresses look when women wear their hair up in a bun or ponytail.

Add Statement Earrings

Since I suggest you wear your hair up, I also suggest skipping a necklace. This is a conscious style choice I made when styling my off shoulder dress because I wanted that area to be the focal point and not detract from the ruffles of the dress.However, you do need some statement to the look, so I suggest wearing long, dangling earrings to set off the whole look. Long earrings draw attention to your face and upward, so your entire upper body is really the star of this look.

{Stacey’s Look: Banana Republic Dress, Shoes and Earrings (similar); Chloe Purse}

If you’re interested in trying out off shoulder dresses, here are some of my current favorites.