5 Ways to Style A ’60s Shift Dress for Summer
Forget the ’90s revival–look around on your daily commute and you’ll notice another era making its return: the swinging ’60s. Here are 5 ways to style the shift dress trend for summer 2026.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, or have somehow managed to avoid interacting with social media for the past few months, you’ll know we’re in the midst of a full-blown ’90s resurgence. Whether it’s everyone and their mother dying their hair Bessette blonde and donning a pair of Selima Optique glasses, or Rachel Zoe tantalizing us with stories of everyone “in leather jackets and Calvin slip dresses” at Moomba and Bungalow, the not-so-distant decade still has us firmly in its clutches.
But change is in the air. Look around on your daily commute and you’ll notice another era making its return: the swinging ’60s–which, funnily enough, inspired all the short skirts, skinny trousers, long blazers and mini dresses of the 1990s–slowly creeping into our wardrobes via shift dresses and Jane Birkin-approved ballet flats galore. Geometric prints are everywhere, The Beatles are once again a cultural talking point, and as the warmer months roll around, we’re looking to the era for fresh inspiration. The clearest sign of all? The street-style set has adopted the classic shift dress as its unofficial uniform for summer.
Here’s a handful of ways to style yours.
One of the many virtues of the ’60s shift is its simplicity. Requiring minimal fabric and minimal fuss, it’s ideal for navigating heatwaves and sticky city streets. In cotton or linen, the mini will keep you cool while still looking polished. Pair it with heeled ballet flats and a raffia tote for maximum summer nonchalance.
Rather than grappling with the looming threat of AI, why not spend the summer looking backwards? Embrace retro mania with bold colors and vacation-ready textures, then add oversized shades and voilà: an antidote to modern malaise.
Perhaps we haven’t completely shaken CBK from our systems. When worn with heeled black sandals and classic Wayfarers, a simple black shift dress feels like a meeting point between the minimalism of the 1990s and the exuberance of the 1960s.
Despite its thigh-skimming silhouette, the mini dress can be a surprisingly demure garment, particularly when styled with a knit slung over the shoulders for a dose of preppy polish. Finish with trainers for practicality—it is summer, after all.
For a romantic take on the retro trend, opt for a pale-pink silk or satin shift, topped off with an oversized shirt and slim, T-strap sandals.
