$59, gap.com

I was at a friend's house yesterday afternoon for a kids' play date. While our kids were scootering around together in her backyard, we took a quick break from motherhood to sift through her closet and whittle down outfit options for a summer bash she's hosting this weekend. The one thing I noticed as I was going through her wardrobe was the high concentration of simple, easy, daytime dresses, many of them preppy striped cotton variations. She's lucky to have them all, because they're so wearable and transcendingly stylish. She doesn't need much else for summer. Except maybe this one from Gap to add to her inventory--and mine, too. I love the classic stripe and relaxed, minimalist silhouette. It would work with flip flops or a dressier wedge heel, both in the city or at the beach.