I ordered and tried on 24 Quince summer dresses, so I’m putting all that research to work and including everything you need to know: tons of photos, detailed fit notes, my top picks, and what I’d skip.
For context on how all this started…
Anyone else notice that the entire internet won’t stop raving about Quince summer dresses? Super-hype reviews are EVERYWHERE! I’ll admit their extensive lineup of cotton and linen dresses under $100 totally piqued my interest for a while now, so I did my “TME thing” and ordered 24 Quince summer dresses for a full try-on review.
Do these Quince dresses really live up to their beyond-glowing reviews? My goal was simple: figure out if the hype was real.
And now we need to talk…
Spoiler: my experience with Quince summer dresses was mixed…and I’ve got plenty of thoughts from my try-on (fit notes, pros, cons, and selfies) to share.
ps. If you’re wondering about what to buy (& skip!) at Quince beyond just dresses, we have an entire guide here. Now, let’s get into these Quince summer dresses…
Top 5 Quince Summer Dresses — Quick Picks
My plan was to just highlight a few of my favorites from the 24 dress try-on and not submit you guys to alllllll my thoughts on allllll the dresses, but it turns out…my plans have changed. This is yet another Linzi monster-long review post….not all 24 dresses, but almost. The Quince dresses were more complicated to love than I thought… I liked (but didn’t love) a lot of them, and many have sizing and fit caveats. If you want JUST my top picks, though, here they are:
Top 5 Quince Summer Dresses
Feel like I have to add The One I Desperately Wanted To Love: beautiful and beloved by many (similar to my Jenni Kayne), but unfortunately didn’t fit my body type well.
** Want to go straight to all the photos and skip over all my blah blah blahing??? Click here to jump to photos and reviews and to skip my Quince summer dresses “dissertation”. 🙂 **
Why I Tried 24 Quince Summer Dresses
Because I’ve lost it, obviously!!! Just kidding… I may have lost it (always a possibility)….but I assure you there was a decent amount of reasoning put into this decision.
As I mentioned before, Quince gets thousands and thousands of rave reviews on their website, the “internets”, and all the “socials”. Most of the hype is around Quince being an innovative clothing brand committed to making exceptionally high-quality essentials at an affordable price (sounds great, right?)
I had tried a few things here and there from Quince, though, in the past and wasn’t totally blown away. The more I saw other people continuing to rave about the brand pretty much EVERYWHERE, however, the more I felt like I was missing out on something huge. And I couldn’t ignore the fact that they carry such a huge selection of minimalist cotton and linen dresses under $100 in styles and neutral colorways that are typical of my summer work-horses… so many of their dresses would fit perfectly into my summer uniform rotation.
So…I do what I do best in this Mom Edit world…and I ordered 21 dresses (and then an additional 3 after that)…different styles, different colors, different sizes, different fabrics… of Quince summer dresses under $100. One of the things Quince does best is offer a huge selection (a little something for everyone), so I felt like it would be helpful to look at as many Quince midi and maxi (my favorite summer dress styles) as I could and report back. I definitely enjoy doing the deep research on these potentially fabulous closet-staples, so that I can confidently share my opinions.
Now that all the dresses have come in…I have a LOT of thoughts. SO many thoughts! Are we surprised??? Let’s get started…
Quince Summer Dresses — Pros & Cons
Lots of things I love about Quince summer dresses and several things that contribute to me not being able to fully recommend many of them. My overall takeaway? For the price, Quince dresses are good (some even VERY good), but I wouldn’t say they have the quality, consistency, or wow power of the higher-end dresses they are often compared to.
What I Liked About Quince Dresses
- Natural Materials: Kudos to Quince for making SO many dresses in 100% linen and 100% cotton. AMAZING! Love it!
- High Quality Linen: Soft & nice — definitely felt higher quality than some other budget-friendly linens.
- Budget-Friendly: Dang! The prices are GOOD for minimalist classic styles.
- HUGE Selection: Their vast selection of styles for linen and cotton dresses is unmatched in my opinion (shapes/styles for everyone).
- Shopper-Friendly: Free shipping & 365-day return window (always a yay for me!)
- One-Stop-Shop: Quince has evvvvvvverything….including sectional couches and 1 oz gold bars (?!?!)…you know if you need that kind of thing.
What I Didn’t Love About Quince Dresses
- Sizing: My sizing was all over the place (some dresses running big, some running small).
- Fit & Design: Not only was the sizing inconsistent, but many of the cuts just didn’t work for me. Some were too tight in certain spots, too loose in others, or didn’t drape the way I had hoped. Several styles seemed better suited for someone taller or with a larger chest.
- Lack Of Oomph: Most of the dresses didn’t blow me away (the way Staud, La Ligne, or Jenni Kayne’s dresses do), even though Quince is often praised for being “just as good” as higher-end brands. Many of the dresses fell into the category of “good, but not amazing” — for the extremely budget-friendly prices, that seems about right.
Quince Dresses: Full Try‑On Reviews, Photos & Fit Notes
Selfies below with fit notes, pros, and cons of midi and maxi summer Quince dresses. Apologies in advance for the dress wrinkles and sometimes disheveled hair …24 is a LOT of dresses to try on!!!
For reference: I’m 5’2, 145 lbs, smaller on top, curvier on the bottom. In most dress brands, I typically wear a size small (occasionally a medium in straighter fits or occasionally an XS some brands’ A-line styles).
1. Quince Cotton Poplin Maxi Dress — Fit, Pros & Cons
PROS: Style, details, fit, and fabric were all wins for me; the type of dress I wear on repeat all summer; definitely stood out in the 24-dress-try-on as looking and feeling higher end than the price –looks at home next to my La Ligne and Staud dresses in my closet for sure; pockets; smocked back; adjustable straps.
CONS: Fit is a little tricky…see below; I didn’t love the white color (selfie below); I didn’t like the way the seams on the top of the white dress showed up more than the black (full-disclosure…I’m NEVER a white dress kind of gal).
FIT NOTES: I’m wearing a small in both colors and although it fits perfectly on the bottom, it’s a little big on the top in the chest; I actually don’t mind the extra room for a more relaxed fit, but just know I was a little surprised given the fit of some of the other size small dresses.
COLORWAYS: Black, White, & Floral
MATERIAL: 100% organic cotton poplin; black is unlined and white & floral colorways are lined.
PRICE: $79.90
2. Quince Linen Fit & Flare Midi Dress — Fit, Pros & Cons
PROS: SO cute!!! This is a dress I’ve complimented people on the street wearing…it’s adorable; the linen is nice and soft; comes in a variety of classic colorways and patterns; pockets; smocked back, adjustable (by button) straps.
CONS: Fit was a little tricky (see below); I didn’t like the lining under the gingham colorway (selfie below); I preferred the unlined navy — the lining added too much bulk for my summer dress “light-and-airy-feel” personal preference.
FIT NOTES: I like the way the size small looks and feels everywhere else, but it’s just a touch snug in the waist on me –I thought it would be fine and give a little bit with wear b/c the back of the dress has elastic, but it still feels a little too snug; I just ordered a size medium because I think for summer relaxed wear, I’d prefer extra room.
COLORWAYS: Navy, White, Blue, Red, Gingham, Flax, Black, Floral, & Stripe
MATERIAL: 100% European Linen — White & Floral colorways are listed on the site as having a lining, but the mini gingham I received did as well.
PRICE: $84.00
3. Quince Linen Scoop Neck Midi Dress — Fit, Pros & Cons
PROS: Surprise hit for sure; not my personal style (I anticipated HATING this dress), but it’s good!; because the straps are adjustable it’s easy to adjust so that the straight-ish skirt hits your hips where you want it to; pretty and soft linen; smocked back; front pockets; lining didn’t bother me (as it did in some of the other dresses); TONS of classic & pattern colorways; Shana and Laura both love this dress too. You can see it on both of them here.
CONS: Pooffed out a smidge in the belly area (not a perfect fit on me but close).
FIT NOTES: Was happy with the size medium; could have maybe tried a size large to see if it draped better on the bottom, but I think then the top would have been too big. Available in plus sizing.
COLORWAYS: Black, White, Navy, Pink, Floral, Mauve, Olive, Gingham & Pinstripe
MATERIAL: 100% European Linen with 100% cotton lining
PRICE: $84.00
4. Quince Cotton Smocked Midi Dress — Fit, Pros & Cons
PROS: Frilly, flirty, & fun!; fit well; cute design; lightweight and easy to wear; tons of colorways and pattern choices (including an eyelet design that I totally missed…cute!)
CONS: Wildly wrinkled out of the shipping bag (takes some MAJOR steaming to help).
FIT NOTES: Was very happy with the size small fit.
COLORWAYS: Black, Navy, White, Red, Coral, Green, Blue, Striped, & Floral
MATERIAL: 100% organic cotton poplin — striped & floral are lined
PRICE: $69.90
5. Quince Cotton Gauze Smocked Sleeveless Maxi Dress — Fit, Pros & Cons
PROS: SUPER easy style; good fit; soft material; comfortable; pockets; a great relaxed gauze dress staple for summer; I like the long maxi length.
CONS: Not a “wow dress”.
FIT NOTES: Happy with the size small fit.
COLORWAYS: Black, White, Red, Blue, Pink, Gingham, & Stripe.
MATERIAL: 100% organic cotton gauze — white and stripe’s skirt are lined with cotton.
PRICE: $59.90
6. Quince Linen Smocked Midi Dress — Fit, Pros & Cons
PROS: simple; a nice dress option between#4 (the frilly one) and #5 (the more simple one); soft linen; easy to wear; great weight and fabric for hot weather.
CONS: Not a wow dress; I wish I would have tried another color (maybe one of the stripes) for a little more interest.
FIT NOTES: Happy with the size small fit.
COLORWAYS: Black, Navy, Sand, Flax, Blue, Pink, Olive, Gingham, & Stripe
MATERIAL: 100% European Linen
PRICE: $74.00
7. Quince Cotton Sleeveless Maxi — Fit, Pros & Cons
PROS: Nice to have a budget-friendly dupe option for my beloved Jenni Kayne Cove dress; many people LOVE this dress b/c it’s not as much fabric as the cove dress (it’s unlined and straighter cut); 100% cotton (compared to Jenni Kayne’s cotton dress with a non-cotton liner); simple and pretty lines and design; smocked back; pockets; adjustable straps.
CONS: Straighter cut in the skirt with less fabric than the Jenni Kayne Cove dress; did not drape on my body shape well (ballooned out in the back at my butt); I tried several different sizes, and several colorways and none of them draped well on me; so disappointing b/c this is the dress I was hoping to LOVE since I adore the Jenni Kayne Cove, but would like a budget-friendlier option.
FIT NOTES: Size small fit me the best, but because it’s a straighter fit than the Jenni Kayne cove dress it didn’t flow and drape as well.
COLORWAYS: Black, Navy, Blue, & Stripe
MATERIAL: 100% Organic Cotton Poplin
PRICE: $69.90
8. Quince Linen Strapless Maxi Dress — Fit, Pros & Cons
PROS: Pretty and soft linen fabric, comfortable, simple lines and design; smocked back; pockets; love the idea of this dress as a simple linen strapless maxi, nice drape, gripping elastic to keep top in place.
CONS: Oooooof! Unfortunately not the style for me; I think maybe I need a bigger chest to make this work?; this style just did nothing for me and looked like a sac, but not in a cool way.
FIT NOTES: Wearing a small and the top and hips fit fine.
COLORWAYS: White, Black, & Stripe
MATERIAL: 100% European Linen — white and stripe are fully lined with 100% cotton
PRICE: $74.00
9. Quince Cotton Gauze Sleeveless Maxi Dress — Fit, Pros & Cons
PROS: Great everyday summer or vaca dress; adjustable straps, soft gauze material; pockets; I like the long elegant maxi length in this style; a good super budget-friendly dupe option of my old Michael Stars gauze dress.
CONS: Nothing special; less flow in the fabric than I expected (not as much fabric as my old Michael Stars dress).
FIT NOTES: Happy with the small size fit, but might consider sizing up to a medium for more drape and flow in the skirt and to see if the top drapes more as well.
COLORWAYS: Black, Coral, Cream, Blue, Spiced Orange, & Stripe
MATERIAL: 100% organic cotton gauze — many of the current color lined in 100% cotton
PRICE: $49.90
11. Quince Textured Cotton Smocked V-Neck Midi Dress — Fit, Pros & Cons
dress (s) | similar wedges | bag
PROS: Much prettier than I thought it would be; interesting texture; pockets; nice detailing and shape.
CONS: Fit wasn’t quite right (see below); heavier than I personally like for summer (with the lining).
FIT NOTES: The seams on the bust in this size small didn’t seem to hit me quite right…I think I need to be taller (otherwise small fit fine).
COLORWAYS: White, Pink, Navy, Yellow, Brown, & Charcoal
MATERIAL: 100% organic cotton — all colorways lined
PRICE: $69.90
12. Quince Cotton Gauze Tiered Maxi Dress — Fit, Pros & Cons
PROS: Simple and easy summer dress; soft gauze; classic summer style.
CONS: Nothing I disliked, but nothing special…a very basic dress.
FIT NOTES: Wearing a size small and happy with the slightly oversized relaxed fit.
COLORWAYS: Black, Navy, Cream, Red, Pink, Orange, Blue, Gingham, & Stripe
MATERIAL: 100% organic cotton gauze — cream & stripe are lined
PRICE: $59.90
13. Quince Tiered Maxi Dress: 100% Cotton or 100% Linen — Fit, Pros & Cons
cotton dress (s) | linen dress (s) | similar wedges | bag
PROS: A good budget-friendlier dupe for the beloved Anthro Somerset dress; pretty fabric; a great conservative-ish option if you need to cover your shoulders for an event; tons of colorways.
CONS: Long; felt like too much dress for me; the sleeves were a little long and the neckline a little too high for my personal preference; for this style dress I prefer Anthro’s more interesting patterns and colorway designs; the lined versions were way too heavy for me.
FIT NOTES: Wearing size small in all colorways and fabrics and happy with the fit other than the personal preference negatives I mentioned above. Available in plus sizing.
COLORWAYS: SO many!!! 13 in the cotton poplin and 10 additional ones for the linen version
MATERIAL: Available in both 100% organic cotton poplin as well as 100% European linen — French Blue, Stripe, White ,& Pinstripe Linen dresses are lined in 100% cotton & White, Stripe, & Floral cotton poplin dresses are fully lined as well.
PRICE: $69.90-$84
cotton dress (s) | linen dress (s) | similar wedges | bag
15. Quince European Linen Button Front Dress — Fit, Pros & Cons
dress (s) | Birks | heels | bag | bag
PROS: Cute style; soft linen; pockets; love the gingham options in this style; a nice option for a budget-friendly summer office dress.
CONS: Fit was very off for me (see below); didn’t seem as high quality as some of the other dresses; again felt like it may have fit better and draped better if I was taller or had a bigger chest.
FIT NOTES: Wearing size small and too snug in the hips and top didn’t fit exceptionally well either; Available in plus sizing.
COLORWAYS: TONS! 16 different colorways in this style.
MATERIAL: 100% European linen – white colorway is lined with 100% cotton
PRICE: $64.00
Quince Dress FAQ — Sizing, Lining & Returns
Mixed. I’m 5’2″and sizing was a little all over the place depending on the cut and specific dress. If you’re between sizes or petite, read the fit notes for each style.
Some are, some aren’t…and the lining can change the drape. I preferred the unlined versions of most of the dresses I tried; lined ones added bulk.
As of publish, returns are free within 365 days on most items (tags on, unworn). Double‑check their site—policies can shift.
Extended sizing is limited. Some styles come in 1X-3X. Most dresses run XS–XL. No true petite line, but many have adjustable straps (that helps with us shorties).
Mine (free shipping) arrived within a week in multiple shipments. Quince often ships from different warehouses, so expect separate packages.
So… there are a few more dresses that I didn’t include because they have sold out, but if they come back in stock…I’ll add them to this Quince Summer Dress Encyclopedia I’ve created and share the update on social.
Okay,you die-hard Quince fans… which summer dresses are your favorites? PLEASE chime in. Would love to hear if there are any gems I missed, if there are any top picks from this huge try-on, or any other general Quince talk is welcome!
-Linzi
How did you wear bras with them (or did you?) Did you need to? Were they strapless or the sticky ones?
I wore a regular strapless bra with all the dresses…I like a regular strapless better than the sticky ones.
I was disappointed you didn’t cover any of the silk dresses. They are so good in the heat of the summer.
So….I almost never look at silk dresses at these types of retailers b/c they’re typically slip dress style (which I don’t personally like), but I just saw that Quince actually has some other styles in silk too. I wish they would do the empire waist spaghetti strap one in silk (the Jenni Kayne dupe) or similar styles …I wonder if silk would drape better on me for that dress than the cotton. Thanks for the suggestion and getting me to at least take a look at their silk options.
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this was so helpful! thank you. I just ordered two dresses and will probably try some more.
Love this review! It’s so funny how we see ourselves, because I LOVE the strapless on you and think it looks so cool!! I might be influenced!!