Can I pull off a romper?

Nothing is as quintessential to summer as the easy, breezy sundress. Dresses are easy to throw on and look chic: they're comfortable, cute on their own without layering, and they keep you cool in the even the most sweltering summer heat. They do have their limitations, though; it's difficult to ride a bike in a dress or venture out on a windy day without fear of -erhm- overexposure.

...which brings me to the romper. The romper is like the lovechild of a sundress and shorts; they offer all the benefits of dresses with the convenience and flexibility of pants.

But they often get a bad rap partially because they've been traditionally worn by children but also because in the past, celebrities have worn some awful variations of rompers - remember that denim one-piece romper from Frankie B that J. Lo sported constantly in the early 2000's or more recently, the tacky "retro" rompers Katy Perry has worn on the red carpet?

Lately, however, I've been seeing some romper designs that are extraordinary cute and sexy, leading me to have faith in their ability to be fashionable. Recently, stars like Blake Lively (pictured wearing rompers by Vena Cava [l] and ADAM [r]) and Dakota Fanning (pictured wearing a satin romper [l] reminiscent of a Calvin Klein one Ashley Olsen previously sported [r]) have worn great examples of fashion-forward and flattering rompers.

That leads me to the question of whether or not I personally can pull one off. I've been shopping around and found some great options at my favorite stores and sites, including Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Forever21, Shop Bop, and net-a-porter. Since I've practically worn out all my dresses nearly half way through the summer, I think these are some great alternative options. I love how with different accessories and shoes, many of these choices instantly transition from day to night. In summer, the living's easy and the dressing should be too.

These rompers can be found at...
Anthropologie
Urban Outfitters
Shop Bop
Net-a-Porter
Forever 21