Grad dresses (and business casual or friendly options) are always hard to find for me, since I tend to shy away from conservative styles and look for crazier, more fun options. But the items I managed to find for graduation season (between all the events and photo shoots, I needed a lot!) all successfully toed the line between showing off my personality and sticking to the implicit dress code of grad festivities.

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From top to bottom, left to right:

Blue floral silk halter dress from AMUR:

By now I’m sure you know I wear so much AMUR that I don’t need to go into why I love the brand yet again. I was searching for a good dress for my first set of senior pictures when I found this floral number from AMUR, the color of which matched perfectly with my grad gown/school colors. Most people opt for white as a bright and ‘safe’ color that goes with just about grad gown, but fortunately Pantone 292 goes well with a lot of things. I especially appreciated the halter cut and ruffles which go around the sleeves (not pictured here since they’re covered by the gown).

Coral asymmetrical dress from Elliatt:

Another great grad find was this coral dress from Elliatt with its many layers and asymmetrical hem on the skirt. The deep V-cut wasn’t too deep! All of that combined with the color of the dress made it youthful, fun, flirty and fresh all at once.

Pink mesh floral dress from Trina Turk:

Trina Turk put a fun twist on the classic floral dress by using a mesh material/fabric. Most importantly the floral print didn’t clash with the blue gown – and the colors were perfect for springtime graduation. Also enjoyed the halter neckline and small triangular cutout underneath the collarbones.

Hot pink dress from Black Halo:

Loved this hot pink dress from Black Halo, which was bright enough to stand out but not too over-the-top for a grad event. The grad gown covers it, but it comes with a nice ruffled embellishment detail near the collar – all at once really elegant and a lovely standout touch.

Blue dress from Hutch:

This deep blue dress from Hutch with a ribbon collar was a beautiful and comfortable choice for grad, at once form-fitting and flowy. Naturally you can’t go wrong with two different shades of blue, so it was a bright standout piece for my grad ceremony.

Polka-dot ruffled dress from Keepsake the Label:

Absolutely adored this cute dress from Keepsake, which came with a dark red silk finish, white polka dots all over and some ruffles down the side and hem of the skirt. It was a fun choice for grad but would’ve easily fit in also at a holiday party.