STYLE : WOMEN’S FASHION : COOLING IT

With straps that bare shoulders and hems that skim the thighs, this season’s sundresses have raised summer dressing to an art.

Lightweight fabrics ranging from silky chiffon to crisp cotton can suit any mood, racy or demure. Patterns include tiny floral prints inspired by impressionists such as Monet and Seurat, and palettes echo the vivid pastels of the Fauvist landscape. Still other dresses recall the bolder images and warm colors of Matisse and Gauguin.

And the best thing about these carefree fashions? They work as well catching rays as they do dancing in the moonlight.

Hair and makeup: Annette Zeglen/ Cloutier; model: Mitzi Martin/ Elite