Many women may not think a short denim dress is necessarily a classic piece to have in their wardrobe. Still, there’s no arguing that it’s a fun little item of clothing that offers fashionable and functional mileage.
A voluminous short denim dress, for instance, can be styled in a variety of ways to suit the changing seasons, different occasions, and your mood. Besides that, this item of dress can be an impressively reliable piece as you go through the different phases of womanhood.
In fact, a lot of women share that a baby doll dress they wore in the nineties makes for a comfortable outfit during and after pregnancy.
So, if you are thinking of adding a new piece to your high performing wardrobe, this particular women’s denim dress is an excellent choice in terms of style and function. To prove this point, here are eight ways that you can style a short denim dress:
1. Pair it with a vest.
Vests are back in style, and you don’t have to worry about looking like an extra on “Little Women” when you wear one, especially if you pair it with a short denim dress.
Vests are a fun way to make a voluminous piece a little tight and figure-flattering, especially if you’re curvy. Likewise, wearing a vest can prevent the dress from shifting around your body too much if you prefer a more structured outfit.
For a denim dress, you can play around with different styles and designs of vests. A knitted college vest is a good one if you want a preppy look. Meanwhile, a floral silk waistcoat is a fantastic choice if you want to load up on patterns and prints. Faux fur and utility vests make lovely partners for a denim dress, too.
2. Make it “mod” by wearing tights and Mary Janes.
For a little seventies-inspired style, wear your short denim dress with tights and Mary Jane shoes. This will create a somewhat “mod” style, which is chic and really fashionable.
However, this styling is more appropriate if you’re in your swinging twenties. If you want to make this look more mature, swap the Mary Janes for classic high heels. This will make not just your feet, but also your entire visual form look more slender. Overall, the mod look will read quite chic and put-together.
3. Go grunge with lace-up boots.
If you enjoy the grunge style of the nineties, you can easily recreate it with your short denim dress if you wear chunky lace-up boots such as Doc Martens or Timberlands.
These shoes will provide that necessary rock-and-roll touch, which is what nineties’ grunge was all about. But what you will particularly appreciate with this styling for the dress is that it’s quite casual and wearable.
For any day wherein you don’t feel like exerting too much effort in looking stylish, throw on the dress and slip into your Docs and you’ll be able to go about your day feeling comfortable and looking quite “fly.”
4. Make it hippie with knee-high boots.
Knee-high boots can make any short dress look like it’s straight out of the seventies, which, style-wise, is not a bad thing. This strategic pairing is a breeze to pull off, and yet it packs on a whole lot of attitude for the ensemble.
And to make this hippie-inspired fashion even more eye-catching, wear a wide-brimmed hat and bring you with a boho-chic bag. Plus, load up on accessories such as multiple bangles, big earrings, statement necklaces, and chunky rings.
5. Look street-chic with a pair of high-heeled pumps.
Now, if you want to give the dress a bit more sophistication, give it a street-chic vibe by wearing the dress as it is and pairing it with some classic high-heeled pumps. The lovely thing about high-heeled pumps (particularly designer ones) is they instantly provide outfits with a professional vibe. At the same time, it helps you carry yourself in a more confident way.
To give this look even more street cred, don designer eyewear and accessorize with layers of classic jewelry such as different lengths of dainty gold necklaces, classy earrings, rings, and a smart-looking watch. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on these chic extras because you can get them for a good deal from designer outlet stores.
6. Wear it with jeans or tapered trousers.
This East Asian clothes layering trick is worth experimenting with, especially if you’re a fan of modest fashion. Wearing a short dress with pants is a lovely way to make a rather revealing piece into something more conservative.
Basically, you’ll be turning the dress into a tunic. However, because the dress has more volume than a regular tunic, it’s bound to look more fashion-forward than traditional.
Do you want to give it a more elegant vibe for work or a fancy dinner? Wear black tapered, cropped trousers and black high heels, and consider wearing a structured jacket, as well.
7. Channel Baby Spice.
If there’s anybody who rocks a short dress exceptionally well, it has got to be Baby Spice or Emma Bunton of the Spice Girls. She has worn so many varieties of short or baby doll dresses throughout her stint with the girl group, making her a solid fashion reference when it comes to short dresses.
Wear the dress with platform sneakers or chunky sandals.
If you want to tame the “baby-ness,” Baby Spice has made short dresses look more resort-ready by pairing them with khaki or white shorts. Meanwhile, for an utterly laid back day, make the dress brunch-appropriate with some dainty mules.
8. Edge it up with a leather jacket.
If you’ve seen a lot of fashion magazines in the nineties, the best way to make ultra-feminine short dresses look tough and edgy was to layer it with a leather jacket.
Opt for a cropped cut to give the loose dress a nice structure and accentuate the female form. To toughen up the look even more, complete the attire with a pair of biker boots.
These eight ideas make the perfect foundation for even more styling options for a short denim dress. That being said, if you like to be playful with fashion, such a piece of clothing will offer you abundant opportunities to create new styles, so it truly is a great piece to have in your wardrobe.
Author Bio
Ethiopian-born and Dubai-based fashion designer Feiruza Mudessir discovered her curiosity to mix the traditional with contemporary at a young age, and this has become the trademark of her designs for Finchitua today. With her unique style standpoint, she served the VIP Color Forecast Panel 2017 for Al Jazeera Paints Company and VIP Color Forecast Panel 2019 for Asian Paints Berger. Ms. Mudessir is a shortlisted nominee for the prestigious Fashion Scout London 2018.