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A denim dress is a pair of jeans that decided to be the whole outfit, and in fall that’s exactly the amount of effort I want to spend.
Denim dresses got made in every decade, and most of them are still out there waiting for a belt and the right shoes.
Every look here starts with how the denim moves, so you can pick the right dress from across the room. The chambray versus denim difference in the second outfit is the one to learn first.
Dark Boho: indigo button front denim maxi, fringe kimono, tooled belt
A dark indigo button front denim maxi dress, bottom three buttons open, with a brown tooled leather belt, layered turquoise beads, and wooden clogs. A velvet burnout fringe kimono goes over it, open, the one layered outfit here.
Heavy denim under a light kimono keeps it from reading as festival.
The best ones have been worn soft, paler down the front and along the hem with the body still deep indigo, so the dress looks like it has a history. They run $15 to $30. Skip the ones that came out of the factory evenly washed out, since they never get that lived in look.
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From the Avant Heir Closet
One of One
Boho: chambray shirt dress, turquoise, wooden clogs
Chambray and denim look alike on the hanger and wear nothing alike. Chambray is light and soft, the same shade on both sides, and it moves when you walk. Denim is heavier, with a paler back, and it stands up on its own. A chambray shirt dress drapes; a denim one holds a shape.
For this outfit, chambray. A light blue chambray midi shirt dress with the sleeves rolled, a brown leather belt at the waist, a silver and turquoise cuff, and wooden clogs. $12 to $25, and the men’s rack has the long ones that work as a dress. Same color on both sides means chambray.
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Grunge: denim mini dress, striped long sleeve, black tights, Docs
A faded blue denim mini dress with a button front over a black and white striped long sleeve, black distressed tights, and Dr. Martens. An overall style with a short skirt is the cutest version, since the stripes peek out at the sides.
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Grunge: denim pinafore over a plaid flannel, canvas sneakers
A black or dark wash denim pinafore dress with an open plaid flannel, with the flannel sleeves rolled, black tights, and black canvas sneakers.
Go for a pinafore with adjustable straps, cut like overalls, so it sits where you want it instead of riding up on a longer torso. $10 to $20. It’s how to thrift grunge style like it’s still 1994, with a dress instead of jeans.
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Cottagecore: denim jumper, cream prairie blouse, Mary Janes
$12 is the going rate for the 90s denim jumper, and it’s the most cottagecore thing in the post once a cream cotton prairie blouse with a lace collar goes under it. Add cream cable knit tights, brown leather Mary Janes, and a woven basket bag.
The blouse collar is the only ruffle you need.
Gap, Eddie Bauer, and L.L.Bean made these by the thousand in the 90s, which is why they’re so easy to find now. Look for one in sturdy all cotton denim that hangs straight and loose from the shoulders, with plenty of room for the blouse underneath. Pick the roomy cotton jumper, and it’ll outlast the blouse.
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Cottagecore: chambray midi shirt dress, cardigan, knit tights
A dusty blue chambray midi shirt dress buttoned to the collar, an oatmeal cable knit cardigan worn open over it, rust knit tights, and brown leather loafers.
It’s the cottagecore outfits for fall and winter formula with the dress doing the skirt’s job.
Choose one that’s soft but still has a little body, so it falls straight past the knee and swishes under the cardigan instead of going limp. Rust tights with dusty blue is the color move that makes it feel like October. $12 to $22.
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70s: dark denim shirt dress with a wide collar, head scarf, oxfords
The collar is the whole point. A dark indigo denim shirt dress with a wide 70s collar and a button front, a silk scarf in a 70s print tied in the hair, brass bangles, and brown leather oxfords.
70s denim is a dark rinse that fades to a soft grey blue, never the yellow tone of a 90s stonewash. Look for a big, dramatic collar that spreads out toward the shoulders, which pairs perfectly with the scarf in your hair. $20 to $45, and the long ones go higher.
Wide collar, dark rinse, grey-blue fade.
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Cowgirl: western denim snap dress, tooled belt, cowboy boots
A dark denim western dress with a pointed yoke and pearl snaps, a brown tooled leather belt with a silver buckle, silver concho earrings, and tan cowboy boots. Snaps open at the collar, belt tight.
A real western dress has a crisp, structured look across the shoulders, and the ones that feel like a costume look flimsy and a little shiny. Pull the belt tight so the skirt flares, and let the boots peek out. $20 to $40, and the plus size cowgirl party outfits post covers the rest of the look.
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One dress, Eight ways
Chambray for the soft ones, jeans-weight for the structured ones, and the 90s jumper for everything in between.
Pick the weight before the wash. Then the rest of the thrifted outfits on the site will build around whichever dress you find first.
It’s a pair of jeans with ambitions. Let it have them.
