How to Style Your Jersey Dress

The women’s jersey dress is a mainstay of our wardrobe in the warmer seasons. We love its light and breezy 100% cotton jersey fabric, the same one that’s used to make our go-to t-shirts, and how it translates perfectly to a super comfortable dress we can wear for nearly any occasion.

At the beach, at a nice dinner, to an outdoor performance, or a family picnic—the jersey dress is one of the most versatile, easygoing looks in our closet, one that we return to again and again. Wearing a jersey dress feels like slipping into the comfort of your favorite nightgown, but with the refinement of a well-made dress that fits the bill for whatever your day throws your way. The jersey dress is an all-in-one outfit, but there are many ways to style it and adapt it to fit your needs. Here’s some of our best advice on how to style your jersey dress.

Over a Swimsuit

Layer up at the beach with the perfect mix of a cover-up and a dress—it works to throw on over your bathing suit as you leave the house for the walk or drive to the shore, or when you’re down by the water and want to stroll up to the boardwalk for a snack or use the restroom. Whenever we’re on vacation, we find we hardly wear anything else; its combination of featherweight fabric and gorgeous bright colors is a perfect fit for the effortless, carefree look we’re going for.

Should you need to run to the grocery store after the beach, it’s an ideal piece to wear just about anywhere. We especially love a jersey cover-up dress with inseam pockets, allowing us to throw our wallet, phone, keys, or anything else we may need inside for easy access.

A Night Out

Come evening, we hardly have to change our look from our beach day cover-up or picnic dress to look dressed up for a night out. The jersey dress works well for a nice dinner al fresco, just add a few accessories to make it a bit fancier. Either a long or short jersey dress works well for restaurants or family dinners. But how to style a jersey dress for a night out? If you like, start with some jewelry, adding a statement necklace or bold pair of earrings (if you choose one, go with a subtler option for the other, and vice-versa). You can belt your jersey dress with a leather or metallic belt to add a chic cinched waist look, as well. As far as footwear, pair your jersey dress with a pair of espadrille wedges, adding an elegant but still beachy, touch to your evening look. Add a gorgeous scarf or wrap in case the temperature drops, or you want to cover up a bit more. It doesn’t take much to dress up this super comfortable look to make it perfect for a more formal occasion.

Maximum Style

A jersey dress is maybe at its best as a maxi dress, its flowy, super flattering fabric looking good on all body shapes and showing off its fun colors and prints in full-scale. A maxi dress is an extremely adaptable style, being suitable for a casual day of errands, a soccer game, or to use as a beach cover-up, but also being the perfect chic and comfortable look for evenings. The maxi jersey dress automatically takes your look to the next level, and keeps you cool at the same time. Its breathable fabric combined with its loose fit makes it ideal for warm summer nights out and about. Style your maxi jersey dress with a summer hat, like a fedora, straw hat, or cotton beach hat, and pair with some strappy sandals or chunky heels on the bottom.

Fit and Flare

The fit and flare style, typically twist or wrap jersey dresses, are super flattering and popular styles, emphasizing the waistline while remaining committed to comfort above all else. The wrap dress has been a go-to look for stylish women for decades, with its easy-going cut that’s built for stretchy fabrics like jersey cotton. The twist-front jersey dress is another take on the wrap, its gorgeous twist-tie design flattering all figures, and looking wonderful in a wide range of colors and prints. This style looks great with any footwear, but pair it with strappy sandals or Birkenstocks for a casual look. Add a pair of heels, and the look is instantly enhanced, going from day to night in an instant.

Chill Out

The ultimate mate for a jersey dress is a light jacket or cardigan, especially when worn down by the beach where it’s blazing hot by day, and cool at night. The jersey dress looks great with a jean jacket or military coat, or with a long cardigan or wrap come nightfall.