Dresses are my go-to for easy, casual summer outfits. Dresses may feel too fancy for everyday, but here are a few tricks to dress them down and make even nicer dresses feel casual enough for everyday wear.

How to Dress Down a Dress

I’m a total casual summer outfit kind of girl, and one of my very favorite summer outfits is a casual dress. There are a few tricks I use to dress down a dress.

So many of you say you feel so fancy wearing a dress during the day, so I want to show you a few styles of dresses that are super appropriate for daytime and casual outfits, plus some styling tips for wearing dresses casually.

Here are three easy ways to dress down a dress:

1. Add sneakers to the dress outfit
2. Add a casual hat
3. Add a casual layer

Let me show you some examples of these three ideas.

1. Dress down your dress with sneakers

An easy way to dress down a dress is with sneakers! I love wearing dresses with sneakers during the warmer months as a cute and casual outfit.

Which dresses work best with sneakers?

You can wear sneakers with most dresses, but I’d recommend staying away from pairing your sneakers with fancy dresses, like lace, silk, chiffon, etc.

Instead, choose cotton, jersey knit, denim, or eyelet dresses!

You can also try a variety of styles and lengths of dresses, as I show above. Try shorter or longer, more casual like a hoodie dress, dressier like the floral ruffle hem dress, or somewhere in between like the Merrick White Collection dresses or a shift dress.

Which sneakers work best with dresses?

Choose sneakers that are low cut on the sides, not overly athletic looking, and have a slim and elongated look. Watch the video at the end of THIS POST for lots more info on which sneakers work best with nicer outfits!

THIS PAIR OF WHITE SNEAKERS is one of my go-to pairs, and I just got THIS WHITE PAIR and they’re also perfect.

outfit details above:

SIMILAR STRIPED SHIFT DRESS | SIMILAR WHITE SNEAKERS | MADEWELL SCARF

MERRICK WHITE COLLECTION DRESSES  | WHITE ROTHY’S SNEAKERS (MERRICK20 for $20 off!) |SIMILAR PINK HAT | SIMILAR NIKE SNEAKERS | VALENTINO BOW SANDALS | MADEWELL CROSSBODY BAG

SIMILAR HOODIE DRESS | ECCO SNEAKERS | KAREN WALKER SUNGLASSES | MADEWELL TOTE BAG

& OTHER STORIES FLORAL DRESS – sold out, SIMILAR HERE | PINK ECCO QUILTED SNEAKERS | BUDHA GIRL BRACELETS

2. Add a casual hat

A baseball hat is my go-to casual hat. They’re easy to wear and a great casual option to help dress down a dress.

What styles of dresses work best with baseball hats?

Just like with sneakers, a casual dress is best with baseball hats. I wouldn’t pair a fancy wedding guest dress with a baseball hat.

For me, a casual t-shirt dress, bodycon dress, sweatshirt dress, or light cotton dress are perfect with a baseball cap.

What hats work best with dresses?

If baseball hats aren’t your thing, you can try a beanie in the colder months, or a felt fedora…although felt hat isn’t quite as casual of an option.

outfit details for the outfits above:

WALMART TIERED DRESS | SIMILAR GOLDEN GOOSE SNEAKERS | CREAM MADEWELL BASEBALL CAP

MERRICK WHITE COLLECTION DRESS | SIMILAR RAINBOW SANDALS | MADEWELL BAG| SIMILAR SUEDE BASEBALL HAT

GRAY DRESS (sewing tutorial HERE, purchase similar HERE) | BLUE LA HAT | WHITE ECCO SNEAKERS | MADEWELL TOTE BAG 

SIMILAR STRIPED BODYCON DRESS | SIMILAR DENIM VEST | KEDS SNEAKERS | SIMILAR PINK BASEBALL HAT

3. Add a casual layer

Casual layers can be anything from jackets to shirts tied around your waist to a t-shirt underneath a strappy dress. All of them dress down a dress!

What constitutes a casual layer?

For jackets, a light wash denim jacket or an olive jacket are both great casual options that instantly dress down a dress.

For other layers, tying a shirt around your waist is a casual option no matter what shirt you choose. I like a long sleeve striped tee or a denim or gingham shirt.

And if you’re layering under a dress, just choose a tshirt that is fitted so it doesn’t create bulk underneath. I also love doing a bodysuit so it’s nice and smooth underneath.

outfit details:

SIMILAR LACE DRESS |SIMILAR DENIM JACKET | SIMILAR PINK PUMPS

SIMILAR BLACK SHIFT DRESS | SIMILAR OLIVE JACKET | WHITE KEDS SNEAKERS | SIMILAR CROSSBODY BAG WITH TASSEL

SIMILAR RED WRAP DRESS |SIMILAR WHITE LONG SLEEVE TEE | SIMILAR BLACK SUNGLASSES 

SIMILAR WHITE EYELET DRESS | SIMILAR GINGHAM SHIRT | SIMILAR OLIVE ESPADRILLE SNEAKERS | SIMILAR TASSEL CROSSBODY BAG

I’ll be sharing more examples and a full breakdown of this post in a new episode of Get Dressed With Merrick on Instagram tonight – don’t miss it!