I bought my first slip dress on a whim, on a Tuesday, in a little shop near my sister’s apartment. I honestly did not think I would wear it much. I thought it would live in the back of my closet with all the other “someday” pieces.
Reader, I was wrong. That dress has been to brunches, to a funeral (with a cardigan over it, of course), to my niece’s birthday party. It just goes everywhere.
The thing about a slip dress is that it is basically a blank page. You throw one thing over it and it becomes a completely different outfit – and I’m a little OBSESSED with how many directions you can take it.
20 Slip Dress Outfits I Actually Reach For
Black Slip Dress With Oversized Blazer
This is the one I fall back on when I have no idea what to wear and I need to look like I have my life together. A black and white dress in a simple slip cut, with a big roomy blazer thrown over the top, and suddenly I look like I planned this for hours. I did not. It took four minutes.
The blazer does all the work here. Push the sleeves up a little, leave it open, done.
Lace Slip Dress With Ballet Flats
Okay so lace at the hem or the neckline just softens everything, and I love it with a pair of little ballet flats. It feels sweet without trying too hard. Like you wandered out of a garden and happened to look nice.
Slip Dress With Leather Bomber
My sister lives in this combo. A slip dress under a bomber jacket is the easiest way to make something delicate feel a little tougher, a little more casual. She wears hers to the grocery store and to dinner and I honestly cannot tell the difference.
It works because the two pieces are pulling in opposite directions. Soft dress, structured jacket. That contrast is the entire point.
Black Slip Dress With Heeled Flip-Flops
I resisted heeled flip-flops for YEARS and then I gave in and now I get it. They give you a little height without the pain of a proper heel, and paired with a black slip they read very “I summer somewhere expensive” even though I do not.
Satin Slip Dress With Tuxedo Blazer
This is my nice-dinner move. A satin slip has that little shine to it, and a sharp tuxedo blazer over it feels dressed up in a way that still lets you breathe and eat dessert. Which, for the record, I always do.
A satin black and white dress outfit like this one is the sort of thing you can wear to almost any evening event and never feel over or under dressed. It just adapts.
Slip Dress Over White T-Shirt
Layering a plain tee under your slip is such an easy trick and it changes the entire vibe. Suddenly the dress is a daytime thing. Casual. Runnable-in.
I do this when the weather is a little cool and I am not ready to commit to a jacket yet. A crew neck tee, sleeves peeking out at the shoulders, and you’re set.
Lace-Trim Slip Dress With Cardigan
The cardigan is such an underrated layer. A lace-trim slip with a soft knit cardigan buttoned partway up is cozy and a little old-fashioned in the best way. My grandmother would have approved, and she was a tough critic.
Black Slip Dress With Mesh Flats
Mesh flats had a big moment and I am glad they did because they look so pretty with a slip. The little bit of sheer at your foot echoes the delicate feel of the dress. It all speaks the same language.
And they’re comfortable. Which matters more to me every year, if I’m being honest.
Slip Dress With Cropped Knit
A cropped knit over the top of a slip dress is one of those things that looks so intentional. The dress does the flowing, the knit adds a little structure up top. I wear this when I want to feel put-together but low effort.
Colorful Slip Dress With Satin Flats
Not everything has to be neutral, of course. A colorful slip with a matching or complementary pair of satin flats is joyful and easy. Pick a color that makes you happy and lean into it.
My friend Dana has one in a deep green and she gets a compliment every single time she wears it. Every time.
Black Slip Dress With Leather Jacket
The classic. The leather jacket over a black slip is a look that has existed forever and will exist forever. It is edgy without any effort at all, and it works whether you’re 25 or 55.
Add some scuffed boots if you want to push it further. Or keep it soft with flats. Either way it lands.
Slip Dress With Longline Trench
A long trench over a slip dress is my rainy-day favorite. There is something about the length of the coat over the length of the dress that just looks elegant and a little cinematic, like you’re walking through a foggy city with somewhere important to be.
Belt the trench or let it hang open. I do both depending on my mood that morning.
Slip Dress With Strappy Heels
For a wedding or a big evening out, a soft neutral slip in that pale golden tone with strappy heels is just lovely. It photographs beautifully too, which matters more than I’d like to admit at these things.
Slip Dress Over Sheer Trousers
So this one is a little more fashion-forward and I was nervous the first time I tried it. A slip dress worn over a pair of sheer trousers. It sounds odd and it looks incredible. The trousers add a whole new dimension to the outfit and it feels very current.
If you want to try a long white dress outfit in a way nobody else at the party will be wearing, this layered approach is the way to do it.
Black Slip Dress With Slipper Mules
Slipper mules are the lazy-elegant shoe of my dreams. You slide them on, you look chic, you never have to bend down to buckle anything. Paired with a black slip they feel relaxed but polished.
Lace Slip Dress With Brown Car Coat
A rich brown car coat over a lacy slip is such a warm, autumnal combination. Brown and black together used to feel wrong to me and now I think it’s one of the most sophisticated pairings there is. Funny how tastes change.
An off white dress outfit works especially well under a brown coat too, if black feels too stark for you. The softer tone warms the whole thing up.
Slip Dress With Graphic T-Shirt
Layering a graphic tee under a slip is peak casual cool. It’s a little playful, a little unexpected, and it lets you show off a band or an old concert shirt you refuse to give up. I have a very worn one from a trip I took years ago that lives under my slip constantly.
Black Slip Dress With Pointed Flats
Pointed flats lengthen your leg in a way that surprises people. Under a black slip they look so refined and clean. This is my “I want to look nice but I have to walk a lot today” outfit.
And I DO walk a lot. So this one earns its keep.
Slip Dress With Oversized Shirt
An oversized button-up shirt over a slip dress, left open or knotted at the waist, is the most relaxed weekend look. My husband has actually contributed a shirt or two to this cause without fully realizing it. Sorry, not sorry.
It’s breezy and easy and takes zero thought. Which is exactly what a Saturday deserves.
Embellished Slip Dress With Minimal Sandals
When the dress itself is doing a lot, with beading or sequins or some shine, you let the shoes stay quiet. A pair of very plain, minimal sandals lets the dress be the star. That balance is everything.
I wore an embellished slip with simple flat sandals to a summer party last year and it was the comfiest I’ve ever been while also feeling dressed up. A little miracle, that.
