Aside from French fries and pizza, of course, fashion is my first love. As someone who’s been invested in this industry since I was a child in the 2000s (looking at you, Justice and Club Libby Lu), I guess I can say my expertise has heightened over the years when it comes to rocking different trends and outfits. Just like anyone born in the 90s, I’ve also been through the highs and lows of following trends. And yes, that does include the 2007 leggings-under-dress look paired with with ballet flats.
One of the biggest mythical “don’ts” in fashion is that you can’t be caught dead wearing the same outfit more than once. Or, à la Kate Sanders from Lizzie McGuire, it is apparently a big no-no to be an “outfit repeater.”
Well, this is about to turn into a massive “screw you” to all the Kates in the world, because I am proving that you can wear the same thing time and time again without it looking exactly the same.
I’ve decided to use my trusty denim dress from Charlotte Russe as an example. I originally bought this as my 18th birthday outfit almost two years ago, and it still happily sits in my closet waiting to be worn in different ways.
1. In its Original Form
This is the most classic way this dress can be worn– in its true form. While denim can be casual, I dressed it up with nude lace-up heels and a black lace bralette from Aéropostale. This was actually the night of my 18th birthday dinner, hence my long hair and thinner figure.
2. Around the Waist
If you want to stay comfortable and elevate your look just a tad, tie the dress around your waist. I decided to wear a graphic tee (I need to support my favorite musicians somehow) with black ripped jeans and Chelsea boots. If you thought the denim dress on its own was casual, this version of the outfit made it even more so.
3. As Outerwear
I was actually so excited to put on this outfit because it was UCFestival’s Concert Knight, which consisted of a lineup of COIN, gnash, and 2000s heartthrob Jesse McCartney. I threw the unbuttoned dress over a black Fashion Nova tube top and distressed denim skirt from Forever 21. To dress it up, I accessorized with a gold choker and small hoops. I finished off the look with my Old Skool Vans.
4. As a Top
One of my favorite fashion hacks ever is tucking a dress into bottoms (usually shorts and pants) to be worn as a top. I’ve done this on multiple occasions, and this denim dress was actually one of the first pieces I experimented with to test this hack. I paired it with black distressed shorts and low-top black and white chucks. My black lace bralette made another appearance in this look, complimented by pink tinted shades.
5. Denim on Denim
I’ve decided that the last way to wear this outfit should be the boldest way. Denim on denim is also a mythical “don’t,” but it can be turned into a “do” when worn correctly. My tip with rocking denim on denim is making it match as much as possible when it comes to the wash. In this look, both the dress and jeans are a medium wash, so it works! In wearing this, I can finally say I’ve lived one of my many Britney and Justin fantasies.
Image Source:
1, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8 provided by the author.