How To Style A Black Dress For Spring

Staud Dress (size up!) // Target Sandals // Kayu Clutch (similar here) // Raffia Earrings (similar here)

How To Style A Black Dress For Spring

… and Summer

Is there anything more classic than a black midi dress?! I have a few in my closet that I just love because you can quite honestly wear them all year round, dress them up, dress them down, change the accessories from season to season, and well, a little black dress really does just make you feel like a million bucks. I love how easy-to-wear, stylish, and elegant black dresses are, and the fact that wearing one feels a bit like breaking the seasonal rules, but also totally classic at the same time. Wearing a black dress in spring is a great opportunity to play with the other elements of your outfit to make it suitable for the brighter and warmer days of the season (looking at you, accessories).

A few weeks ago, a reader asked me how to wear a black dress for spring and summer, and I thought it was such a fun question and idea for a blog post, so here we are! I had actually just picked up this stunning midi dress, so the timing was impeccable since we’re in the thick if spring fashion inspiration at the moment.

This dress totally caught my eye as soon as I saw it; I couldn’t get over how pretty the full skirt was and the detail on the bust. But what really sold me was that neckline. I love a good square neckline–so classic. Necklines like this always remind me of my ballet leotards, which just makes me happy! Also, I love (and I mean *love*) that this dress is cotton, a natural fiber. In the hotter months, especially in Florida, I like to find pieces that are made from natural fabrics because they just feel better in 100 degree weather, ha!

How to Style a Black Dress for Spring & Summer

For me, one of the keys to taking a black dress, or really any dress for that matter, into a new season is all about the accessories. In the summer months I like to pair dresses like this with raffia accessories to make it feel a bit more casual and breezy! You could easily swap out your ballet flats or heels for a pair of raffia slides and a tote bag. Taking this dress from something that might feel a bit more fancy to something easy and casual can give it many more lives, especially in terms of summer dresses!

You could also easily pair this with a pair of sneakers and a denim jacket and run your Saturday errands. With a dress like this, the options are endless. When you can wear the same dress to a wedding, brunch, and to the Farmer’s Market… it just feels like a good decision, you know?!

Below are a few of my favorite raffia accessories that you can’t go wrong with; I especially love these earrings. And these shoes have quickly become my favorite of the season! So comfortable and under $30. I wear them at least a few times a week.

Raffia Accessories:

How to Style a Black Dress for Spring & Summer

There are so many beautiful black dresses out right now like this one, this one, and oh my gosh I love this one. But truthfully, you probably already have something like this in your closet that you can play around with…that’s the thing with black dresses… they never go out of style!

Black Midi Dresses:

Photography by Amalie Orrange