These Shoe-and-Dress Formulas Go Together Like Gin and Tonic
If there's one thing we know our readers are buying right now, it's dresses. Whether it's a green floral tea dress or a polka-dot wrap, it seems we're all a little obsessed. The best thing about this season's key styles is you can wear them to your best friend's wedding or on a Sunday afternoon to your local pub. The easiest way to make it work for both occasions is all down to the footwear—swap tennis shoes for a midi heel and your dress can work for an entirely different dress code. So what shoes should you pair with your new-season dresses? See the shoe-and-dress formulas that go together like gin and tonic.
1. The Midi and Midi Rule
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Hannah Almassi
When it comes to dresses and shoes, Who What Wear UK's Hannah Almassi swears by the "midi and midi rule." When wearing a calf-length dress, pair it with a low block heel or sandal. This is a tried-and-tested wedding winner.
2. Tea Dresses and Cowboy Boots
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Cowboy boots are one of the leading shoe trends for this season, and they are perfect for toughening up your pretty dresses and making them more appropriate for daytime. Alexa Chung is a big fan of this pairing too.
3. Tennis Shoes and Fancy Frocks
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One way to wear your fancy dresses you might otherwise only wear for weddings is to pair them with a pair of flat tennis shoes, like Lucy Williams with her Vejas. Although clompy "dad" trainers are trending this summer, it's the simple tennis shoes that really do look best with dresses.
4. Shorter Hemlines + Chunky Block Heels
Freddie Harrel shows that shorter day dresses look perfect when balanced with a chunkier heel sandal.
5. Sundresses and Backless Slippers
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Babouche sandals are a key style for summer and they look amazing when paired with all manner of dresses, particularly summery wrap dresses like Jeanette Madsen's Ganni style.
I personally want them all.
Opening Image: Getty Images