17 It Girl-Inspired Ways to Wear a Dress With Loafers This Spring

Once considered an unexpected pairing, dresses and loafers have emerged as a quietly confident style combination. Gone are the days when a dress automatically called for luxe sandals or heels. Today a well-placed loafer can ground even the most delicate of silhouettes, adding edge, structure, or a touch of collegiate charm.

What makes the pairing work is its balance. A romantic midi dress looks all the more interesting when styled with a chunky loafer, whereas a minimalist slip looks chicer with a sleek, structured shoe. Even the trickiest silhouettes can feel more wearable when anchored by something with a bit of heft. It's a styling trick that doesn't try too hard but always looks intentional.

Whether you’re dressing for a transitional season or simply aiming to refresh your usual go-to looks, loafers offer both form and function—without sacrificing style. Ahead, find looks starring this fashion match made in heaven. Trust, it's a love story for the ages.

Maximize Romantic Vibes

Romance is in the air—at least the air above the Fashion Week runways—which means we're readying our best pleated, ruffled, and bow-adorned dresses for spring. You can balance out the sweetness of this trending style by adding a pair of loafers and socks.

Keep Stripes Front and Center

Stripes are a brilliant sartorial blueprint for a loafers and dress look, especially if you like to layer your dress outfits. We're of the mind that more is definitely merrier when it comes to 'fit, but creating a bit of contrast is essential. To avoid becoming an optical illusion, be sure to aim for striped separates with varying widths and directions.

Channel Big Boho Energy

The runways have spoken: Boho is back, babes. There's no better way to celebrate the return of this equally chic and comfy aesthetic than by donning a relaxed fit boho-style vest and your favorite pair of coordinated loafers. Extra fashion points will be awarded if you add a vest to top it off.

Get Cozy in Cotton

Regardless of what idyllic core is trending—from coastal to cottage—you can be sure that a nap dress will be part of a TikTok-trend-approved outfit when warm weather rolls around. Unlike sneakers or sandals, a pair of understated loafers worn with a nap dress won't detract from the overall vibe you're cultivating.

Keep It Business Casual

Loafers are, by nature, business casual which makes them a natural choice for tailored businesswear outfits. To imbue a bit of casual coolness in this dress and loafers look, try swapping out your slacks and blouse for a close-fitting mini-dress that hits just a few inches below the hem of your blazer.

Stand Out With Mixed Prints

If you love to make a fashion statement or simply enjoy the organized chaos that comes from mixed prints, we highly recommend you find yourself a pair of boldly patterned loafers and wear them with a puff-sleeve dress in a contrasting print. To ensure the contrast feels intentional, finish off this 'fit with a purse that combines the color palettes of both loafers and dress.

Pick a Pop of Color

One way to create maximum impact with minimal effort—all while appearing utterly effortless—is to pick a vibrant color as the focal point of your next dress and loafers look. A vivid lime green or icy metallic peppered throughout your 'fit from head to toe and tempered with dark neutrals delivers OOTD-worthy style.

Tips

If you want a pop of color to be the focal point of your look, choose one shade and pair it with a neutral. Denim is arguably a neutral so the wardrobe staple helps tone down the brightness of the lime green.

Mix Florals and Leather

A floral midi dress becomes that much more interesting with the unexpected additional of a leather jacket and loafers. Pairing the shoes with white socks helps them pop (one of Chloë Sevigny's favorite tricks.)

Keep It Sleek

Fans of minimalism will likely be drawn to the simplicity and subtle stylishness of this look which combines clean lines and sophisticated structure. A sleek and stretchy maxi dress worn with matching loafers slays on its own, leaving you free to set the look's overall tone with the outerwear of your choice.

Make the Most of Menswear

We love any look that doubles down on its genre which makes this dress and loafers duo one of our favorite looks. By layering menswear-inspired pieces like a button-down shirt dress, blazer, and loafers, you have yourself a crisp, clean ensemble that clearly understands the in-sync styling assignment.

Go Grunge

Platform loafers have an inherently grungy feel, especially when they're paired with black lace. The headband, bows, and trendy shoulder bag add subtle touches of femininity that round out the look to perfection.

With a Sundress

Loafers are a great shoe to pair with a day dress when you need an option that's polished yet comfortable. Match them to your bag for a cohesive look.

Pair Platforms With a Mod Mini

For a dress and loafers look with major vintage vibes, you can't go wrong with a mod mini dress and stacked platform loafers, an outfit with the same energy as the mini dresses and go-go boots of yesteryear. Since each pivotal piece in this look makes a statement, you don't need to go all-out with patterns or prints. Solid colors are striking on their own.

Style With Sheers

Sheer dresses have an inherent softness that's heightened when worn with a pair of sensible loafers. To create a cohesive look, we recommend sticking to sleek, minimal loafers in black or brown and adding a matching bag.

Embrace Your Inner '90s Alt Grrrl

Inside most people lurks a '90s Alt Grrrl just waiting to break free, pull on a stretchy choker necklace, and blast Jagged Little Pill on repeat. Lug sole loafers and a floral dress in a ruched or wrapped style strikes the oh-so-retro balance between grunge and girly that made '90s fashion so iconic.

Be Preppy

Gingham, loafers with matching socks, and red lipstick lend this look an unmistakably preppy-meets-retro vibe. The leather jacket is just the right touch to balance out the look.

With a Sundress and Vest

Transitional dressing is all about layering seasonal pieces. In this case, a lightweight summer sundress is paired with heavier pieces like a leather vest and loafers, for a look that's warmer and more elevated.

Read the original article on InStyle