A high-low dress has an asymmetrical hemline — short in front and long at the back. The overall length varies greatly, as does the difference between front and back hems. They can be dressy or casual, fitted or fluid, oversized or tailored, patterned or solid, sleeved or sleeveless, knitted or woven, simple or complex. Some are ruffled. Some are belted. Take your pick.
You can wear a high-low dress with all sorts of footwear. Heeled sandals, wedges, espadrilles, heeled ankle-strap pumps, booties, sandal booties, and slingback pumps are great classic and more expected pairings. This outfit formula is about pairing the dress with trendy shoes.
High-Low Dress + Trendy Shoes
I bought a high-low navy eyelet dress this season and am very excited to wear it.
It’s a calf-covering midi length in the front and almost ankle grazing at the back. It’s casual but in the dressiest way, tailored, crisp, and awfully pretty. I LOVE the way it moves when I stride. The signature “swoosh” of the high-low dress is part of what makes it magical and fun to wear.
I shan’t be wearing the darling with dressy heeled footwear for comfort and aesthetic reasons. I like the juxtaposition of wearing the dramatic style with an “unfussy shoe”, and flat/low-heeled footwear is more current these days. I’m looking at loafers, Euro sandals, mules, strappy flats, and ballet flats. I might throw in my low-heeled pointy-toe slingbacks and sneakers too. Here are the exact shoes from my wardrobe that I’ll wear with the dress.
Here are five more ways to pair high-low dresses with trendy shoes:
1. Slides
For those who loved the ‘90s, wear open-toed slides with the dress. Think flat, low-heeled or flatform. The ones shown here look a little dressier in metallic with leather soles. Slides with low block heels are fab too. The low-contrast colour elongates the leg line.
2. Flat Mules
Mules are closed-toe slides with open ankles. The ones shown with this high-low dress are flat. Feel free to go as high as one inch on the heel. Their low-contrast colour and pointy toe elongates the leg line despite the lack of heel.
3. Broad Strap Flat Sandal
A simple flat sandal with minimal broad straps, one buckle, and a leather sole are what I call “Euro sandals”. A classic in Europe and having its fashion moment. Although not shown here, a flat or low block-heeled ankle-strap sandal is another option.
4. Heeled Mules
Mules with low or higher heels look very fresh. A good option if you need to look a little dressier for the office. The mules here are low contrast, but high-contrast mules can look fab with darker dresses, or when you have black hair.
5. Fashion Sneakers
Sneakers are THE shoe of our fashion era. It goes without saying that you can wear the frock with sneaks. Non-athletic sneakers that are less chunky look best to my eye like the white ones shown here, Converse, or slip-on styles. But bulky athletic sneakers with huge soles are being shown with these types of dresses too. Personally, I don’t like the pairing but it’s fashion-forward nonetheless. I’m sticking to pretty and dainty shoes.
I don’t have visuals for high-low dresses worn with loafers, oxfords and ballet fats, which are three more trendy options. Birkenstocks are another way to go. But if none of the trendy options tickle your fancy, stick to the classics because they are always in style.
