How To Style A Wrap Dress

A wrap dress is a closet staple for me. This ingenious little garment accommodates my fluctuating sizes which can’t be said of most clothing. While there is no cut and dry way to style anything, this is my take on how to style a wrap dress.

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A Brief History of the Wrap Dress

Wrap dresses became a fashion staple in the 1970s thanks in part to Diane Von Furstenberg’s popularization of them. Her jersey wrap dresses are arguably her signature garment. But LONG before that, the key elements to its design, such as the layered neckline, originated in China. 

Cowgirl Western Wrap Dress

Since I was wearing this outfit in Arizona, I went for a western cowgirl influence for the styling. As a bonafide outfit repeater, I wore this same look with a slightly different variation in my post at The Longhorn Grill. 

Styling a Wrap Dress

As I say in pretty much every how-to styling post is that there’s no “wrong” way to wear something. With the plunging neckline of a wrap dress I could have easily added in a necklace (which I show an example of later on.) Or thrown the dress overtop of a pair of jeans which might sound off putting but I believe to be cute if done right. Small tweaks like adding a belt and pulling back your hair back can change an outfit immensely.

Belt It

Pairing a belt with a wrap dress is like an added insurance policy. One of the pitfalls of this breezy garment is that it’s very existence hinges on flimsy ties. Come across one weird dude who pulls the string (men are the worst), and your dress is rapidly coming undone. That, or the fabric its made of is slippy by nature and refuses to stay firmly secured.

For either of these scenarios, not only is a belt is the antidote but it’s also a simple way to change the vibe. Add a tooled leather belt and suddenly it’s a western outfit. A studded belt makes the same dress look 1980s punk adjacent and a woven straw belt evokes a relaxed coastal vacation look.

Boho Wrap Dress

Another way to style a wrap dress is to lean into Mary-Kate and Ashley’s boho era like I did at Rachel Zoe’s Zoeasis Coachella Party a few years back. Swap the cowboy boots for platforms and a hat for a vintage scarf worn as a bandana and the style has completely changed despite the foundation garment being the same.

Outfit Details

HAT – Bailey’s of Hollywood black wool hat – c/o
SUNGLASSES – Crystal Cult c/o 
DRESS – ARITZIA red dress
BAG – vintage thrifted woven handbag
BOOTS – ALDO drerissa boots – c/o

The Shady Dell

This outfit editorial was shot during my stay at The Shady Dell – our “room” was a Tiki themed school bus! Bisbee is a bohemian enclave in Southern Arizona and worth visiting. There’s also a ghost town called Lowell, across the highway from The Shady Dell. And lastly, my thrifted jumpsuit outfit was also shot at the boutique trailer park too.

photographs – jesse sand + sandy joe karpetz