How to Wear Sneakers with Dresses + Seattle Gilt Sample Sale

One of my favorite things about blogging has been connecting with local small businesses. As someone who now runs their own small business (this blog), I can only imagine the effort and hard work that it takes to do it full time and hustle to get your product out there.

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post and I was not compensated for my work with Laura Britt Shoes. Some links below are affiliate links and I may make a small commission at no cost to you.

What I’m Wearing

Dress: Who What Wear x Target Ruffled Dress {similar style pointelle dress under $40 & similar style sweater dress under $50}
Jacket: Levi’s Trucker Jacket
Sneakers: Laura Britt Shoes Midcentury Geometric Sneakers, gift
Necklace: Forever 21 {similar under $8}

Photography by LYREL Media

That’s why I was so excited to help Laura Britt Shoes out this year and participate in their commercial. They wanted everyday women to represent their sneaker brand, which I loved, and they selected several bloggers in the Seattle area to represent their brand. Laura Britt Shoes was founded by Helen Little several years after an earth shattering health scare in 2004. She knew she had to make a change, and decided to pursue writing and her own small business. She created comfy sneakers named after her daughter (who I coincidentally went to high school with!) in fun patterns and prints. A percentage of all proceeds goes to benefit Young Life and other charities near and dear to the Little Family.

We spent an afternoon in Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square shooting photos and videos with Helen and her team, and of course talking shop with one another. That’s the another great thing about blogging; the bond you make with other women doing the same thing is irreplaceable.

Of course, the biggest thing I was worried about before the shoot was my outfit! Sneakers aren’t something I honestly wear too often, though when I do, I’m reminded why I should wear them more often. They’re so dang comfortable!

My goal was to stay true to my personal style despite wearing something “different.” Dresses are one of my favorite seasonal transition pieces, so I opted to style my sneakers with one of my favorite finds from the Who What Wear for Target Collection; this lovely white ruffled dress. I loved the pop of blue in these Laura Britt Shoes Midcentury Sneakers, so I selected one of my favorite clearance finds ever, this Proenza Schouler cross body that I picked up in Paris. To tie everything together, I added my Levi’s Trucker Jacket. It’s comfy and fits the casual vibe of my sneakers but looks chic over dresses too. Basically, the perfect third piece.

The photographer’s dog, Monkey. Such a cutie!

The trick to making sneakers and dresses work is to find a third piece that fits the aesthetic of both your dress and the sneakers. Topping this outfit with a bold jacket like a faux fur coat would have been too over the top. But a denim jacket, bomber jacket, or anorak would all pair perfectly.

Most of all, whenever trying a new combination, the key is to enjoy what you’re wearing. If you don’t feel comfortable in an outfit, that’s going to make a bigger impact on your day than any fashion choice. The best news is that even if you do have a “bad” outfit day because let’s be real, it happens to all of us, it’s only one day. They’ll be other bad outfits, but they’ll be more good ones.

Gilt Sample Sale Comes to Seattle!

Speaking of good outfits, the Gilt City Sample Sale is coming to Seattle next week, December 9 and 10. Doors will open for ticket holders at 8 pm on Friday and again starting at 9 am on Saturday. Tickets start at $5 and can be purchased here. Happy shopping and hope to see you there!

Have you tried the sneaker and dress combination? How do you like styling your sneakers? Would love to hear your fashion tricks in the comments!