What to Wear with Ballet Flats

Casual Wear

Ballet flats can make a great pairing with casual wear, whether you choose pants, dresses, or separates. The style of flats you opt for dictates the type of clothing you can wear, however.

Jeans

If you're wearing casual flats with fun fabrics, you can pair them with casual jeans. However, if you're wearing ones with a fancier finish, such as patent leather or a shiny vinyl, you may want to go for something a little dressier. Skinny jeans go well with ballet flats. Darker shades of denim with a close taper to the ankle or mid-calf area look great with the more formal style of ballet flats that are adorned with bows or jewels, while light denim skinny jeans or crop jeans are more suited to ballet flats made of a corduroy, denim, or other fabric finish. You can jazz up any jeans with fancier ballet flats but if you're going for a more casual look, stick to a casual finish for the shoes.

Skirts

Instead of wearing heels with your skirts, you can wear ballet flats for a relaxed appearance and a more comfortable outfit. Long pencil skirts will look awkward with ballet flats so if you're going for a long skirt make sure it's flowy and the hem is wide. Short skirts are also great with ballet flats, but again, a tight one paired with flats seems mismatched. Wear a more ruffled or layered-type of skirt if you're going to wear flats and keep the look understated and light.

Dresses

Ballet flats can go really well with dresses, but as with other clothes, you need the right style of dress to go with your shoes. Full-length casual dresses with ballet flats can look out of place, so stick to shorter ones. You also should avoid tight fitting dresses regardless of whether your ballet flats are fancy or simple and casual.

Fancy: Formal wear can be tricky with ballet flats and there's a limited selection of styles that you can wear with these shoes to formal events. However, these types of shoes can be better for events like weddings where you'll be doing a lot of dancing because ballet flats aren't hard on the soles of your feet the way heels are.

Cocktail dresses: Short cocktail dresses are a great match for ballet flats. Whether it's a simple, solid colored dress in an A-line, a frilly number with tons of fabric details, or a punkish style prom dress with a wide skirt, a cocktail dress is appropriate paired with ballet flats. For a simple dress, you may want to choose a pair of flats that have gem details, bows, or fabric details that will amp up the style of your outfit and go well with your other accessories. For a jazzier dress that has its own wow factor, wear a simpler pair of patent leather ballet flats in a solid color or a consistent texture.

Formal dresses: Not everyone can wear high heels with their formal wear and nice ballet flats provide a great alternative. You can wear simple satin white, ivory or even colored flats with a wedding gown but you will want to avoid cuts that bring the fabric close to the legs. Ballet flats look best with long formal dresses when the skirt bells outwards or flares from the waist. With this style of skirt you can remain comfortable but not sacrifice the elegant look of your gown. You can even use the flats to add a pop of accent color that goes with your wedding colors. The same dress styles apply for other formal gowns whether it's for prom or a fancy dinner. Avoid fishtail dresses and long dresses with pencil skirts and make sure that you have a lot of oomph to the shape of your skirt.