Pinafores and apron dresses are the new overalls. I’ve been watching too much Anne of Green Gables (Anne with an E on Netflix) and perhaps that’s what started it all. Welcome to my imaginary aesthetic of myself wearing long frilly lace eyelet bows with little pinafore dresses, white socks, straw hats and braids. It’s not quite cottagecore, but it’s not not cottagecore either. It’s something that lives between the idea of romantic farm life, Victorian doll and eclectic middle-aged art teacher who lives in Vermont. I still firmly believe that it’s Italian Widow Girl Summer and the black lace dress is the key to all wardrobe woes, but that’s not stopping me from taking a couple days off to indulge in a silly pinafore.
Somehow, for some reason, I haven’t worn pinafores for years. I remember they were staples of my Forever 21 wardrobe in college. But they’re never felt as necessary as they do now. While shopping the Dover Street Market archive sample sale last week (I had to go back twice after the initial VIP preview. My first haul is up exclusively for Instagram subscribers if you’re curious what I got.) I couldn’t help but notice the wealth of Comme des Garçons pinafores that seemed to fit so perfectly into a lush spot in my wardrobe between need and must-have. I bought three; a red and pink polka dot one, a black sequin version and an oversized neon pink option.
I’ve never been the kind of person who liked overalls. But: the pinafore feels like the best version of them. For the uninitiated, pinafores are usually a kind of skirt that comes with suspender straps, or a dress that looks like a little apron with a panel at the top. Or, essentially, the dress version of overalls. For whatever reason, Comme des Garçons makes a ton of them and has for decades, and this season Batsheva, Pucci and even Balmain have dipped their toes into the pinafore pool.
What I like about them: they’re loose, usually made out of a lightweight fabric and have massive styling potential. You can wear a t-shirt, another dress, or button-down underneath, but you could also do a chunky sweater over top. Pinafores are what I want to wear on cozy days when I don’t want to have to think, but want to look like I did. It’s easy, impactful dressing with low effort.
Presenting the holy trinity of my three favorite pinafores on serious sale right now.
BATSHEVA Pleated Leopard Apron Dress, $92
Modern Pinafore Skirt, $29
COMME DES GARÇONS GIRL Bow-appliqué wool pinafore skirt, $284
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