It's been awhile since I've done a One Item Three Ways, but when I was trying to decide how to finish out this casual tie-dye dress on Monday, I decided to snap pictures with each combination I tried. So I guess this is kind of an outfit evolution, as well as showing three different ways to use denim (or chambray) to complete a casual dress outfit.

Okay, so let's start with a look at how I'll honestly probably wear this dress the most this summer -- on its own with my trusty white knock-off birks. It's simple and basic, but when it's pushing 100 degrees with a feels like temp closer to 120, you don't need a bunch of extras.

Anyway, let's take a minute to talk about the dress itself. It's a nice soft jersey material. It's a swing dress so it really doesn't have any shape outside of a basic A-line. It does have a seam going up the center of the back. It comes in this pretty mauve, as well as a blue tie-dye, camo, and plain black. I'm wearing the petite medium. I didn't mean to order the petite, and it's a couple inches shorter than I typically like.

Up first is the outfit I actually wore all day. It's super casual and perfect for running errands or chasing a kid around.

It was a pretty warm day, so I really didn't need an extra layer like I'd originally thought, but I felt like the dress lacked personality on its own. And I wanted to feel as if I'd actually put together an outfit, rather than just threw on a dress and some sandals.

So, I pulled out my tried-and-true light wash chambray button-down shirt and tied it around my waist. You can do this exact same thing with a jacket if you like, but the shirt is easier to work with (for me). Plus, it's lighter than a jean jacket so it doesn't feel like it's falling all day long.

My pink Converse were a last-minute decision, but I love the way they rounded out the outfit.

Up next, my original outfit idea - dark wash denim jacket and comfy dark brown leather slides.

While this outfit definitely works, I really just wasn't feeling the dark denim. It felt really heavy and seemed to add bulk, which isn't something I usually experience with this particular jacket. Maybe it's just me, but I just truly didn't like the dark wash this go 'round.

So then, I pulled out my white jean jacket and new clear wedges.

I definitely like this denim jacket better with the dress. It felt like it added to the dress rather than distracting from it. And the wedges added a nice little bit of lift, but for the day I had mapped out they really weren't practical. I would absolutely wear this combination, though.

So what did I learn? I need to invest in a light-wash denim jacket other than my Levi's trucker-style one. It's really thick and doesn't work once the weather warms up, but is perfect for fall and winter looks.

Anywho, that's it for me today. Happy Friday!

Dress - Old Navy, wearing Petite Medium in Mauve Tie-Dye

Dark-Wash Denim Jacket - Old Navy, wearing Medium

White Jean Jacket - Walmart, wearing Medium

Converse - wearing size 7

Brown Leather Slides - Amazon, wearing size 7

Clear Wedges - ShoeDazzle, wearing size 7