Could you survive with a dress-only wardrobe?

[movinghomeadvice]

I’m moving back to my home country in 2026, and the new year has me thinking about the clothes I’m going to bring back with me. I realise that I actually hate most of my clothes, especially my professional wardrobe, and I really only like the dresses and skirts I have.

It got me thinking: Could I only ever wear dresses/skirts for the rest of my life? Jessica Diner, who works at Vogue I think, only wears dresses and she always looks amazing. I love how she describes a dress:
‘It's foolproof. A dress asks so little of you in the morning: it's one piece, pulled from a hanger, then out the door, looking pulled together.’

So, am I crazy to think that I could pull this off? And never wear jeans again!? (Obviously I would still wear active wear to workout and bathing suits to swim etc.)

I always get comments on my dresses from other women.
Most of mine are Never Fully Dressed which can be quite quirky

I wear dresses 98% of the time. I do have some hiking trousers and sweaty Betty yoga trousers for exercise and diy.

@movinghomeadvice I really like the sound of the dress, thick tights, ankle boots look. You've inspired me. I live in my Blundstones so I might swap out the wellies for them.

I like dresses and have a small but carefully curated collection - but I’d be really bored if I couldn’t keep buying and wearing skirts! And how would I live without shirts and knitwear?

I don’t currently own a wearable pair of jeans, simply because the only pairs I’ve seen post-lockdown that I’d want to own would require me to sell an organ or two, and it doesn’t seem worth the hassle. As for trousers, I’m currently surviving on a few raggedy items from Raey and Avavav. I do see things I like, but while knitwear and hats and skirts and boots exist I’ll rarely remember that I need other clothes.

God, no. I wore a dress out to dinner tonight but it’s extremely rare for me to wear one.

I'd love to, providing that they all had pockets! You wouldn't have to think about pairing a particular top with a dress, after all- just a cardigan perhaps, on a cold day!

I could manage it at home, but as I work on a farm, I'm not sure I'd get away with it... also, I've never tried side-saddle, so straddling a horse in a dress or skirt might be a bit revealing for me and my blindingly white legs!

I love dresses and largely just wear dresses.

For gardening though that's a hooded dress so can carry on in light rain. I find its warm enough as I am constantly moving.

For swimming / spa will wear swimming costume under a towelling dress for pool and nicer dress for spa and can get that off in 30 secs and be in pool straight away.

Spring / summer / autumn dresses work fine. When its winter / colder its harder, and tend then to go to trousers or leggings unless mainly inside. Can do it with boots though and in my younger days would have worn high heeled boots but now its more flat snow boots and they are better with trousers or leggings.

No not me because I can’t wear dresses in work. We have to wear trousers or jeans.

Yes, I hate trousers on me, so only wear skirts and dresses, leggings under then if I need dignity.

Absolutely not - hate wearing skirts or dresses. I hate tights but also hate no tights. Can just about cope with opaque tights/boots and occasionally buy smart dresses for work but hardly ever end up wearing them. I didn’t like them as a kid either though so I guess you are just a dress person or not!

The post about pockets being essential is spot on.

I have 4 kids aged 6 and under and I don't even own a pair of jeans or joggers etc. I live in leggings/tights and dresses every single day of my life 😂

No. I'm far more comfortable in trousers of some sort. I've only worn a dress once this year to a wedding and I felt very out of my comfort zone. I also have to wear trousers for work.

Pretty much. I wear leggings for hiking in the winter but I could cope without.

Patagonia dresses are great for the summer.

I only wear dresses and skirts - and that's been the case for 20 or so years, including when my children were tiny. I've been up and down soft play scramble nets in them, I've climbed trees in them, gardened in them, etc. I wear jodhpurs for riding and leggings in the gym, and that's it.

Every summer I wear dresses for months on end and even go hiking in them (biggest issue is if there's climbing involved and it might get caught or damaged) and I think how easy it is to dress and then the cold weather comes and like a few PPs I hate tights but I could cope with thin leggings that are easier to put on and go to the toilet so I need to find the right ones that will allow me to wear dresses in winter and not be cold.

Like @ANiceCuppaTeaandBiscuit i only really wore dresses till I had kids, now I basically only wear active wear all the time 🤣 I’ve never really found smart casual wear with little kids.

Wouldn't work for me, my often unshaven /.stubbly legs would ruin the 'effortlessly put together' aim instantly!! And I have big, wide feet and I can't wear heels or sandals, so I like to hide my sensible, comfortable footwear and socks under some trousers!

I have a friend who wears dresses almost exclusively - and she always looks gorgeous. You do you.

Why? I often see people saying about pockets on here but surely if you put anything much in them you’d just drag the garment out of shape?

I used to wear dresses about 80% of the time until lockdown, then felt a bit daft when I was just sat at the kitchen table working most days so started wearing jeans a lot more. I then (weirdly!) developed a total aversion to tights when things got back to normal, so don’t wear dresses in winter at all now - I love a midi skirt/t-shirt or dress in summer though with bare legs.

Pre children I used to wear skirts and dresses every single day and only had one pair of jeans. It’s certainly possible!

I think it depends on what it is and the dress.

I wouldn't want anything substantial in dress pockets but it's always a nuisance at work when I have to carry the on call phone or an access pass or other bits around and I don't have usable pockets. I tend to forget things or leave them I stupid places.

Absolutely not, personally. I know you said you would still have workout wear etc but my a lot of my free time usually revolves around activities such as walking the dogs and I wouldn’t find a dress practical or warm at all! Then again I’m much more of a leggings/ jeans person than a dress person so probably not the one to ask!

I don’t own a dress so no.