Styling the Universal Standard Geneva Dress for Day and Night
Within the past five years, my body has fluctuated about 20 pounds, though I have essentially still worn around the same clothing size. Perimenopause, fitness changes, diet changes, life—they all affect my body, and I'd go broke if I bought a new wardrobe each time it changed. I am especially grateful to items in my closet that seem to continue to work as my body, my life, and my personal style changes. And one of those items is the Universal Standard Geneva Dress.
At first glance, this dress looks like a classic knit t-shirt dress with a weird hemline. But the sleeves are neither cap nor short and angled in a lovely way. The knit is refined and has good drape without clinging. And that “weird” hemline is what makes this dress elevated, interesting, and able to transcend trends. I find styling the Universal Standard Geneva dress can make it perfect for day and night; it's why it's a favorite for travel and the three seasons of the year.
Go through my archives, and you'll see that I take a Universal Standard Geneva dress on most of my travels. To the beach, on a blogger trip to Palm Springs… it's the kind of piece I can glam up or down with a change of shoes and accessories and always seems to flatter, even when I'm not feeling well or I'm bloated.
Styling the Universal Standard Geneva Dress for Day and Night
What in the world do we wear now as grown-ass women when going out? I realized often when I am in situations where I am going out and not sure what to wear… I grab one of my Geneva dresses. See below how styling the Universal Standard Geneva dress for day and night gives you a glimpse into its unique versatility.
Styling the Universal Standard Geneva Dress for Day
Let's start with the daytime. This is the exact look is wore one weekend to drop my kid off at an outdoor Girl Scout event, to run errands, and to visit my friend. With a belt bag as a crossbody and a pair of Birkenstocks, the look is casual and functional, but not boring.
I've worn the Geneva with sneakers (it looks cute with my Birkenstock Bend sneakers), added a denim jacket or field jacket, and have even hiked it up on my hips for a tunic effect with jeans. It's a great throw on and go dress that makes you look like you put forth effort even if you just rolled out of bed.
Styling Tips:
- A crossbody or belt bag in the same direction as the hemline has the eye move, which adds interest and can also camouflage parts of your midsection.
- Black may seem like a safe bet, but I find color is more enjoyable to wear, especially when throwing it on for casual situations. Most of the colors US carries will work three seasons of the year with brown, black, white, and tan shoes and accessories.
- Keep comfy and with a smooth midsection with a pair of Thigh Society Slip Shorts; I am partial to the Cooling version (use code WO215 for 15% off).
Styling the Universal Standard Geneva Dress for Night
The Geneva dress is a great choice when you're not sure how dressy a restaurant or occasion may be. The Geneva with soft metallic sandals and a clutch purse is one of my go-to looks because I fit in whether folks are wearing jeans or cocktail dresses.
A soft metallic (no chrome shoes or rhinestones) elevates a look while still remaining subtle. These shoes are from Margaux, a brand that carries a range of stylish and comfortable shoes in multiple widths and heights. A switch from a bag with a strap to a clutch is also a quick way to elevate a look for the evening. I love a straw or raffia clutch for summer because it goes with everything and like a soft metallic, it elevates while still remaining subtle.
Additional Ways to Style the Geneva
Below, I share a few collages to show additional ways of styling the Universal Standard Geneva dress for day and night. I hope they provide inspiration to see how a dress like this can truly be a wardrobe workhorse, even if it's not a neutral color and a basic silhouette.
jacket | bag | sunglasses | earrings | tinted lip balm | sneakers
Whether it's sightseeing on travel or heading to the mall on the weekend, the Geneva looks great with a classic denim jacket and a pair of sneakers. I love stripes with a pop of color and this bag and tinted lip balm give color without being over the top. I personally own the earrings, lip balm, sunglasses, and shoes and recommend them.
readers | bag | earrings | lipcolor | belt | slingback kitten heels
The Geneva dress can also be a great choice for the office. I've worn one of mine alone with closed-toe shoes, but also with a ponte blazer and even a belted sweater jacket. Here, I paired it with a belt, which is an option to switch up the look if the dress doesn't end up too short on your body. I own the lipcolor, reading glasses, and shoes, which come in a range of textiles and widths (code WO2HEELS gets you $40 off).
earrings | bag | lip oil | eyeliner | shoes
Girls night out? Date night? One of those situations where you want to look festive but you do not want to have to suck yourself into a pair of Spanx? Grab a Geneva and some statement-making makeup and accessories to add fun to this classic dress. I own these shoes in a different color and find them super comfy, even with the height. I also own this bag and it's the perfect not too dressy not too casual packs down to nothing and can be a wristlet bag. And while the makeup looks a bit wacky, a hint of colorful liner is on trend and can be expertly drawn or smudged on the waterline. The lipcolor is an oil, so it adds shine with just a bit of color; feel free to replace with a bolder choice!
lipgloss | necklace | bag | shoes
Nighttime doesn't necessarily mean sparkle, shine, and boldness. Sometimes you just want to look a bit more elevated. Croco sandals, a statement bag, and a hint of shine on the face can be just what is needed for the occasion. I've been eyeing this bag for a while and was excited to find a reason to style it, and these sandals are a style that will be loved for summers to come.
This post was originally written in 2021 but updated for 2024 with new products, link, and styling tips.
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This dress is in ONE color in Petite. Black. Disouraging.
Great post, Ali. Thank you. I’ve gone back and forth about buying this dress for such a long time. I couldn’t decide whether I loved it or hated it. Yours looks great on you. I especially like the green one with the denim jacket. I appreciate all the pics; I know now that the Geneva won’t work with my body type.
Thanks for this post. People have mentioned buying the Geneva dress and other US items on Poshmark. I would also check ThredUp. I was just looking and the prices tend to be lower.
Also eBay, I have found some super deals there. And the Universal Standard B/S/T on Facebook is great.
Thank you so much for this updated post and for introducing me to the Geneva years ago!! One of the few items in my closet that I own multiples of!
I have a petite Geneva dress and while I like it, I don’t love it. It’s the high-ish round neckline and cap sleeves. I am very, very sad that Universal Standard doesn’t make its v-neck, long-sleeved Geneva dress in petite size. (Yes, I’ve written the company to ask if they would consider doing so.) And also sad that its petite offerings seem to be shrinking, not expanding.
I didn’t realize you can’t get the V-neck in a petite size. My two Geneva’s are V-neck because I really look bad in a crewneck. You might be able to get a tailor to make the neckline into a V, but I have no idea what that would cost.
That’s the biggest reason I’ve never gotten one. I suspect the dress won’t work with my proportions anyway, but I’d try if I could get a v-neck in a good color (not black). That round neck is entirely to high and small for me. Since that’s not an option, I’ll save my money.
I have a question about the shoes in this post. Do you find that when you get wider width shoes the ankle straps are also longer. I love the looks of the shoes in this post but as a plus size woman am not sure of the ankle straps will be long enough for me. I am curious about your experience with this. Thanks so much.
Great question! I have that issue all the time; I have very thick ankles from walking on my toes and most ankle straps are too short. I wear these on the second to last hole, they are longer than a lot of styles.
This is a great question. I have ankles relative to my size 11 feet — and find that ankle straps NEVER keep up with the increase in size. It’s like the same size is used in a size 4 as a size 11. Drives me insane!
“Remember, you are not naked.” Best. Advice. Ever. Love this post, Ally.
I own 3 Geneva dresses, one that is honestly a bit small for me now, one in the crepe fabric, and one that I bought at the sample sale in a size larger than my current size. The smaller dress was never a favorite, even when I was the right size, and I think it was because of the round neck. That type of neckline always looks terrible on me. The larger Geneva is a v-neck, and it looks so much better on me. When it first arrived, it was definitely too large, even by my standards, but I washed it hot water and dried it on high heat, and it shrank just enough for my liking. I love that dress. It fits more like a caftan, and I wear it with a long-sleeved shirt and tights in the winter, and with a tank top and sandals in the summer. The crepe Geneva is a round neck as well, but for some reason it doesn’t look as bad on me as my other round-necked Geneva, maybe because of the different fabric. I bought it to wear to a wedding, and I really loved it. The satin-backed crepe fabric is amazing–it really elevates the dress. I wore it with sleek, large-scale, modern jewelry and chunky metallic heels, and I felt like a million bucks at my cousin’s evening wedding and reception. I really haven’t worn it since then, but only because there hasn’t been any occasion to. I just bought a black v-neck Geneva in my current correct size off of Poshmark. I hope it will be a staple for me this summer.
This dress intrigues me. I appreciate seeing all the ways you’ve worn it, especially with the Jean jacket.
Question: what underpinnings do you wear with it? Thx.
I’m wearing my usual bra and high-waist briefs. Though I have also worn an over-bra control bodysuit, and the high-rise bike shorts Spanx.
Isn’t it strange – I love your message about sensible shopping, using what we have etc. But I hate, hate, hate that dress. Hate it on you, hate it on the model on the website and am sure that I would hate it on anybody else. To me, it is one of the ugliest dresses ever. But I guess life would be dull if we were all the same.
I have, in my returns pile, a berry Geneva just like the one you feature here. I want it to work SO BADLY. I love how it looks on you, how it looks on the website, how it looks on every other person on whom I have ever seen it photographed. But on me, it’s so weird and bunchy at the bottom. Is yours true to size? Should I have sized up? It seems like it fits, it’s just cut really weirdly. I almost wonder if mine is some kind of mistake and I should try another one. This is exactly the kind of piece I want to find, and the Geneva seems to fit the bill for so many people. It’s very frustrating.
Grace, same here. The weird bunchy-ness. It just didn’t work for me.
It just may not be a good fit for your figure. I found going to petite changed it dramatically on me. The regular didn’t look too long but I just could NOT make it work. I don’t think I ever wore it again after the photo shoot. But the petite, the bunchiness hit in a different place. I also found when visiting the Universal Standard showroom in NYC and when they did a popup in DC that it is worth sizing up or down because it can drastically change the location of the ruching. But finally, it’s just not the right dress for everyone and that is okay!
As much as so many people love Universal Standard, I have decided that a lot of their clothing isn’t meant for my body. I seem to fall right between their XXS and XS and no matter what they say about being made for everybody, I think when you’re thick in the middle like I am, you’re either stuck with a tight waist or enormous volume in the hips. Their tops work pretty well for me, but not much else.
Yeah, it is impossible for a brand to fit everyone correctly. Just like I keep trying and failing with Madewell, it’s all about the shape of the fit models they use!
I have had the exact same experience. I do think many brands, even that offer larger sizes, still cut for one shape. And it’s weird, when so many women carry weight in their middle, that more brands don’t design for this.
I completely agree. It seems that as you size up in US, the fit model is a pear-shaped woman with larger hips, butt, and thighs. Apple shapes are out of luck. I found this especially true in the body suits I just tried — they were cut very generously in the hips and thighs, so that I sized up for waist and bust, the body suit just hung loosely on my lower half. Like you, I’ve come to the conclusion I can only wear the US tops. (I really love the Fiona sweatshirt, one size up — it’s wonderful!)
As someone who is emphatically pear shaped, I think U/S is cut more for people who are proportional. If you look at their sizing, there is nothing that is cut small up top for a more generous hip just as there is nothing that is cut especially large at the waist. They expect (like a lot of companies) that as body sizes get bigger, you expand in all areas which is simply not the same. Pari Passau is the only company I know of that doesn’t do that.
Agreed. I’m a pear and in my experience U/S isn’t cut for me. I was just scanning this dress for the hundredth time because the red is just that pretty, and noted that on Alison the hip fits about right. From experience I know I’m similar in height, bust, and waist but my hips are significantly bigger so I don’t think there will be enough room! I’m sure it’s stretchy but I like things to drape, not hug. So I’m going to pass on the dress…again.
I can’t remember where I saw the picture, but a woman on (maybe?) another blog added a thin belt to the Geneva, and it completely transformed the look and changed how I reacted to it. I’ve always hated the dress, despite Alison’s best efforts to convince me that it’s a Swiss Army Knife Dress, but when I looked at my mystery woman, I felt a small stirring of “BUY ME!” I resisted because I knew intellectually that the Geneva wouldn’t have the same uber-cool look on me, but you might try the magic belt trick before you return it.
>>…a social media ad about a garment that transitions from skirt to dress to top to jumpsuit to cape to backpack to tent.
LOL! You are hilarious.
I like the dress and didn’t realize the Geneva was cotton — that changes everything. I will say that the asymmetry seems bunchy — I would prefer a straight-seamed asymmetry, with maybe a side slit for ease of walking.
Even though I’m tall, I think I’ll try the petite version. Thanks!
There is a crepe version of the dress too!
I love my black, v-neck Geneva. I’ve worn it for so many things. Much like you a change of shoes and jewelry give it a new vibe. And my Geneva doesn’t judge how many nights we went for ice cream. I’d actually like another in a brighter color to change it up and make it fun.
Just this minute finished a great, funny article in The Guardian about the writer taking a 100-day dress challenge, then visited you! Such lovely, kind words [from both places] on what clothing means to us, especially in these weird times. I bet the Geneva could meet the challenge! Thanks for always being so honest and political and real.