Kid's Denim Dress

A denim dress is a dress cut from the same woven cotton twill used for jeans, rather than from the jersey or lightweight cotton that most kid's dresses use. Twill weave, where threads cross in a diagonal pattern, is what gives denim its durability and its stiffness, and both show up in the dress exactly as they do in a pair of jeans.

Two shapes cover most of what is sold. A pinafore is sleeveless and worn over another top, closer to overalls with a fuller skirt than to a true dress, and it lets a child put a long sleeve tee or a sweater underneath on a cold day. A shirt dress borrows a button-up's collar and placket, the short buttoned opening down the front, and simply runs the hem to the knee instead of the hip. New denim in either shape arrives stiffer than the jersey dresses in the same closet, and it softens with washing the same way a new pair of jeans does, usually needing several washes before it stops feeling stiff at the seams.

Against a play dress, denim gives up the instant softness and total ease of pull-on jersey for a fabric that shrugs off gravel and grass instead of showing every stain. Against a sundress, it trades airflow and light weight for cold-weather warmth and a hem that survives a fall onto pavement. Against an occasion dress, it has none of the lining or structure, but none of the itch either, and it goes through a regular wash instead of a delicate one.

Cool months, school days and any child hard on knees and hems benefit from the extra durability, and a pinafore worn over a long sleeve tee covers most of a school year on its own. Skip denim for hot climates and for a child sensitive to stiff fabric, since even softened denim holds more structure against the skin than a jersey dress ever will. It is also the wrong choice for a first-wear event, since brand-new denim is at its stiffest and least comfortable exactly when a child is most likely to be sitting still in it.

Bend the hem between your fingers in the store. Denim that creases sharply and holds the crease will feel stiff on a child for the first few washes, while denim with a little elastane worked in springs back and wears in faster. Wash new denim inside out in cold water before the first wear to settle the dye and start the break-in, then dry on low, since denim loses length in heat before it loses width. The honest weakness is the break-in period itself: a denim dress bought for one special morning is often still stiff and scratchy at the knees on that exact morning, so buy it a few weeks ahead and wash it twice first.