Ksenia Schnaider Denim Dress with Fringe

Faded black is the most useful color denim can be. A true black denim reads as a trouser or a dress that is pretending not to be denim, and a blue one reads as denim and nothing else, but a black that has been washed back sits between the two: it keeps the softness and the visible twill of a worn cloth while staying dark enough to wear at night. This dress is cut to let that do the work. Sleeveless, plain through the body, and finished with fringe, which is the only ornament on it. The fringe is doing on the hem what the wash is doing on the cloth, which is to say making a hard fabric look like it has been somewhere.

Why we selected it

A denim dress that is not blue and not a shirt dress is a genuinely rare thing. This one is plain enough to wear repeatedly, which is the only real test of a dress.

The wash is the design in most of what this house makes, and a faded black is the version of that which goes furthest from where denim starts.

Materials and construction

One hundred percent cotton. Sleeveless, with a fringed finish. Color: Faded Black. We do not hold a country of origin for this dress, and we have not borrowed one from the pieces around it.

Fit notes

Sleeveless and plain through the body, so it sits on the shoulder and skims below it. Denim has no give, so choose for the shoulder and the chest. A faded black will fade a little further with washing, which is the cloth continuing to do what has already been done to it rather than the dress wearing out.

Styling

With the Denim Jacket with Denim Fur Collar over it. With the Platform Bag. Over the Mesh Drape LS Dress, which is the layering that makes both pieces work in cold weather.

Care

This is a washed denim and not a raw one, so there is no argument for leaving it unwashed. Wash inside out and cool and separately, because a faded black gives up color for several washes. Dry it in shade and out of a hot machine, which is what keeps the fringe where the maker left it. Our care guidance covers the rest.

Related pieces

The Denim Maxi Dress with Ruffles is white cotton denim cut long, and the Melange Knit Dress with Fringe finishes a knitted cotton the same way at the hem. Everything we carry from Ksenia Schnaider is listed together.