Ask Allie: Styling a Summer Dress for Fall and Winter
Can you possibly help style Loft's Lou & Grey Ottoman Stripe Dress in Intense Burgundy? Love the dress but am struggling with what to wear in the cooler months of Autumn. Thanks SO much!
What a cute dress (also available in two other color combinations), how did I miss this during my many trips to LOFT? It is a great transitional dress, and quite a versatile color combination. Here’s a few ideas to wear the Lou & Grey Ottoman Stripe Dress as the weather gets colder:
The easiest way to transition a short-sleeved dress for fall is with a denim jacket and boots. This year, denim jackets are prevalent in stores, so you can find a fit and wash that works for you. With the color of this dress, you can do anything from distressed light denim to a crisp dark resin finish. As for boots, any height will do, go with what looks most flattering for your body type. I chose a shorter boot to balance the volume of the dress, but if the dress is shorter on you or not as full a knee-high style would also work. Here, color is also up to you; brown, gray, camel, or black would work, but if you choose black be sure it’s a more casual boot (not super shiny, lower heel, rounder or chunkier toe) to complement the casual style of the dress. To add some warmth, sweater or cable tights in a color similar to the shoe (gray with gray, brown with brown or camel, gray or black with black) would fit the casual feel nicely.
Who’s to say your layers have to be over the dress? A thin fitted turtleneck is a great way to extend your summer dresses into the cooler months. For this look I kept the under layers consistent with opaque non-shiny tights to match the turtleneck. A pair of booties adds some heft to the bottom of your figure to balance the casual style and volume of the dress.
A long cardigan or sweater coat would work really well with a dress of this type. To make it dressier enough for a business casual office, I decided to stick with all black. A sleeker bootie with a heel will dress up the look without looking out of place. A smoky eye would add an artistic edge to the look; a pendant necklace would be a nice way to add interest and a bit of your own personal style.
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I am going to try the first and third looks with a J Jill linen dress that I was inspired to purchase from reading your blog. I fell in love with the dress, both casual and dressy at the same time and super easy to wear and looked edgy. I found a great jean jacket at Target this spring that I haven’t been able to figure out how to style for work that doesn’t look too casual. Thanks!
That sounds fantastic! Is it the Ikat dress I featured once?
I think it was.
Thing is, I get why lots of people want to do this, but I get bored of most of my clothes from one season and look forward to a change! I do have a few dresses that are more trans-seasonal, but most of them go away in autumn and come back in spring.
That outfit is amazing. I love all of it.
I am completely in love with the brown bag in the first photo — details please!
Ah, now I get the scroll bar underneath where I can find the bag at Nordstroms….
So sorry for the delay in replying, so you got the link? It’s the Frye “Jenny” Crossbody, and it’s gorgeous in person too!
Oh I cannot *wait* to wear tights and boots – I love this look. It’s 83 degrees here today. xox
I love the idea of a turtleneck underneath! I want to try that!
I’m wearing that lipstick right now.
I had been thinking about asking this very question!! I have a follow-up though- any tips for when the colors are especially spring/summer? I have some great dresses from LE this summer, but in bright knits (one is a coral square neck and another is a bright green- kind of a blend of lime and kelly green). Would summer colors work as well with the denim + boots? Or do you have other suggestions for bringing in different colors?
I was thinking about this yesterday, I saw a woman wearing an apple green knit dress that was very summery in color, but she toned it down with black tights, black boots, and a black belt. The black made it look more mod and less springy. I think coral could work with denim and boots, but the brighter cool tones may be better winterized with black for a more graphic result. 🙂