Dress Up - The Winter Edition
Contributed by Emma Callin
It's easy to believe that my love affair with dresses is a summer fling when the snow starts coming down and the wind starts blowing, but you'd be surprised how often I still wear dresses during the colder months. Despite the fact that I can and will feel cold at any temperature under 25°C there are several different strategies I use to winterize my dresses.
What seems like the most obvious strategy is to add tights or leggings and boots, plus a cardigan or jacket for warmth. While this does usually work the dress must have the right weight of fabric or cut to make sure that it isn't overwhelmed by heavy accessories. The best way to figure out what works is to try on different combinations; if you're short on time then choose a dress with more structure or one in a stiffer, heavier fabric.
As a petite person I favour minis and dresses that have a shorter hemline; these work particularly well as tunics in the winter. Adding a long-sleeve top and skinny jeans creates a cozy, casual look that can be easily dressed up by substituting a top with mesh/lace inserts in the sleeves, opaque tights and tall boots.
Of course there are also dresses available that are specifically made for cold weather and I'm not just talking about sweater dresses. Tailored wool dresses are great options and many of them are now fully-lined, even in the sleeves - no more itching! For those with allergies to wool there are also great tailored dresses in different cozy fabrics.
Winter also happens to include Christmas parties and New Year's Eve, both of which usually require party dresses. Most of these are sleeveless or strapless and pair best with heels - a bit daunting when it's freezing, but doable! A wrap, bolero or cardigan are common additional layers, I also like to use a leather jacket for a totally different look. Sixties-inspired dresses with lace sleeves are also great for cold-weather events though the shift dress style can be too boxy on curvy body-types.
And thankfully there are always fantastic dressy winter coats to rely on! Long coats don't have to be boxy and overwhelming, with tailored styles available in luxurious fabrics like cashmere so you can dress up and still stay warm. In many cases a good coat can make an outfit instead of just covering it up.
So dress up - but stay warm too! ^_^
What seems like the most obvious strategy is to add tights or leggings and boots, plus a cardigan or jacket for warmth. While this does usually work the dress must have the right weight of fabric or cut to make sure that it isn't overwhelmed by heavy accessories. The best way to figure out what works is to try on different combinations; if you're short on time then choose a dress with more structure or one in a stiffer, heavier fabric.
As a petite person I favour minis and dresses that have a shorter hemline; these work particularly well as tunics in the winter. Adding a long-sleeve top and skinny jeans creates a cozy, casual look that can be easily dressed up by substituting a top with mesh/lace inserts in the sleeves, opaque tights and tall boots.
Of course there are also dresses available that are specifically made for cold weather and I'm not just talking about sweater dresses. Tailored wool dresses are great options and many of them are now fully-lined, even in the sleeves - no more itching! For those with allergies to wool there are also great tailored dresses in different cozy fabrics.
Winter also happens to include Christmas parties and New Year's Eve, both of which usually require party dresses. Most of these are sleeveless or strapless and pair best with heels - a bit daunting when it's freezing, but doable! A wrap, bolero or cardigan are common additional layers, I also like to use a leather jacket for a totally different look. Sixties-inspired dresses with lace sleeves are also great for cold-weather events though the shift dress style can be too boxy on curvy body-types.
And thankfully there are always fantastic dressy winter coats to rely on! Long coats don't have to be boxy and overwhelming, with tailored styles available in luxurious fabrics like cashmere so you can dress up and still stay warm. In many cases a good coat can make an outfit instead of just covering it up.
So dress up - but stay warm too! ^_^
Makeup courtesy of
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