I Know These Dresses Are Great, Because I Own All 5 of Them
The chill is starting to set, but that shouldn't mean you have to retire your favorite dresses. It's a capsule wardrobe item that features heavily in my wardrobe all year round, and I often wear the same pieces during different seasons thanks to some clever styling tricks and layering. The midi—in its many guises—has to be my favorite style of all. Whether teamed with trainers, boots, or loafers during fall, I find it’s the most versatile thing to wear.
Right now you can update your dresses in the simplest of ways: fasten a looser-fit summer dress with a wide waist belt or throw a chunky cardigan on, for example. I also love to wear my dresses under one of my two favorite jackets: A blazer or a leather biker jacket will always look current. Then there's the excellent layering tool I've come to rely upon: a long-sleeve roll-neck is the perfect layering piece for those more revealing frocks you might have worn during the heat wave.
Keep reading to see my favorite fall dresses and how I'm styling them for the here and now.
The Perfect Dress Brand (for Styles Everyone Else Won't Have): Stine Goya
Stine Goya is my latest designer obsession, and its midi dresses tick all the boxes for me. I love the fun prints, and they work for day or night. When a dress looks just as good with trainers as it does with heels, it's a winner.
The Perfect Tea Dress: ASOS
ASOS's famous tea dress is back, and it has been updated from the original pea-green shade to a bright pop of pink. Perfect to layer with a leather jacket to toughen the look up.
Related: How to Dress in Your 30s, as Told by Four Very Stylish Women
The Perfect Pinafore for Layering: Topshop
Topshop pinafore dresses were super frustrating for me to wear without revealing myself too much: I loved all the prints, but the shape didn’t work. Layering over a roll-neck answered my problems. Not only will it keep me warm, but it also saves my modesty!
The Perfect Party Dress: Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini
I enjoy making a dress that's usually worn for evening work in a more casual way with a blazer and biker boots. I’m a big believer in not saving your dresses for a special occasion and finding a way to make them work on a regular day too. It is a past-season piece, but this kind of black lace dress has become a staple part of the Philosophy offering almost every year, so you can still find very similar styles.
Related: I Dare You Not to Love These 4 Autumn Dress Trends
Shop more of my favorite dresses (that I don't own—yet)…
Just in case I need another LBD…
This post originally appeared on Who What Wear UK. Next up, what boots to wear with different dresses.
Who are your style icons?
Lou: Mira Duma
Em: Elena Perminova
Who are your 3 favourite people to follow on Instagram?
Lou: @lizzyvdligt @thefashionguitar @oneteaspoon_
Em: @tashsefton @damselindior @jenniferfisherjewelry
What are the fashion essentials you can’t live without?
Lou: Shoes. My current favourites are Gianvito Rossi Portofino.
Em: Jeans. Topshop, Rag & Bone and J Brand are my go-tos.
What's the beauty essential you can’t live without?Lou: Wild About Beauty’s Lou Bronzer.Em: Dr Frances Prenna Jones’s Formula.What would be your desert island album?
Lou: The Definitive Collection, by Stevie Wonder.
Em: Chaos & the Calm, by James Bay.
See more of Lou and Em's fashion, beauty, travel and lifestyle coverage on their site, A Style Album.
-
Law Roach's World: His New Book, Bag of Choice, and What He Grabs on a Target Run
"[Styling] has made my world so much bigger."
By Jasmine Fox-Suliaman
-
I'm in My 20s—Here Are 6 Style Lessons I Learned to Look More Polished and Grown-Up
Sophisticated styling 101.
By Nikki Chwatt
-
8 Copenhagen Street Style Trends I Plan to Replicate in New York
Pared back yet never boring.
By Nikki Chwatt
-
I'm a Fashion Editor—I Reach For These 2 Pieces When I Don't Know What to Wear
Ready in 10 minutes or less.
By Jennifer Camp Forbes
-
The Only 9 Jackets You Need for Spring, According to Fashion People
There's something for everyone.
By Remy Farrell
-
And Now, 5 Elevated Ways to Wear Your Jeans in 2024
Denim devotees, unite.
By Grace O'Connell Joshua
-
After 5 Days in Aspen, I'm Officially Hooked on Western Pieces—5 I'm Loving RN
From cowboy hats to fringe accents.
By Grace O'Connell Joshua
-
I Asked Over 2000 Women Where to Buy the Best White Shirts—They Love These 23
Your definitive guide.
By Elinor Block