Do you ever notice a trend in your closet that starts to form? I feel like some styles come in waves for me, and some are one-and-done. But lately I&#;ve noticed a new collection forming. And it&#;s midi dresses. And mostly from Madewell.
Please visit our website for more information on this topic.
This Madewell midi dress is a new addition to my closet and I&#;m loving the neckline and print so much. I noticed while I was trying to wear it the other day on a very chilly spring day, that it was kind of one of the most versatile pieces in my closet.
Photos by Ally SerackiSince midi dresses seem to just always be a great option, you can find variations from cotton dresses, o shirt dresses and silky slip style ones, why not see all the great ways you can style one from season to season.
These are also great for the office, to the weekend as you will see as we transform a staple midi dress throughout the year.
For winter you&#;ll want to utilize all the layers to style your midi dress. This helps to keep you warm and look the part. And while I do think some midi dresses can be worn for all four seasons like this Madewell printed one in today&#;s post, you can opt for winter fabrics too like a sweater or knit midi dress for added warmth.
A knee high boot is the perfect addition to a midi dress for winter (and great for fall too). Try a leather or suede one, a high heel or even a flat one for something more casual.
Opt for layers like putting a turtleneck under your dress as I did in the below all black outfit. You could also try adding a sweater over the dress turning it into a midi skirt. Plus, layers over top. For those really bitter cold days, I like to wear a blazer underneath my jacket to stay extra warm.
Finish your midi dress off with a great coat. I think a general rule of thumb when choosing a coat to wear with a dress is to either match the hemline, or go longer than the dress hem. Anything shorter, unless it&#;s cropped, will feel off. I&#;m always partial to a long camel coat, it&#;s a classic!
Don&#;t forget a great scarf, gloves and hat if the weather calls for it. These make all the difference in staying warm in the elements.
A midi dress for fall is an effortless dress you can wear for day or night. Try styling it with a suede mule or pump, or a cool suede sneaker or loafer. You can also do a knee high boot too like we did for winter.
I think fall allows you the most shoe options to pair with a midi dress depending on the occasion and the weather. Cooler days will work with a knee high boot. But for those perfectly crisp fall days, a suede heel, or suede sneaker work too. You can even try a loafer or mary jane. I can&#;t really think of any shoe that doesn&#;t work with a midi dress when styled right!
Light layers are key for fall. Try a blazer, or cropped cardigan. You can even do a denim jacket for those early fall days. I&#;d choose a darker wash over a lighter one to match the season. A long trench coat is also a great addition just make sure it&#;s as long or longer than the midi dress.
A spring midi dress is the perfect transition piece from winter to spring. You can start to slowly add in your new spring things like lighter sweaters, denim jackets, trenches and all those new spring shoes.
For spring it&#;s all about the sandal. This is when you can finally break out the flat sandals, the high heeled sandals, and everything in-between. You can also do a canvas sneaker like a Converse, or even a leather one if you want.
The denim jacket to me is the perfect layer for a midi dress for spring. Choose a cropped one to balance out the longer line of the dress. I also like a cropped utility or trench jacket. Add a sweater over your shoulders too for a little texture and warmth.
I also really love adding an oversized linen blazer to my midi dresses. They&#;re such an easy addition to your look and feel more structured against the flowy midi dress. And early spring when it&#;s still chilly out, a leather jacket also still works.
For spring you can start to incorporate those more warmer weather accessories. From woven bags to espadrilles and so on. It just sort of really depends on the time of the year and the weather. But towards the end of spring, go for it!
Let&#;s be honest here, this is just a throw on and go situation! The best part about styling a midi dress for summer is that you don&#;t really need to do much! Only thing to keep in mind is your fabric. You&#;ll want to stick to cotton or linen if you can. Or if you know you won&#;t be out in the elements, you can opt for a silky fabric if you dare.
Bring out all the sandals for summer. From a simple nude sandal, to Birkenstocks, espadrilles and more. All your favorite summer sandals will work great with a midi dress. It just depends on where you&#;re headed.
For a nicer outfit, I&#;d choose a wedge espadrille or any sort of woven high heel. For more casual outfits for everyday or the weekend, try a simple slide or low block heel. You can still wear a sneaker in the summer but keep in mind style and fabric. Choose canvas or even espadrille style shoes instead of a heavier suede or leather sneaker you may have reached for in the fall and winter.
Because you likely won&#;t need a layer for your midi dress come summer, accessories are key! Instead of wearing your everyday brown or black leather bag, choose something lighter like off-white, or a fun color like lilac or pale blue.
You can also swap the leather bag for a jute tote or bag. It instantly makes your midi dress feel like summer. These tiny swaps make a huge difference in making your outfit feel more interesting and put-together too.
Another great way to add that summer feel to your dress is to add a summer belt. Choose a woven or rattan belt to cinch your dress in.
PS these are the best summer midi dresses to shop for right now.
We often talk about how a 3rd layer can elevate your outfit and give you that intentional and chic &#;it&#; factor. And, in the cooler months, stylish layering is even more of a necessity. But expert layering takes some thought when it comes to flattering your shape and creating versatility in your wardrobe. Today we&#;re talking about what to wear over a dress and sharing several outfit ideas! With a few mindful tips and techniques, you can breathe new life into your favorite dresses across multiple seasons. There are many different pieces that look great over dresses&#; but there is a knack for choosing the right ones.
Turn on your JavaScript to view contentChoosing the right pieces for your wardrobe each season is extra simple when you first have the wardrobe basics. You can sign up here to receive your free wardrobe basics checklist AND other amazing style resources by subscribing to our newsletter.
Let&#;s start with layering over a sleeveless dress&#;it&#;s one of the easiest because there&#;s no added bulk at the shoulders and arms to worry about. This is one great way to extend the life of your summer dresses into the colder months too.
A cropped jacket layered over your sleeveless dress creates a defined waist. Erin&#;s wearing a textured boucle crop jacket by Me + Em over her LBD for added warmth and style. It&#;s structured but has a relaxed and edgy aesthetic. Since it&#;s on the heavier side, this jacket will look best layered over a knit, wool, or thick cotton. We wouldn&#;t suggest wearing it over lighter-weight materials like silk.
Turn on your JavaScript to view contentDenim jackets really don&#;t need much introduction, but there are a few things to consider before layering one over your dress. In most cases, a cropped, fitted, or semi-fitted denim jacket will create waist-definition and more of an hourglass effect&#;especially one with a puff shoulder like the Retrofete jacket Erin&#;s wearing above. A longer or boxier denim jacket could end up making your overall shape less defined.
Turn on your JavaScript to view contentIn the last image above, Erin&#;s wearing a longline blazer by Reiss to transition her summery white dress to fall. The lapels and strategic darts work together to slim your frame. Are you starting to notice a theme here? Adding a top layer with waist definition over your dress is key to ensuring you don&#;t get lost underneath the added fabric! This is especially the case for a flouncier dress&#;a straight-cut jacket layer will balance out your proportions more beautifully!
THE MIDI. contains other products and information you need, so please check it out.
Turn on your JavaScript to view contentTalk about extending the life of your summer dresses, how cool is Erin&#;s slouchy, textured cardigan on the left? The oversized fit works in this example because the dress itself is body-skimming and lightweight. Paired with the tall white boots, the fuzzy cardigan is effortless and casual-chic. The long line of the cardigan elongates the leg and draws the eye down from head to toe. Such a simple but flattering tip!
Turn on your JavaScript to view contentAn elegant trench coat is a classic piece to layer over your dress. And it&#;s super easy because when it comes to trenches and dress length anything goes! You can wear a trench that&#;s longer than your dress, the same length, or shorter than your dress. The signature waist belt can be tied in the front or looped in the back to create a waist.
Turn on your JavaScript to view contentIf you want to instantly add some cool factor to your dress, wear a leather blazer! In the look above, Erin is wearing an Alice + Olivia faux leather blazer over a simple LBD. A black leather blazer is super versatile and can be worn for all kinds of occasions. You can wear it to the office, out to dinner, buttoned-up, or draped over your shoulders. The leather says &#;edgy&#; while the silhouette says &#;sophisticated&#;. We just LOVE it! There are so many wearable neutral leather blazers you can try if you aren&#;t a fan of wearing black. A leather jacket is also a wonderful layering piece over your mini dresses! We&#;ll link a few of Erin&#;s favorites below.
Turn on your JavaScript to view contentSTYLE TIP: Adding tights and booties will also instantly transform your summer LBD into a winter-friendly LBD. Wearing a dress in the winter is all about keeping warm and covered up, but not sacrificing your unique style. This post highlights some additional tips for wearing dresses in the cold weather.
With maxi dresses, there can already be a lot of fabric, so you want to be sure your layering piece doesn&#;t swallow you whole or eliminate your shape altogether. In most cases, a cropped jacket or blazer is going to be the most flattering over your maxi dress. In addition to your 3rd layer, you can also wear a belt for added waist definition! Each of the pieces described below will also work if you&#;re wondering how to add a 3rd layer to style a slip dress in cooler months.
In the look above, Erin added a bright pink pop of color to her maxi dress with a cashmere cardigan. Cashmere is an excellent layering fabric because it&#;s super warm without adding any bulk. Plus, good quality cashmere will last season after season, so while it may be a bit more of an investment, it&#;s worth the price per wear. If your maxi dress has sleeves, make sure the cashmere sweater you choose has some roominess at the arms.
Turn on your JavaScript to view contentWe can think of hundreds of reasons why a classic black blazer is a wardrobe staple every woman should have in her closet. So, naturally, another way to style it is with&#;your maxi dresses! Erin&#;s double-breasted Balmain blazer has a tailored cut, stunning gold buttons, and sharp shoulders. It has a fitted silhouette which balances out the flowy material of the dress. It is on the pricier side, but Erin says it&#;s one of her most worn investment pieces. You can find similarly fitted blazers for less, so we linked a few below.
Turn on your JavaScript to view contentWorn with a maxi dress, a cropped blazer does all the heavy lifting for you. It naturally creates a break at the waist for instant waist definition&#;which also makes your lower half appear longer and leaner. If you want to wear a longer blazer with your maxi dress, you can always add a waist belt over or under the blazer to create that same cinched waist.
Turn on your JavaScript to view contentSweater weather is coming and sweater dresses are a popular way to keep warm in the cooler temps.
In this first look, Erin&#;s wearing a super snuggly teddy coat over a mini sweater dress. This will keep you warm and toasty! Since teddy coats add some bulk, a sweater dress is perfect to wear underneath since they tend to be more fitted to the body.
Turn on your JavaScript to view contentIf you&#;re curious about other ways to style a teddy coat this winter, Erin styles 7 outfit ideas in this post.
Proving a classic black blazer truly is a wardrobe staple, another way to style it is over a sweater dress. This will help you get a bit more mileage out of your sweater dress (and your black blazer!) if you want to transform it from office or daywear to dinner. Draping the blazer over your shoulder adds such an elegant and distinctive touch&#;like you own the room!
Turn on your JavaScript to view contentThis is the same trench coat featured in the mini dress looks, but here Erin styled it with a wrap-front sweater dress. I know sometimes we think of trench coats as rainy-day wear only. But that&#;s an easy mold to break! The streets of Paris are full of stylish women sporting their trench coats on the sunniest of days. A trench coat will pair beautifully with so many of your sweater dresses&#;mini, midi, and maxi.
Turn on your JavaScript to view contentOne common question we get is what to wear over your wedding guest dress, cocktail, or formal dress. You don&#;t want to cover up your beautiful occasion dress with just any old outerwear.
This first cobalt blue monochromatic look scored so many views on Instagram when Erin first featured it last year. Let&#;s break down why it works with her mini cocktail dress. The cardigan is made of an elevated faux fur material that coordinates well with the satin dress. It&#;s in the same beautiful color as the dress, has beautiful gold button detailing, and the length is the exact same as the dress, which is such a chic look. This pairing is very unexpected, modern, cool, and sexy!
Turn on your JavaScript to view contentYou might remember the second look above that Erin wore to the Dior Fashion Show in Paris earlier this year. She paired a gorgeous Dior cape with her elegant Dior cocktail dress. A cape made from a satin, silk, or cashmere material will work beautifully with your cocktail and formal dresses. You can also wear a shawl or wrap in a tone that coordinates with your dress. The key to pulling off this look is making sure your cape or wrap looks intentional and not like an afterthought. Sticking with neutral colors or wraps in the same color family as your dress is a safe bet.
Turn on your JavaScript to view contentIn the last look above, Erin&#;s wearing the same cobalt blue satin dress but this time paired with a standout fur faux wrap coat. This look is SO glamorous and special and will certainly help you stay warm. In the colder months, pairing a long or short faux fur jacket, fur shawl, or coat with your formal dresses will look regal. You definitely won&#;t get lost in the crowd&#;in a good way!
Turn on your JavaScript to view contentAre there any other styling tips you&#;d like us to tackle here on the blog? Please leave us a comment below!
Don&#;t forget that you can get posts delivered directly to your inbox by subscribing to the newsletter. If you would like to receive early access to our best style resources, exclusive content, and sales alerts, make sure you sign up for SMS texts&#;we&#;ll send you texts to keep you in the know!
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit midi fashion.