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)…
The perfect kind of all-year-round floral print.
It's becoming a street style favorite already.
Add a belt, and this will look so expensive.
Very great with cowboy boots, as pictured.
Wouldn't be a complete list without a leopard-print option…
Just in case I need another LBD…
Layer with a biker jacket now, then wear it on vacation later.
A new brand definitely worth having on your radar.
This post originally appeared on Who What Wear UK. Next up, what boots to wear with different dresses.
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