It’s officially cold here in New York City and it feels like it happened overnight, because it did. Saturday it was 71 degrees and Sunday we were all wearing wool coats. When it gets cold and darker earlier all I want to do is break out my comfy clothes and swaddle myself in a blanket and lounge clothes before it gets dark (queue the hibernation and vitamin D deficiency mode!). Yet, alas, we all have to be out and about in the cold. That said, here are five outfits to show you how to wear a sweater dress casually.
I love sweater dresses, especially casual ones, because they are versatile. I can wear them casually, dress them up for holidays, wear them to work, and more. It seems that all it takes are some accessory changes to create different looks to one dress. Plus, knit dresses are usually comfortable and figure flattering, not to mention require little in the way of styling– all you do is pop the dress over your head, figure out your accessories and you’re done.
For today’s post in this series, where I style one dress five different ways, I chose this cowl neck dress from Athleta. Athleta designs the ultimate performance apparel and gear for every active woman and have captured the way most women live their lives (varying degrees of casual) in their clothing. While they do offer true athletic sportswear, many of their pieces can go from a workout to the street without breaking a sweat. This dress is easily one that can be popped on after yoga or, with a few accessories, go to work or be worn for weekend fun. Heck, Athleta may even get you over your yoga pants addiction.
Here are five outfits using this one dress to give you some ideas.
How to wear a sweater dress casually
Look #1
It’s the weekend, and after your morning yoga class you plan on meeting some friends for brunch. In order to take a look from yoga mat to mimosas, this dress can be thrown over a pair of leggings, like these also from Athleta. To finish the look, I added a pair of booties by Jessica Simpson, a pair of earrings by Yochi Gold, that you can throw on after class, and a stylish red yoga bag by Crescent Moon.
Look #2
Don’t limit this dress to just aprés-gym. A casual cowl neck dress like this is perfect for any weekend plans where you want to look pulled together but not gussied up. Here, I styled it with a pair of brown tights, a pair of heeled oxfords by Lucky, a fun tote bag by Effie’s Heart, and a casual pair of wood earrings by Blu Bijoux (similar).
Look #3
If your first thought was to wear black when you saw this dress, I encourage you to think about a pop of color to add some excitement. Here, I chose a yellow Lucky Brand handbag. The outfit remains casual with a Vince Camuto motorcycle bootie and black tights. Black and gold earrings by Foxy Originals and fun black and gold bracelet by Blu Bijoux finishes the look.
Look #4
Depending on your work environment, or, if you have casual-dressy weekends plans, this dress works with a few elevated accessories. Styled with a pair of tall gray boots by Tsubo, gray tights, Blu Bijoux earrings, and a cranberry Coach work bag, this dress is ready to go to work or to a weekend get-together.
Look #5
Don’t limit wearing this dress with leggings for just after the gym or yoga. If this were my dress this would be one of the ways I’d wear it, with a pair of brown leggings, like this Heattech pair from Uniqlo, a pair of casual cognac boots by Steve Madden (a pair I actually own and live in), a cognac handbag by Michael Kors, and natural wood earrings by Blu Bijoux (similar).
