How to Wear a Dress in Multiple Seasons

I know winter is raging in many parts of the country and yall are itching to wear your spring dresses.

After a couple of posts earlier this month about wearing typical warm weather pieces in cooler months (like wearing a bright blazer for winter or white jeans for winter) I was asked about how to wear spring/summer dresses in cooler months.

I pulled together some tips for wearing spring dresses in colder weather so that you don’t have to wait!  There’s no clear rhyme or reason to this post, rather I just collected pictures of dresses I’ve styled throughout different seasons to show you a bunch of examples.  I picked out general tips from the groups of pictures for some ideas on how to wear a dress in multiple seasons.  If that’s okay with you, here we go…

Tights, Boots, and a Cardigan.  Always.
This is my numero uno most basic and easiest way to wear a springy dress–or any dress–in cooler weather.  It works for pretty much all dresses, regardless of whether they are neutral in color or springy florals!  And of course, you can always add a scarf for more warmth.

Trade Bright Colors for Darker Shades and Neutrals
That’s basically what I did in the set of pictures above.  The first pic is with a bright green cardigan (looks teal in the pics, but whatever) and a pink belt.  I swapped the cardigan for a darker one in olive, paired with a neutral belt, and added tights and boots.

I’ve paired this striped dress with a denim jacket and bright green cardigan in warmer months, but the far right picture is another example of choosing a darker or neutral cardigan to feel more cold-weather appropriate. 

Layer a Shirt Underneath
Shown above is a way to do a dress in summer/spring, spring/fall (middle) and fall/winter.  It’s easy to layer a white button up under dresses, especially if they are scoop neck tank dresses, but it can work with other dresses too.
Swap Summer/Spring Accessories for Fall Pieces
The middle outfit is from a day when I wished it was fall but it was still pretty warm.  I simply swapped out summery and springy pieces for fall accessories.  Open-toe wedges were exchanged for booties, and a neon belt or bag was exchanged for a satchel.  A denim jacket provided a light layer.
Layers, Layers, Layers
I also wore this navy dress during winter in Northern California.  So, not a San Diego winter.  Still a California winter, but it was 30 degrees, not the typical 50 we get in San Diego.  There are a few key elements that you can’t tell from the pictures.  First, the tights are fleece-lined tights which are way warmer than normal tights!  Second, I layered a shirt underneath for more warmth (Uniqlo Heattech, to be exact).  Then there’s the leather jacket, and a big knit scarf to top it off!  
Top It Off With a Sweater
I don’t have a picture of this because I never do this, but I really like how it looks!  (Note to self: DO IT.)  Rather than a cardigan, throw a pullover sweater over your dress and make your dress look like a skirt.  It provides a lot of warmth while making it look like you have a bigger wardrobe.  It can be a fitted or oversized sweater–just depends on the dress and the sweater and how the silhouette looks with them combined.  
And, if you combine all of these at once you are the ultimate winner!  ðŸ™‚  What’s your favorite way to wear a spring dress in colder months?
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