UPDATE Note 10/6/2019: This post, together with the others in the LBD series, was originally “built” with embedded Polyvores.  When Polyvore disbanded, all my illustrations disappeared, so I’m working to reconstruct them as best I can, using Pin images, etc.  So my apologies for missing illustrations you may stumble across, and that the links to the product sources are no longer present.

In case you’re just stumbling onto this post, in honor of Dressember, we’re talking about ways to make our dresses “stretch.”  One way to do that is to choose a “little black dress” (which may not actually be black) and learn some different ways to style it.  I posted a couple days ago showing three ways to style a LBD based on color, and today we’re going to take a different angle.  We have a dressy outfit, a casual outfit, and another outfit (also casual) that’s expressly styled for warmth.

Keeping Warm

How to stay warm is a common question when it comes to wearing dresses, so let’s look at one way a dress can actually be quite warm.  Layer it with leggings to keep your legs warm and a chunky sweater to keep your top half warm.  This kind of outfit is perfect for wearing with boots.

Casual

This casual version adds some pops of color by layering a tank (or other sleeveless top) under the dress, and adding a matching belt.  Round this out with whatever accessories you like, but this layering method lets you add color even to your “core.” And it’s a cooler layering option for summertime because it doesn’t have to add a lot of bulk.

All Dressed Up

To make the LBD look dressy, add dressy accessories.  Here, I’ve chosen to use a simple, single-metal color scheme to add some sophistication, and use both glitzy jewelry and metallic shoes to really punch it up.  (This jewelry is Oscar de la Renta.  Totally out of my price range, but it sure is pretty!  You don’t have to go expensive to get dressy, though; it’s the style you’re after.  This is what I happened to find on Polyvore that matched what I was looking for.)

There are so many other ways you can style a simple dress like this.  (Most of these tips will carry over to non-neutral dresses, too!  They just might still be a little more obvious that you’re wearing the same dress.)  Watch in a week or so for my post about the kinds of pieces you can use for layering with a LBD.