What to wear over a dress: How to layer dresses to make them work harder in your wardrobe
Learning what to wear over a dress can help reinvent your wardrobe. While a dress is seen as a one-and-done outfit, it's actually an incredibly versatile base layer that can be reworked for numerous occasions, making your wardrobe work harder.
Breathing new life into favorite frocks is easy when you know how, and the best dresses can be layered under everything from knits to blazers, creating a fresh look in an instant. In fact, discovering what to wear over a dress can be quite the game changer in terms of an item's cost-per-wear value.
While there will always be some dresses that are statement pieces, most dresses can be styled-up or down, meaning they can work for more than one event without anyone realizing you're re-wearing an old look. Nailing what to wear over a dress also helps to extend a dress's life throughout the year, so that your much-loved slip dress of the summer can be re-worked for Fall and beyond. And of course, the benefits go beyond the sartorial. Being able to reinvent your dresses with a few simple additions means you'll find you're buying less and wearing items for longer, which works for the planet and your bank balance too, win-win.
WHAT TO WEAR OVER A DRESS ACCORDING TO STYLE EXPERTS
The key to understanding what to wear over a dress is thinking about proportions. You'll want to avoid overwhelming your frame, which can be tricky where layering is concerned. To start with you'll want to factor in the length of the dress and the hem length of the item you're trying to pair it with, they'll need to work together to elongate, rather than swamp your silhouette. It's also wise to consider the shape of the dress and the item you're putting over it, as you don't want to hide your frame, instead look for items that cut you in the fewest places, or one that helps to highlight your waist to create a figure-loving silhouette.
1. WHAT TO WEAR OVER A SLEEVELESS DRESS

As summer draws to a close, you might think it's time to put away all your best summer dresses, but you'd be wrong. A dip in the mercury no longer means you need to relegate all your sleeveless dresses to storage. Instead, seize the opportunity to shop your wardrobe and rework summer favorites for the season ahead.
Sleeveless dresses are among the easiest to layer, as you don’t need to worry about any added bulk around the shoulders and arms. For an elevated transitional look best-suited to those awkward in-between days in late spring or early Fall, a longline blazer or trench coat is the perfect layered look. For maximum wearability, opt for neutral shades like black, navy, camel and cream, which will co-ordinate seamlessly with sleeveless dresses in any hue.
Styling tip: A sleeveless blazer or trench gives these classic pieces a modern twist. Adding a contrasting color jumper underneath will also add interest on the arms. Read More...