Some of us girls love to wear dresses all year round. But, then comes winter and takes away the dream of looking stylish in a dress without feeling cold. I am one of those people that loves to be comfortable as well as look stylish. So enjoy my tried and favorite 7 ways to style a dress in winter and stay warm
I know most of us would just prefer warmth and coziness versus wearing a dress that can make us cold. But, then there are days when we want to style a dress to attend a holiday party, winter vacation, winter wedding or dress for Church. So keep this post saved for that day when you just want to style a dress in winter but stay warm and comfortable
This post is all about how to style a dress in winter. Specifically concentrating on how to wear a dress in winter without being cold.
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Table of Contents
Warmth in question, tights is the answer
How to choose the right tights for you
I almost always love to style dresses with tights. When I say tights, I mean the ones with the foot, not the leggings (that you wear for a workout). Tights can range in opacity so you do have an option to buy the ones that are almost sheer (if that is your style).
When shopping for tights look at the denier(which is the thickness of the material) this tells you how opaque the tights are, if the denier listed is 40 or less, it means that the tights are sheer. Denier of 50 and above is for tights that are opaque. For warmth, go for a higher denier. Another advantage of wearing tights is the control top that most tights come with, tights with a control top can create a slimming look on your hips and tummy (but you can buy tights without a control top)
Best types of Tights
Tights can range from $1.00 to $40.00 depending on various characteristics like the opacity, shape recovery after stretch, and control top. I have listed some of the best in the industry. For years, I have worn dresses with tights in winter, and listed below are my top favorites. There is also an option for $1.00 (can you even believe it)
Best Tights for warmth (this comes with a control top)
These are full coverage tights, comes with a control top Denier: 90, one of the most affordable and highest-ranking tights starts only at $7.99 Click Here to purchase the tight now.
Best Slimming tights: from Spanx
Denier: 40
If you are not concerned about the denier and the coverage. And, the slimming look is what you are going for. Then definitely Click Here for the best slimming tights ever
Best for wearing with Boots
Wear tights and then put ankle socks on top of it for extra warmth. Also, Click Here for fleece-lined tights that cost only $14.00 but keep you warm and cozy throughout your event. You won’t even believe it’s fleece, since it looks like real tights! now that’s what I call a winter jackpot (Denier: 70)
And, if you are on a budget or new to tights; you can try tights for just $1.00 at the dollar store, I was honestly surprised with this deal. I have tried these tights, and they can last you 2-3 wears if you take good care of them.
How to select shoes to go with your dress for winter:
It all depends on your personal style and preference. And nothing really goes above comfort. During winter, I prefer to wear ankle boots over heels (that way I can wear those sock tights and be extra warm) It is important that you consider the inner and outer material of the boots before making a purchase
Shoes Inner material (fabric): One of the warmest inner materials in boots is wool, it is great for winter because wool holds in heat and is very durable. I really like the ones from UGG as it has a reputation for being the warmest and I have lived with them for years
If you are looking for warmth and a cushiony home for your feet during winter. Then Click Here to purchase Uggs, these are waterproof snow boots and will be your best winter investment. The best shoes on the market and trust me once you wear them you won’t remove them all winter. I bought a pair for myself as a birthday gift in 2015 and now it has become my essential for winters
Shoes Outer Material: Look for shoes that have been waterproofed, or materials that are water resistant such as nylon (add affiliate link), these will work great if you going for a more clean look
Though, there have been a few times when boots didn’t make the cut for a dress. So, I had to wear heels. See below for my top favorite heel styles.
The most comfortable heels in the entire world for winter are from Rockport Total motion heels, cost less than $50.00 and you can literally stay in them all day. It’s the perfect height and a cushiony sole. These will become your staple. These total motion heels are an advantage and can be worn all year round. Click Here to purchase or purchase an edgier pump from Clarks Click Here to purchase pumps
Add a scarf for added warmth and style:
Scarves are a great way to add extra warmth plus look stylish. My number one tip would be to pick a neutral color scarf, doing so will make you look put together than wearing a scarf that doesn’t match at all. (I made this mistake because I would buy every cute scarf I saw but the scarves never matched my outfit or just got left in the closet) or I would end up having too many colors.
So buy scarves that are gray, cream, nude, these colors will be great with any outfit as well as complement all skin tones. Also, matching your jacket or your dress with the scarf will give it an illusion of a one-piece dress. And will make you look more elongated and give a slender look
Scarf Material: when it comes to buying scarves for warmth, you cannot deny the warmth of wool. Because wool is one of the warmest materials due to its durability and the amount of heat it can hold. Wool scarves can be bulky though. And if that’s the issue and you prefer something warm but sleek, then your go-to would be Cashmere scarves which are undeniably soft but warm
Outerwear:
For a classy look wear a wool peacoat, make sure to read the labels because you could really be buying 90% polyester and 10% wool (and this is not going to keep you warm). A good buy would be 50% wool. Also, you would need a higher than 50% of wool for very harsh winters.
Also, when shopping for a coat, buy a coat that is slightly loose to ensure that you can layer underneath, otherwise it will be very uncomfortable and suffocating to layer with a very fitted coat
The 3rd tip is to look for a peacoat that is the length of your dress (think Kate Middleton) Because playing with silhouettes can be more flattering and make you look more elongated.
For a more feminine look, go for an A-line coat, the difference between an A-line coat and peacoat is that an A-line coat is fitted at the top but widens at the hem giving it a more feminine, frock like look
Dress:
Once you have yourself covered with the items listed above, you could pretty much wear any dress in winter and be warm. Really, even if it is a sleeveless dress you could just add a full sleeve shirt or a silk camisole underneath to keep warm.
Though, nowadays it is popular to find knitwear dresses at both mainstream and high-end brands. One of my favorite knitwear dress is from Ralph Lauren, it’s so soft and perfect wear for winter
Velvet dresses are classic and so warm and they would be a great pick for the holiday party. Velvet dresses are a great way to add some mystery and chic to your style. The material is really soft as well. This is an alternative to knitwear, especially if you going to party and want to look more luxury than casual
Also, if you want to look more elongated and stylish: Do not break up your silhouette visual vertical line, this means wear your black shoes with the black tight to keep the vertical elongated look going.
Summary
This post is all about how to style a dress in winter as well as stay warm and chic. To accomplish this, you can opt to wear tights, most of the tights come with a control top. It is recommended to wear thicker more opaque tights for extra warmth. So, when you go shopping for tights, look for the listed denier on the tights, if the denier is 40 or more the tights are opaque and if the denier is 30 or less, the tights are on the transparent, sheer end (wear whatever you prefer, but keep in mind, higher the denier, thicker the material is and warmer you will be!)
Don’t forget that wool and cashmere would be your friend in outerwear, To give yourself a put together look, do not wear too many colors, try to match your jacket with your scarf, or your with the dress. If you do not want to be too matchy then opt for a neutral color scarf. Also, if you are wearing black tights, then wear black shoes.
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Mrs. Gill says
I really like your style, and the tips you provided are very helpful. Thank you
Sweet Peach says
Thank you for reading