Styling a sweater dress is one of the easiest ways to look chic and feel comfortable through autumn and winter. Whether you prefer a fitted knit or a cosy oversized jumper dress, the right styling makes all the difference. In this post, I’m sharing simple tips to elevate your sweater dress outfits to create an elegant, feminine look. I’ll also share tips on the best boots to pair with them, how to layer coats and accessories, and ways to keep the look flattering, not frumpy. So read on!
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Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links and I have been gifted some of these items. All opinions are my own and the products are things I love, would purchase myself or are on my wishlist!
Why Style a Sweater Dress
Sweater dresses are a winter staple; they’re warm and cosy, which is perfect for the colder months. However, unfortunately, they can be rather unflattering and make you look frumpy. By learning how to style a sweater dress, you can put together a really elegant, chic outfit that is polished and practical.
Rather than just throwing on a sweater dress and dashing out the door, take a moment to add some finishing touches to your outfits. This is a really simple way to achieve an elegant, chic vibe this winter.
Top Tips for Styling a Sweater Dress
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Below are my essential tips to help you style your sweater dresses in a chic, elegant way:
1. Pick a Style that Suits Your Shape
Pre-kids, I could happily wear a fitted sweater dress. These days, my mum-tum is not something I want to show off as much! So I would opt for a baggier style and style it with a belt. Or a style that’s fitted on top and flows over the stomach.
If you’re choosing a fitted style, make sure you wear the right underwear. You dont want to be able to see the shape of it through the dress!
2. Add a Belt
On a baggy style jumper dress, adding a belt is the easiest way to turn it into a chic, elegant outfit. The belt will cinch the waist and create a feminine silhouette. Even on most fitted options, a waist belt will still have the same effect.
I feel a belt finishes an outfit perfectly. I love this brown Hermes dupe belt from Amazon, and it’s only £20! I also have this wide, asymmetric belt, this one is perfect for chunky sweater dresses and looks so much more expensive than it actually is!
3. How to Pick the Right Shoes to Wear with a Sweater Dress
You may be wondering what shoes to wear with a sweater dress. Footwear can make or break an outfit, so it’s important to get this right!
Over-the-knee boots are a perfect choice for winter. I love my long boots from Vivaia, they’re stylish and comfortable and will also keep you warm. These boots will work with a short sweater dress as well as a long one, as they elongate the leg.
If you’re styling a long sweater dress, knee-high boots will also work, just try to make sure the boots come higher up your leg than the dress’s hemline. Wearing short boots with a midi dress will make your legs look shorter.
With a shorter length jumper dress, you can wear ankle boots; however, I would keep them the same colour as your tights. For example, black boots and black tights. This will also elongate your legs, especially if the boots have a heel.
You could also wear sheer tights and a kitten heel to instantly make your look suitable for work!
4. How to Layer a Sweater Dress
Layering is key in the autumn/fall and winter months, as the weather can be hit and miss. Adding a trench coat on cooler days or a smart wool coat on warmer days will keep you looking chic. It gets so cold in NYC that I also like to wear a thermal base layer. You can shop my thermals here.
5. Add an Elegant Handbag
The right bag will finish off and elevate your outfit perfectly. I love a designer handbag to instantly make the whole outfit look more expensive. If a luxury bag isn’t in your budget, don’t worry. Teddy Blake has some great mid-range options, or I’ve found options that look really lux but were actually cheap on the high street!
6. Stick to a Neutral Colour Palette
Neutral colours can look incredibly chic in winter. Keeping your outfits tonal will make you look put together and like you’ve put a lot of effort into your outfit. In winter, I like shades of brown and beige with cream and blush pink.
If you like a little more colour, forest greens or burgundy can also work well. Avoid bright, overwhelming colours!
Thank you for reading this post on how to style a sweater dress. I hope it has inspired you to put together some chic, elegant outfits this autumn-winter.
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HOW TO BUILD A FEMININE STYLE CAPSULE WARDROBE
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Happy Shopping!
