Casual Style: A Chic Sweaterdress
Sep 26, 2011
I’ve mentioned before that sweaterdresses are my go-to for travel, but they’re also my favorite look for Casual Friday. With the right accessories and the right attitude, this comfortable look can be your new favorite look as well. But there are some things that you need to keep in mind when wearing a sweaterdress to work.
First off, the dress needs to be long enough. Just because your mini-dress is also knit, does not make it work appropriate, not even with two pairs of tights.
Secondly, you need a scarf. It just lifts the outfit from casual to casual chic.
Third, you also need to make sure your hair and makeup are tights. The casual sweaterdress looks infinitely more casual and less chic if you’ve got that “I stayed out too late last night” vibe going. I find that hair up in a slightly messy, but not dirty-Meredith Grey, updo is always a good choice with that much volume around the neck.
Lastly, tights are an ABSOLUTE necessity. I don’t want to see your pale, mid-winter knees ever, but especially not when wearing a sweaterdress. The tights (I wear two pair for maximum blackness) are an integral part of making this look work-appropriate.
There’s no reason why you can’t be comfortable on Casual Friday. And wearing a sweaterdress is as close as you can humanly come to wearing pajamas to work.
hooray for sweaterdress season!
i am in need of a sweater dress!
sweaterdress recommendations please?!
How do you wear two pairs of tights at once? Just curious…
Sam you put one pair over the other pair.
Belle, what color accessories/tights/boots would you recommend with a purple sweater drerss? It has the same shape and neckline as the dress you posted, but I am lost with the color!
Belle, have you ever tried Falke or Wolford? I go through tights so quickly that I wonder if they would hold up better, although I hesitate to spend that much money when I can buy Hue at Filene's for $10.
Mdwest- Purple tights, cognac or grey boots.
NDM-I haven't. I don't want to treat my tights with kid gloves. The Spanx ones are pretty good though.
I wear 2 pairs of tights when it's really cold, but I'm not sure how I feel on a 2 pairs day to day… I found an outstanding pair of lined tights last year (maybe at target?) which wear completely solid colored. I also like a patterned tight (either embroidered or a ridged or cabled) to keep boring black interesting.
Two pair of tights? I can't imagine doing this. I've been happy with the opaqueness of my black Hue tights. Those seem dark enough, but to each her own.
I agree with your statement likening sweater dresses to pajama-levels of comfort, but all of that comfort disappears if you introduce two pairs of tights into the mix. Stuffing my lower half into one sausage casing all fall and winter is bad enough; the thought of wearing two pairs makes me cringe. I'm not sure I understand the need for that level of opacity.
Rachel, maybe you need to buy a bigger size. I also don't buy control top, so that might be part of it, but I'm very comfortable in tights. If you're still not, switch them out for leggings.
Ah totally agree on wearing two pair of tights. One is just not black enough! I live in skirts and dresses and 2 pair of black tights is practically part of my winter uniform. Rachel, like Belle said, it helps to buy them a size up. I'm a size 4 but I usually buy M and sometimes even L in lights because they're tight enough to stay on perfectly anyway and my philosophy is why would you want them to be tighter than they need to be? 🙂
I'm flying home to Norway (where it's COLD already) on Thursday and this will definitely be my travel outfit. It's one of those outfits that's actually comfy chic (not comfy “chic” like uggs and Juicy), and the scarf is perfect to protect your neck from the cold draft fron the plane AC 😉 Plus opaque tights allow you to wear compression stockings under on trans atlantic flights (just buys ones that are the same color as the tights).