January 3, 2018

Two Ways To Style Out A Knitted Dress

…without feeling like a big ol’ ball of wool

theannaedit-styling-jumper-dress-topshop-january-2018-6

I can’t say that I’ve ever been one for figure hugging midi-dresses. Figure hugging mini-dresses? SURE. I wore one out every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night at uni, often forgoing tights and a jacket even when it was snowing outside. The shorter the better and platform high-heels that you’d have to take off and walk home bare foot, were mandatory. But midi-dresses? Well I always thought that they were reserved for my stylish pregnant mates who looked bloomin’ awesome in them. But hold the phone for I have found a mid-length cashmere number that I actually rather like. Scrap that, I love it.

It must be noted that this is definitely not something that I would have picked out myself. The 100% Cashmere Ribbed Dress was actually something that was pulled for me during a personal shopping appointment at Topshop (full disclosure, I work with Topshop on various campaigns throughout the year, but this is not part of one). I whipped it off the hanger not having particularly high hopes, but the minute I slipped it on I GOT IT. Now figure hugging for me doesn’t mean much, because I’m a straight up and down kinda gal often with a bloated belly, so they’re not a fit that I gravitate towards. However this one seems to nip in at all the right places. The vertical ribbing adds a lengthening effect. Plus it’s so darn cosy. YAY FOR CASHMERE. It’s taken me a while to get used to the midi length (fairly high heels are a must to avoid a leg shortening ‘chopping off your ankle’ effect), but it’s surprisingly versatile as shown by these two outfits. It’s the new winter wardrobe staple that I never even knew I needed…

theannaedit-styling-jumper-dress-topshop-january-2018-3

theannaedit-styling-jumper-dress-topshop-january-2018-5

THE CLASSIC WAY

This is the usual way of donning a midi-dress and whilst it’s not particularly mind-blowing, let me tell you – it’s extremely comfortable. I like this style because the v-neck shows a little bit of skin and the two side slits mean that it’s pretty easy to walk in without having to slow your pace to what can only be described as a waddle. To ensure that this ensemble still gives an elongating effect, I’ve taken to wearing it with my Dear Frances Spirit Boots which are the highest option I own and because the black leather seamlessly works up to a black opaque tight, the combination makes your legs look about twice as long as they actually are.

I’ve played around with different coats and I’ve found that the longer ones, like this one from Whistles seem to work better. You might think that they could give a bit of a ‘swamping’ effect, but actually it plays into the length thing and whenever I wear a coat that skims my bum with this, it can get a little ‘layer-y‘ and I start to look like one of those dolls with the layered skirts that your nan uses to hide the next loo roll in the toilet. So I’d recommend to keep your outer layers long and streamlined and your heels as high as you handle ’em.

SHOP THE LOOK

theannaedit-styling-jumper-dress-topshop-january-2018-10

theannaedit-styling-jumper-dress-topshop-january-2018-13

theannaedit-styling-jumper-dress-topshop-january-2018-7

theannaedit-styling-jumper-dress-topshop-january-2018-12

THE ‘MAKE IT INTO A SKIRT’ WAY

This combination was discovered by accident when I wondered what it would be like if I layered knitwear on knitwear, inspired by the iconic Tom Haverford quote – ‘I’m a cashmere, velvet candy cane’. Now here we’re talking about the & Other Stories High Neck Jumper over the top of the Topshop Cashmere Midi-Dress and unsurprisingly, the resulting outfit is extremely toasty. It also completely changes up the outfit by giving the illusion of a knitted dresses which makes it a great multi-tasking number.

I still find the length to be something that needs a little work, so again I’ve cracked out my clompy black heeled boots and I like the look of the jumper when there’s a little faux tuck at the front. In fact this look works even better with a slightly cropped jumper because it balances out the differing lengths of all your knitwear perfectly, without you having to roll up the front of your jumper before every photo opportunity. I actually like it worn with a cross-body bag too, again to break things up a little and cover up the ol’ rear, because I’m not used to that being so full frontal. BUTT! You lot know I’m not the biggest fan of skirts, but this one keeps me so darn warm (plus features no waistband), so I might just have found my niche.