Ideas for styling new shift dress

I dropped by Loft today and purchase a black shift dress with a faux leather on the yoke and patch pockets. I generally prefer dresses that define the waist more, but liked how this looked with my boots. I can see myself styling it with some of my edgier silver jewelry.

The dress looks best without a topper, I think, but I'm trying to figure out if there are ways to wear while the temperatures are still low. The faux leather makes the short sleeves a bit bulky, so it looks silly under my cardigans and jackets. I tried layering a low contrast long sleeve tee shirt underneath. How do you think that looks? Does anyone have other suggestions for how to style this so it works for the winter?

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Loft

Faux Leather Ponte Dress

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Top Pick

9 years ago

carter

Veteran

Cute. What about a matching long sleeve tee and leggings (maybe in charcoal, ink or even black?) with booties?

Helena

I like Carter's suggestion, and it might also be worth trying a white button up ... might not work with the short sleeves, but you never know; worth a go. Great dress!

Aziraphale

Cool dress. It's hard to tell from the pic, but I think it looks all right with the long sleeve underneath. It definitely looks good without it. I guess it depends on how comfortable you are with a tight-ish long sleeve under a loose-ish dress.

I also think it would look fab with ankle booties and no tights (or nude hose) in warmer weather. I love the look of a gap of skin between a black hemline and black boots.

rizamei

Active Member

carter, torontogirl, and Aziraphale - thanks for the suggestions! I don't own black booties, but do own black mary jane pumps, red booties, and black mid-calf moto boots. I thought the red booties looked a little too unexpected, though they might look more balanced if I put on one of my red scarves. I also tried it over a white shirt with black piping that I own. The short sleeves over the buttoned shirt seemed a little constricting, but maybe I am just being self-conscious.

(Horrible photo quality, I know. I overexposed a couple so all the black detail wouldn't be lost in shadow.)

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Naturalizer Ballona Wide Shaft

$139.00

CocoLion

(website)

When you wear this dress with a black turtleneck or layering top, I think you need visual relief from all that black so my recommendation is nude fishnet stockings and your Mary Janes. Without a top underneath, you can get away with the black tights and boots much better.

Another idea is to layer a white shirt underneath. That is a modern layering look. Sometimes the shirt is too bulky but it's worth a try.

rachylou

This is so my kinda dress. I like it with the shirt underneath. Coco's idea for stockings is brilliant too, IMO.

Dimity

I like all the ways you've styled this. I was wondering how it would look with a maxi sleeveless vest worn over the top? Sveta wears them and they're super flattering and chic.

cocolion - I think you've hit the nail on the head. The thing I thing that struck me as just a bit off when I layered a t-shirt underneath was all the unrelieved black. (My hair is black, too!) I don't own fishnets, but I do have tights that are more sheer and/or have patterns. I think that will break things up a lot if I wear the dress with my pumps. Also, you can actually see my knees when I wear this dress; I think the angle of the pics makes it look a little longer than it is in reality. Thanks for the ideas!

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