transitioning away from jeans/pants - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Dressing

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

transitioning away from jeans/pants

crazyone

Veteran

Seems like many people on the forum are not wearing dresses that much anymore. Anyone moving in the opposite direction? A few years ago, I used to wear jeans a lot...now I hardly ever do. Instead it's dresses, dresses and more dresses...in fact, I'd wear them more frequently if I wasn't a bit leery of giving the impression that I only wear dresses (I'm an experimental research scientist at a large company, so I sometimes default to top+dress pants). Are any of you ladies wearing dresses more frequently these days? I think one factor might be that I got my legs lasered a few years ago, and now I don't need to worry about any hair removal factors, so the pull on nature of a dress is super appealing.

As a somewhat related aside, I have this "eyelet happening" red dress from Madewell (first find below) on the way to me, and I realized that I have an absurd number of red dresses:

a red wrap dress, with 3/4 sleeves
a red shirtdress
a red silk sack dress
a red sleeveless dress (the second find below)

I'm hoping this dress (worn with a blazer or cardigan in the office to hide cutouts) will be a good summer option for me!

Eyelet Happening Cutout Dress

View Info

Top Pick

1

Embroidered Cutout Sundress

View Info

Top Pick

3

Dressing

20 replies

Latest reply was from Firecracker (Sharan)

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

YES.

Crazy One, for me it's all weather related. Seattle is having record breaking hot weather - and I'm in skirts and dresses each day. I LOVE IT.

Red dresses can be your signature look. Why not!

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

I think it's a great idea, Raji. If only the temps could get out of the 40s.

Aida

Veteran

Same as Angie -- with the unseasonably warm weather we're having in the Seattle area, I've been very into wearing my dresses! We had a full week of hot weather recently and I wore a dress every single day, which meant that I wore every one I own (which isn't many, heh) at least once. I'm definitely in the mood to pick up a few more breezy casual options, and am much more interested in dresses over skirts these days. Been headed this direction since last spring, but have trouble finding great casual dresses so it's been slooooow going. I don't know that they'll replace pants for me, though. Just another "leg bearing" option. I still love shorts most for hot weather!

Anonymous

I think red dresses are so eye catching. I have tried over and over (and have even purchased and purged) to make red dresses work for me. I've finally caved to the fact that I don't feel my best in red - no matter the shade. So wear one for me!!

I live in hot weather and like dresses and skirts. Even in our mild winter I can wear a dress with booties. If it's cool enough I will wear leggings with, but it's not usually needed.

Diana

Veteran

For me it's mostly a weather thing. In the summer, I wear primarily dresses and skirts, and in the winter primarily pants and jeans. I dislike tights/hose and find them fussy and uncomfortable, and my tolerance for that has definitely gotten lower of late, so I really have to have a good reason to wear them when it's too cold for bare legs.

I do sometimes wear tunic-ish dresses over pants or leggings in winter but to me that still feels like a pants outfit.

crazyone

Veteran

Angie and Aida: wow, I just checked the weather in Seattle, 85 degrees F today! Could you send some of that our way? It's been a very chilly March and April here even though our winter itself was mild.

Delurked and Diana: I've been taking to wearing dresses with leggings and tall boots for the winter. Like Diana, I'm starting to find tights/hose fairly uncomfortable but leggings are a different story. And with a knee length dress and tall boots it hardly makes that much of a difference whether I wear leggings or tights. It's what I did today, while wearing the dress below.

HD In Paris Saraid Dress

Sale

View Info

Top Pick

1

Elly

Veteran

I love the idea of dresses, especially with my new climate (went from cold and snowy to mild winters and hot summers). However, I've had a really hard time finding everyday dresses that I like. I'm an hourglass, but personal-style-wise I'm not much for the overtly feminine. A straight style often catches on my hips and looks lumpy. I need a little bit of an indention in the ribcage/waist area, but don't care for the va-va-voom or fit and flare look. Plus, I need something that looks okay with sneakers!

anne

Veteran

I suppose made that transistion 3 years ago when I went back to full time work from being a SAHM. But, unlike you it isn't a change in style preference, just circumstances.

I don't wear pants much except jeans, and I don't wear jeans in summer or at work.

So it's dresses or skirts for me.

Ginger

Veteran

I've always favored skirts and dresses, since I was a little girl. (I had a strong Laura Ingalls streak!) I also wore my share of jeans as a child, but I stopped being comfortable in them when I grew into my height and hips in my teens. College was a struggle, and I gradually stopped wearing jeans with any regularity as I built up my skirt capsule.

Now I wear a dress or skirt over 75% of the time. The rest is usually shorts or athletic skorts in warm weather (which is most of the time here) and the single pair of jeggings that miraculously fit me. I find fleece-lined tights or leggings warmer in winter than any jeans. I'm very grateful for the skirt/dress trend of the last 5+ years; now I don't stand out so much! I used to get "Where are you going?" comments all the time.

Beth Ann

Veteran

Years ago, I worked in an analytical lab for a medical products company. There were definitely two camps: the science-oriented female staff were either completely uninterested in fashion, or very feminine in their choices (even under lab coats). As a musician working (temporarily -- aren't all singers temps at some point?), I saw this as a self-expression in the midst of work that demanded careful adherence to protocol and procedure. It made sense to me.

I like Angie's thought that the red dress might be a signature for you. Why not?

milehighstyle (Linda)

Veteran

I've always worn skirts and dresses to work year round (with tights in the colder weather). I'll often wear them casually in the summer instead of shorts. I only wear pants a couple times a month to work, jeans and leggings a bit more often on weekends in cooler weather, bare legs (shorts, skirt, or dress) all summer long.

merwoman

Veteran

Are you reading my mind Crazyone? Or is that 'All-knowing one'?
During my epic search for mother of the bride apparel (see last pic) I have discovered dresses work for me! I have bought 4 - and they're all hanging in my closet, waiting for the temperature to warm up and for some.. a suitable occasion. I think I will wear them and not just let them hang since I've bought some awesome footwear.
Also..I've embraced earrings!! And this from a former androgynous dresser!! I confess I seem a wee bit out of control!!

I.N.C INTERNATIONAL CONCEPTS Empire Waist Handkerchief Dress

View Info

Top Pick

1

Calvin Klein Zip Yoke Print Dress

View Info

Top Pick

0

View Info

Calvin Klein Ruched Horseshoe Neck Dress

View Info

Top Pick

1

View Info

View Info

Anne Klein Cailina Strappy Wedge Sandals

View Info

Top Pick

3

Sam Edelman Okala Pump

View Info

Top Pick

6

Banana Republic

Crystal Cluster Stud

View Info

Top Pick

6

Banana Republic

Metal Mash-Up Chandelier Earring

View Info

Top Pick

1

Banana Republic

Pearl Spike Drop Earring

View Info

Top Pick

2

Banana Republic

Blooming Bud Metal Drop Earring

View Info

Top Pick

1

LaPed

Veteran

I like dresses and skirts, but not when it's cold, wet, and muddy. Once summer rolls around, I move away from jeans and pants in a big way, and pair skirts and sundresses with sandals a few days a week. I do like cozy winter dresses, too, layered with tights/leggings and tall boots. But spring/mud season is not a practical time for me to wear skirts. The shoes I wear this time of year are not skirt-friendly. In a city/sidewalk environment, or anyplace where spiring is sunnier, I would likely feel differently (when I lived in the southwest, I wore cute dresses regularly, year round). It's mostly a practicality issue for me.

Anonymous

Yes, I love dresses but for some reason other clothing items have been taking a priority for me. I would love to wear more dresses though. I've seen quite a few sports-inspired ones I like.

I bet you look great in red given the number of red dresses you have!

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I don't think you have too many red dresses, they sound different. I wish I could say I wear a lot of dresses but I don't. I work in a uniform and live in the countryside. When I travel, I do wear dresses much more often, especially if it's to a hot place.

crazyone

Veteran

Elly: I feel like casual dresses go well with sneakers, at least the "fashion sneaker" type that doesn't look obviously like a running shoe. I'm not a big heels person so I generally wear my dresses with loafers/oxfords/boots, but occasionally also with a pair of "fashion sneakers".

Angie: maybe I will make red dresses my signature! I got headshots taken recently and I wore a red dress in that (that I forgot to list above, haha).

I'm glad I'm not the only one moving in this direction!

lyn67

Veteran

I don't wear much jeans/pants at all, and only if weather is too harsh for a skirt or dress anytime (hot or cold) so guess I'm with you:-). Wow to having so many fab red dresses! I usually stick with neutrals for work, but always have a few in my fave shade of red (coral) and one dressier in wine for special occasions.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I barely wore a skirt or dress all winter, but I lean more towards them in summer when hosiery is not a factor. I feel similarly to Elly and Diana.

If you feel fab in red dresses, I say go with it!

Robin

I'm new to wearing dresses as an every day thing, but I'm feeling pulled towards filling my wardrobe with casual dresses. For my body, right now, the comfort factor really can't be beat. With that said, I'm off to Nordstrom Rack online.

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

I love these two red sundresses! The cutouts are so subtle and sassy on the first one, and yes, I bet you'll be able to camouflage them with a jacket for work.

I find dresses very appealing. I have been adding some to my wardrobe recently, too, in the form of sweatshirt dresses for winter, and now I'm trying some t-shirt, shift, or shirt styles for summer. I just finished making a woven t-shirt or shift style dress, and I'm undecided about how well I like it. The problem is that I don't like any of my jackets or cardigans over it, and it has short sleeves. It will be limited to very warm days spent entirely outdoors, out of air-conditioning!