Even though my dress collection is wide and expansive, I know that not every woman thinks the same way. So I wanted to share a minimalistic approach to the question of how many dresses should I own.

Quote of the day: “Those who lack courage will always find a philosophy to justify it.” Albert Camus

In this day and age, a woman does not need to own any dresses at all since pants and jeans are worn by all walks of life.

Yet there are advantages to dresses.

And the dresses nowadays are very different than the dresses from our youth. The materials have changed, the shapes are varied and you can wear them with comfy shoes instead of heels.

Want to see examples of some of the times we’ve worn dresses? I have many articles on the subject and think you would appreciate the ideas.

• Casual summer dress outfits
• Wearing summer dresses in winter
• Layering for winter dresses
• 4 ways to wear a dress when traveling

I’m going to pare down the answer for how many dresses should I own to only 3.

3 types of dresses.

Can you believe that?

But first, let’s talk about a couple of details.

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Details that Make Dresses More Versatile

If you are trying to keep it minimal for the question of how many dresses should I own, then you want to have dresses that can be worn in a multitude of ways.

While I think almost any dress can be changed up with layering, some details are key.

• Sleeveless. Why sleeveless? Because then they can work absolutely all year long. In summer, you wear them alone or with a short-sleeved layer. In the winter, you layer thicker, heavier long-sleeved items.
  I share lots of options for layering with sleeveless dresses.
• Knee or slightly below knee length. This length can work easier for layering other skirts either over or under the skirt part. This means you can lengthen the dress without alterations.
  Need inspiration for layering over the dress? I’ve showcased many examples.

Insider tip: If you find a fabulous dress that seems too long, get it shortened. Don’t be limited by how the item is made.

• Shirtdress. When you have buttons down the entire front of a dress, this gives you a boatload of variety. From unbuttoning them so you can wear them as a duster to only buttoning a couple of buttons and then layering them in a multitude of ways.
• Material. When asking how many dresses would you own, you need to take into account both the warm and cold times of the year where you live. This means you need a dress where the material will work for all seasons. Cotton is usually the best.
• Color. If you are limiting the amount of dresses you own, then make sure they all fall into your “wonderful colors.”
• Fit. Fit can be a struggle since a dress covers your body from your shoulders to your legs. But considering there are all kinds of different shapes of dresses like shift dresses that have very little shaping, to fit and flare that are looser on the bottom half, you will succeed.

Insider tip: If you are a minimalist or only want as few dresses as possible for this idea of how many dresses should I own, then alterations can be a lifesaver. Either that or take into account the tools of the trade that I promote. Elastics, magnets, and scarf clips can pull material into your body to give you shape.

3 is the Answer-How Many Dresses Should I Own

One of my mottos is that you shouldn’t have to Stress out when invited to events that are going to happen in your lifetime.

Weddings? Of course, there will be some.

Funerals? If you’re lucky to live long enough, you’ll need to attend these.

And the last thing you want to do is have to shop at the last minute.

That’s why I thought it would be beneficial to make sure you have these kinds of dresses already in your closet.
Dresses that fit you and are good colors for your complexion.

Here are the types of dresses you should own. I realize that you could just as easily wear pants to any of these events. But why not change it up?

A Dress For a Wedding

Weddings are a part of life. The happy part, right?

So one of those dresses you should own should be a celebratory dress.

This means you could also wear it to

• Graduations
• Parties
• Galas
• A fancy night out
• Vacation

Funeral Dress

Saying goodbye to someone is also a part of life. Not the part that we enjoy as much, but I’ve even written about why I like to attend funerals.

The trend for what to wear to a funeral is changing from wearing black to incorporating the deceased’s favorite color.

Yet if you don’t know the person that well, you may still want to keep your colors muted. This doesn’t mean you HAVE to wear black.

For many women over 50, our coloring has changed over the years and black can be severe and wash us out.
While the idea of looking great is not your primary concern at a funeral, if you only have a couple of dress options in your closet, you don’t want to waste one of those options on a color that makes you look like you should be in the coffin.

Casual Dress

Why would you need a casual dress when you could wear jeans or pants instead?

Variety. It’s seriously the spice of life and if you always wear pants, then wearing a dress instead will bring you compliments. Why? Just because it’s something different from your norm.

In the summer, dresses give you airflow which is 10X cooler than pants.

When traveling, dresses are easier and tidier when using the restrooms. You won’t find your dress puddling on the bathroom floor where there can be a multitude of germs and grossness.

And, if you plan this right, your casual dress can be easily accessorized or transformed so that it can fill in for a celebratory event or even for a funeral.

But this dress is ideal for every day.
Running errands.
Hanging out.
Going to lunch with friends.

Insider tip: A dress is easier because it’s one and done. You don’t worry about which top will work with the bottom and you know the proportions are correct. Just add shoes, accessories, and your purse.

The “No” Dress

Gone are the days when a black dress fits the bill for every event. This was a marketing ploy 40 years ago, and if you hang onto it, you will be Aging yourself.

In my years of content creation, I have NOT been to an event where any woman under 40 was wearing a black dress. The only women that were wearing a black dress were my age and older.

Trust me. Black dresses are not the end all. Wear a color or print that makes you happy or at least makes your complexion happy.

Insider tip: Prints are much better at camouflaging any lumps, bumps, OR stains.
Wear them in the summer so you don’t see sweat marks.
Wear them to eating events so you can see where you dripped the salsa.
And wear them without spanx so you can be comfy.

Photo credit: Rob Filogomo

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Welcome to Jodie’s Touch of Style. I’m here to prove that it’s never too late to look great. Clothing and style are meant to showcase your inner personality. So let’s have fun and try new things.

The post Practical Thoughts On How Many Dresses Should I Own? appeared first on Jodie’s Touch of Style.

Jodie Filogomo Fashion Stylist

Jodie's Touch of Style showcases how it's never too late to look great including other older women and myself talking about fashion, beauty, and lifestyle issues.

As a retired dentist, Jodie takes her love of clothing and shopping and has come to find her superpowers in styling the same item in many ways. She is also a huge advocate for embracing our age and bodies. Getting old is a wonderful thing and learning to love ourselves while it happens is very freeing.

Looking great can happen no matter what age, shape or budget, as we show on Jodie's Touch of Style.