The idea to style a tan dress came about when Tresi was putting together outfits for our shoes post. And she talked about “my boring tan dress and I used the shoes each time to set the vibe.”
It became another challenge for her. While the shoes do change the vibe of the tan dress, I wanted to break it down into 5 groupings from which we could all get inspiration.
Quote of the day: “People are always looking for the single magic bullet that will completely change everything. There is no single magic bullet. Progress is about bridging the gap between what we observe and what we can imagine–one careful step at a time.” Temple Grandin
The reason Tresi was so excited about this is that she thought it might be a great idea for how to get out of the ‘I have nothing to wear’ rut.
And she’s right.
Neutral, versatile, and seasonless, a tan dress is basically a blank canvas waiting for you to add your personal style. And the best part?
You don’t need to shop for something new because you can reinvent the same dress multiple times just by playing with layers, accessories, and shoes.
There are some lessons that Tresi learned, which are shared below all of the photos.
Why?
Because playing with our clothes AND THEN analyzing the results is the way to evolve your style and start thinking differently about your clothes.
Even if you thought that a tan dress was boring at first (like me), this works marvelously for any item in your closet.
It’s all about how 2 totally different women can take a concept and make it work from their closet.
We started with a simpler option of wearing the dress, with a belt and booties.
Insider tip: If you ever feel like your neutral dress looks a little blah, use your accessories and footwear to bring life to the outfit.
The next photo Tresi included was her jacket and bow belt. Since I had a similar belt, I decided to recreate her look but differently.
Insider tip: It’s important to have different jacket lengths in your closet. Remember when I played around with the same dress and different lengths of jackets? There is no right or wrong, but it’s good to have options.
Next, we styled the tan dress with jackets worn open without a belt. These jackets have vertical front panels.
Insider tip: Jackets do NOT have to be buttoned or closed to be considered wearable. If you have one that is a tad small, wear it open instead, or close it with a skinny scarf like I did in this video.
Not all jackets are created equal. So we pulled out completely different silhouettes to see how much they could transform our tan dress outfits.
Insider tip: Much of our clothing can be transformed in some way. Just because it was shown originally one way doesn’t mean you can’t fold it, tuck it, or change it somehow. That’s the foundation for my motto to be the boss of your clothes.
Finally, we decided to push the boundaries and layer pieces under the bottom half of our tan dresses. This is one of those tricks that can extend your wardrobe and make your dresses wearable in new ways.
Insider tip: 2 words when it comes to layering: OVER and UNDER. Always think about both ways when you play in your closet.
After putting these looks together, Tresi shared this with me:
“What I’ve learned:
That the main item of clothing doesn’t need to do the heavy lifting in an outfit.
That having a completely blank canvas can be fun.
That even quite small details can make a big impact.
That my outfits look way better on me with a jacket or duster, and I feel more confident too.
That even if you can’t wear heels, there’s still a world of happy shoes out there!”
My tan dress is from Valerie’s Avenue. While she doesn’t have the same one available, she does have a similar long sleeve one. And Jodie15 gives you a discount.
What I loved most about this challenge was how shopping your own closet can turn up loads of surprises if you’re willing to experiment.
That’s the magic of a tan dress: it bends to your personal style.
With this idea, I would say you don’t need something new. Instead, I encourage you to grab your most neutral dress and challenge yourself to restyle it in many different ways.
You won’t know unless you try it.
Plus, you’ll quickly realize that your closet holds way more possibilities than you thought.
Insider tip: Sure, you can just pull out options and hang them next to each other, but it’s a much better challenge to fully style the outfit on your body. Then don’t forget to take a selfie to get a different perspective. PLUS, if you love the look, you can save the photo for future reference.
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I feel I’m here to help move beyond the fashion rules of yesterday and evolve. Style and clothes are made to give you joy. Not cause us Stress because we are worried about what others think.
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.
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The post How to Style a Tan Dress: 5 Outfit Ideas from Our Closets appeared first on Jodie’s Touch of Style.
