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Brrr, winter is officially here. Layering dresses with coats can be tricky when you need to stay warm, but here are some easy tips to make it stylish and warm. 

Layering a Coat Over a Dress

If you need help layering dresses with coats, keep reading on. It can be so hard to stay warm when wearing a dress in the winter, and you don’t want to look frumpy or too bundled. Here are some great tips.

Tip #1: If the dress is nice, choose a dressy coat

If you’re wearing a casual dress, your puffer coat will look great with it. But if your dress is any level of dressy or formal, you absolutely should wear a dressy coat over the top. You can find dressy coats that are still very warm…don’t feel like you need to sacrifice warmth!

Also if you need extra warmth, definitely add tights or pantyhose and nice boots.

Tip #2: The shape and silhouette of your coat matters

There’s a lot of different styles of coats out there…long ones that fall straight down, long ones that cinch in at the waist (with or without a belt), long ones that flare out like an A-line dress, and others that are shorter and cinch in, belt, or have a straight cut.

The most universally flattering ones are the ones that cinch in at the waist. See how something like THIS has a straight cut? And something like THIS has a flared cut? Or for casual jackets, the shape of THIS has a more cinched at the waist cut, and THIS one has a straighter cut?

If you’re wearing a dress that accentuates your waist, choose a coat (long or short) that accentuates your waist. If you’re wearing a straight fit dress with no accentuated waist, you can choose a coat with a straight fit.

Tip #3: Don’t forget about length of the coat

If you’re wearing a long dress, a shorter coat is a better option so you’re not drowning in fabric. Choose one that hits you at the hip bones or above.

If you’re wearing a shorter dress, choose a coat that’s longer. The length of the coat can be the same length as the dress, slightly longer, or slightly shorter. But I would stay away from drastically different lengths.

I’ll be doing a Get Dressed with Merrick over on Instagram stories all about this today…don’t miss it!

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How to Wear Dresses with Coats

tan coat with purple sweater dress

Brrr, winter is officially here. Layering dresses with coats can be tricky when you need to stay warm, but here are some easy tips to make it stylish and warm. 

 

Layering a Coat Over a Dress

If you need help layering dresses with coats, keep reading on. It can be so hard to stay warm when wearing a dress in the winter, and you don’t want to look frumpy or too bundled. Here are some great tips.

 

outfit details

LOFT DRESS | AMAZON COAT | CHELSEA BOOTS | TALL SOCKS | AMAZON BELT | LEOPARD STRAP | MADEWELL CROSSBODY BAG

 

puffer coat with orange floral dress green wool coat with floral dress

Tip #1: If the dress is nice, choose a dressy coat

If you’re wearing a casual dress, your puffer coat will look great with it. But if your dress is any level of dressy or formal, you absolutely should wear a dressy coat over the top. You can find dressy coats that are still very warm…don’t feel like you need to sacrifice warmth!

Also if you need extra warmth, definitely add tights or pantyhose and nice boots.

SIMILAR BROWN DRESS | AMAZON PUFFER COAT | SIMILAR ANKLE BOOTS | JCREW WOOL COAT

shape of the coat

Tip #2: The shape and silhouette of your coat matters

There’s a lot of different styles of coats out there…long ones that fall straight down, long ones that cinch in at the waist (with or without a belt), long ones that flare out like an A-line dress, and others that are shorter and cinch in, belt, or have a straight cut.

The most universally flattering ones are the ones that cinch in at the waist. See how something like THIS has a straight cut? And something like THIS has a flared cut? Or for casual jackets, the shape of THIS has a more cinched at the waist cut, and THIS one has a straighter cut?

There are no hard, fast rules for which dress you should wear with which coat…I’d just be careful with boxy coats (especially with boxy dresses), and just know that accentuating your waist with a coat is always the most flattering option.

NAVY BLUE MADEWELL COAT | MERRICK WHITE COLLECTION RUFFLE HEM DRESS | SIMILAR LEOPARD PUMPS | SIMILAR FUR COLLAR COAT

 

length of the coat formal dress with fur coat

Tip #3: Don’t forget about length of the coat

If you’re wearing a long dress, a shorter coat is a better option so you’re not drowning in fabric. Choose one that hits you at the hip bones or above.

If you’re wearing a shorter dress, you can do either longer or shorter.. The length of the coat can be the same length as the dress, slightly longer, or slightly shorter. Try to stay away from drastically different lengths when wearing shorter dresses, beca

But remember, there are always nuances! The outfit I’m wearing at the top of this post has a longer midi dress and a longer coat, but I think it really works because I’m wearing the coat open and you can see the full length of the dress and not focus on the big chunk of purple hanging below the bottom of the coat. If I was freezing and would have to close my coat, I’d choose a coat that’s a more similar length to the dress OR choose a coat that hits closer to my hip bones.

LULUS FLOOR LENGTH GOWN | WHITE HOUSE BLACK MARKET COAT | AMAZON FAUX FUR COAT

 

 

I’ll be doing a Get Dressed with Merrick over on Instagram stories all about this today…don’t miss it! If you missed it check out all the advice in this video:


 

 

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