This guest post was written by Jennifer and Melissa of Workchic.com. Workchic helps dress women for work by offering suggested outfits, fit guidelines, tips and tricks on how to look professional, feminine and chic. Check out the Workchic blog for tips and trends!
This week we want to elaborate on the fit and styling of wearing jackets with dresses. Proportion is key. Wearing longer jackets without structure will drown out your shape. Instead look for jackets that hit at the waist or hip. Three quarter sleeves are great in the summer, and princess seams add shape and contour to your look.
Blue polka dots are fun, but we found a dress with a similar shape in a modern medallion pattern. The key to making this look business casual is all black accessories, from the shoes to the jacket we have you covered. The details on this jacket are exquisite. The three quarter sleeves are set on with origami folding at the shoulder. It will hit at the waist and can be worn open showing off a belted waist. While the style comes with it’s own belt we recommend swapping it with a black one. This keeps the look streamlined and chic for the office.
The original vintage dress has a Diane von Furstenberg appeal, so we found an original DVF to redo the look. The jacket we selected only has one button and small lapels so it can easily worn open with the dress collar over the jacket. Like the original our second dress choice can be worn on it’s own to a business casual office, adding a jacket just makes it even more professional. Two tones peep to pumps are stylish without detracting from the dress and muted aqua accessories added an unexpected punch of color.
This red zebra print dress was a great vintage find for summer. You can recreate the feeling of this look with an ikat print dress. We went with a more modern empire waist instead of a drop waist for our redo, but we kept the hobo bag and Mary-Jane’s. Finish off the look with a denim jacket to make it work appropriate. This style will hit right at your hip, taming the full skirt of the dress. Double princess seams and bloused sleeves are flattering and feminine. This is a heavy print so we kept the accessories neutral and to a minimum, earrings are enough jewelry for this look.
For our last look the original dress is very chic in black and white. We updated it with some color for our redo. The look gets much more professional with a classic white blazer. This style has darts and hits at the hip for a tailored look over the loose silhouette of the dress. Black pointed toe pumps are sophisticated and a rolling bag makes toting your laptop a breeze. Finish the look with a light silver necklace and bracelet.
You can easily create sophisticated and professional looks with fun printed dresses by simply adding the right jacket. We know boyfriend jackets popped back up in the market, but keep those to wear with your denim. The cut is key over a dress. You can see that all our examples utilize shorter styles and can be worn open so that you don’t loose the details of the dress. Have fun shopping and recreating your own Workchic looks.
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