Have Dress, Need Warmth

I just found a lonely little pile of reader mail from early November that somehow got skipped over in the frenzy of my move, and that's in addition to the current pile that needs to be answered, so the next week or two will include lots of Q&A catch up. Hopefully the readers who wrote these emails still read the blog, remember they wrote these emails in the first place, and haven't died of old age. (Hang on, Claire! Stay with us!)

First up:

Dear Winona,

I'm liking the dress with tights trend, but in most of the photos for this look the model is not wearing a jacket, a sweater... anything on top of the dress. What kind of warm outer layer would work with this look? Maybe a longer peacoat? I'm really at a loss.... but something warm is neccessary- I live in the northwest where we freeze our butts off all winter!

The dress I wear most often is generally shaped like this on top:


But the skirt is shorter, just a few inches above the knees. I usually wear black or graphite/heather opaque tights, with black flats.

I love your blog, you seem like the perfect person to ask!

Signed,
Sleeveless in Seattle

PS: You can do the dress/tights thing with flats... right? They have itty bitty heels on 'em. I think they look good, but I just thought I'd ask the guru.

Dear Sleeveless,

First off, Northwest represent! (Yes, I'm throwing up an NW gang sign right now.) Where do you live? And why aren't we friends? We should def make a date to drink coffee in the rain together sometime.

But anyway, back to the matter at hand: I love me a dress with some tights! I wore a dress with tights just today, actually. And the outfit you describe sounds mega cute. Too cute, in fact, for us to be friends. So scratch that. (I'm trying to phase out all of my witty, pretty friends and replace them with boring, homely ones.)

Pretty much any outer layer your heart desires is going to look amazing with this. I love your peacoat idea, especially if the dress is a bright print and and long enough to peek out an inch or two below the coat's hem.

In other news, how cute is this girl's hair?
Tulle Double Breasted Wool Coat, $78, nordstrom.com

I have a hot pink double breasted raincoat that I wear over dresses all the time. Especially if you're rockin an LBD (am I the only one who hates that acronym? It sounds positively venereal), it's easy and chic to throw on a bright coat.

This model kind of looks like she's waiting for her man to come home on their anniversary so she can throw open that bright little coat and say, "Ta-da! I'm naked!", but obviously you don't have to do that (unless you want to).
Gallery Belted Trench Coat, $148, nordstrom.com

I also love the the juxtaposition of a sweet dress and cute tights with a chunky old man cardigan (a more subdued version of the "own the ugly thing" I discussed recently).

This guy's a little douchey, but I dig the sweater.
Tasso Elba Button Front Cardigan, $59, macys.com (try the men's section in thrift stores for more cheap, funky cardigans)

If you haven't already, check out Ambika's recent coat posts for more outerwear options from another soggy northwest babe. (Here and here)

p.s. FOR SURE you can do tights with flats! Do tights with anything! Except cocaine. Don't do cocaine.