Girly, Edgy, and Sporty: 3 Ways to Wear a Simple Grey Dress
We’ve all been there: you’re out on a shopping trip, browsing the racks with your friends, when suddenly – there it is: the PERFECT piece to add to your wardrobe. You buy it immediately and are thrilled until you get it home and realize that you have absolutely no idea how you would ever wear it, or what you would wear it with!
Fortunately, the situation is far from hopeless. When you think about these little “problem pieces”, please consider me like your fairy-idea-grandmother. Today, I’m here to show you three stylish ways to wear one dress. Whether your look is girly, edgy, or sporty, it’s easy to make anything work with your style using some creativity and a few choice pieces. Ready to see more? Read on!
The Dress:
Dress: Net-A-Porter
One of my most recent “perfect-but-tough-to-wear” purchases was a really cute grey dress. Surprisingly, the dress I picked is really versatile; it even surprised me! This piece is also a great example of something most of us probably already have sitting in our closets. Now, let’s talk about how to wear it!
Girly Look:
Product Info: Cardigan, Bag, Shoes, Earrings, Bracelet
This first look I put together is feminine and chic. Because the grey is a neutral, you can feel free to pair whatever colors you wish with it. In this case, I used coral and sea-blue. These two colors complement one another nicely, and kind of remind me of the beach!
Personally, I would wear this outfit on a regular basis; it would be perfect to wear to class, out with friends, or on a date with my boyfriend. Also, I think if you work in an informal setting, it would also be work-appropriate, depending on your dress code.
Edgy Look:
Product Info: Jacket, Shoes, Bracelet, Earrings, Bag
The second look I picked out has a bit more edge to it; it’s perfect for a night out on the town with friends. I used all neutrals this time, with pops of metallic and different textures. Because the dress is silk, I used a faux-leather jacket to keep up the luxe feel. The bag here is definitely an interest piece, big enough to hold anything you might need, but the studs and snakeskin print “tough it up.” Finally, I added the cage booties to up the sexy factor – they’re very “in” right now and will make your legs look mile-long.
Sporty Look:
Product Info: Jacket, Shoes, Bag, Watch, Earrings
This third look is something I would consider for going to and from the gym, or to and from yoga or dance classes. The dress will look nicer than just wearing gym clothes back and forth (especially after you work out!), and if you’re like me and prefer going to the gym late at night or early in the morning, the track jacket will keep you warm. The shoes are not specifically athletic, but look cute. Again, the ruffles of the dress keep you from looking too “varsity athlete of the year” (not that it’s a bad thing!), but the whole combination is still comfortable and cute.
Your Thoughts?
In all of these cases, one thing is abundantly clear: the ability to splurge once, and wear repeatedly is something to keep in mind when you’re working with a shoestring budget. Being a student myself, I never have the money to put together singular outfits, which I wear solely with the pieces they were purchased for, or with. Mixing and matching is essential.
Now I want to know what you think! Do you have a piece like this dress, or for that matter, anything else, that needs a little help? Do you have a “little grey dress?” If so, how do you style it? Let me know with a comment.
Posted on on July 7, 2010 / Filed Under: Fashion Tips / Tags: Budget, Dresses, Grey, How To, Outfits, Shopping
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Milana
Beautiful dress!
Starsarella
love it! personally i’d do the edgy look :)
BreaD
Great post! The dress is fab. I clicked on the link and it took me to net-a-porter’s website, but there were no specifics on the dress. :( What brand is it? Once again – great job!!
Carolanne
actually, I have something quite similar to this, but in a dusty blue color. This article is really helpful! Would love to see more posts like this – different ways to wear a certain item. Great job! =]
Isabel
Seriously love this post! I have a similar dress and I think I will definitely be rocking the edgy look sometime soon! Thanks for the suggestions!
Alycia - University of Windsor
Hey Brea, in answer to your question, I have the link I used to find the dress for you!
http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/62547?cm_mmc=LinkshareUS-_-Custom-_-Link-_-Builder&siteID=Hy3bqNL2jtQ-w6eUvnQUpt2hoabQT_BKVw
Glad you liked the post! :)
Hannah
I have a similar dress in my closet. It’s a very simple navy scoopneck dress. I bought it for a semi-formal three years ago and have been wearing it at least three times a month since then! (Totally worth the original splurge.) I actually wore it to work today with a lace blouse underneath, a floral print scarf worn as a headband, and red wedges. (I work in the fashion industry, so the dress code isn’t your typical business casual.) The dress is a fabulous layering piece – I wear it under cardigans, over tank tops (for a peek-a-boo effect), with belts, tights, knee socks, etc.
Definitely continue this feature! I really like it. :)
xoxo Hannah
Katelin
I think these outfits are really cute, but I hope you don’t really expect the average college girl to pay $168 for a dress and still have money for the rest of the outfit. Maybe next time you could offer a cheaper alternative in addition to original. Otherwise, I love the versatility!
Rebecca
I love the concept of this post and I’m looking forward to seeing more like it! I’ve bought tube tops, coloured tights, and sheer sweaters that I have no idea how to wear and they just sit in my closet forever.
Callie
Love the edgy look!
For anyone looking for a cheaper version, there’re some cute grey dresses at Forever 21 right now
Jessica
Just bought an awesome grey dress that looks great on me but I had no idea how to wear it!! Thanks you made my day :)
Melissa
great post! perfectly styled/accesorized
Hannah M
these are really cute. i have a ton of dresses and this completely inspires me. ;)
Books, Sweat, and Trends
Love, love, love the idea for this post. I’m always trying to get as much versatility out of my clothes as possible. The original cost of the gray dress is pretty unrealistic for my budget though. However, I thought you styled the dress really well.
Shannon
I love the concept of this post but really hate the dress. It looks like it would be very unflattering. Maybe it’s just my figure but I find empire waist dresses to be the most flattering. Dresses without some kind of nipping at the waist just don’t seem to work for me.
nid entrance exam
Really a nice post. I love these outfits and love to buy them. They are really very cool. thanks for sharing the post with us.
Steph
This is an excellent post :) Love the edgy and girly looks (although I would probably tone it down) a little. It’s very inspirational.
xoxo
Stephanie
Bri19
Dresses like these are worth buying. I personally love to purchase things are worth while. This dress is very simple. My favortie look is the edgy. Love this post!
Charlotte
love this post :]]] i have so many clothes but i like to keep things fresh by mixing it up and this post is perfect inspiration for that.
i have quite a simple heather grey dress just from H&M and I think I might try out some of these ideas with it!!
Charlotte xxx
LilyBella
LOVE these looks
Re
This posts reminds me of the Uniform Project with the grey dress and all, but just like that project, this is absolutely fantastic! I love how you achieved so many different looks with the same main piece but different accessories. The second outfit is definitely my favorite. I’d like to see something that’s a little less of a blank canvas in a future post since I always end up getting something too terribly unique to wear with many different pieces.
I really look forward to futurep posts like this (one piece, twenty different looks)! Great job.
OMG-CF
I’m sorry, but tossing in a hoodie and sneakers does not make anything “sporty.” You would consider wearing a silk dress “to and from the gym”? Really?
marie
Love the dress and looks. I have lots of grey, so this will help me
But I feel obligated as a Vancouverite to mention that Lululemon jackets are NOT track jackets, they are yoga wear
=]
callado
mixing and matching them looks fabulous.great advice i have a similar dress. at least now i know what to do with it instead of it collecting dust in the closet.ta!!!
Paulette
I loved you article!!!! I have a grey dress that’s very similar and I never thought it could be possible to wear it in some many ways!!!!!!! thanks!!!
Lala
Hey I had a question. My style is like edgy chic with some playfulness on the side so my question is how would you dress like that for the summer? Any tips?
Brook
AGAIN…Something i would never have the balls to pull off but…def would love to try gah your really good at this!!!!!! Keep doing what you are doing it is def something your good at lol
shawday The BroadwayStar
I have a similar dress to your grey dress, My personal style would have to be EDGY, I love the accessories you put for the edgy style it was absolutely amazing. I would definitely wear that.
Ava
Hi!
I really need help finding day outfits for my beautiful Betsey Johnson bag. It’s metallic gold cheetah print tote ????
I don’t want the bag overpowering me or my clothes.
My style is basically a scene girl go half preppy!