A great trend this season among models is the knit dress. The knit dress is awesome simply because of its comfortableness and its versatility. You can go classic preppy with a knit dress and a demurely crisp button-down shirt, or ruffled blouse; or you can go for modern street-style by mixing up the color combinations and adding funky accessories, like a brightly colored belt; or go boho-chic with a slouchy cardigan on top and a too-cool beret.
Runway
Here, we can see the model above posing in her knit dress with a pair of great suede boots and black tights. Anyone want to guess how much her outfit cost? Exactly. Don't despair though! This look is super-easy to pull together for the normal woman. Now, let's take a look at some real world options:
Real Way
Color blocking is big this season. I love the modern, architectural look of colour blocking. It takes any outfit and gives it a sexy urban edge. This Theory 'Audrey - Amorino' dress above is a great example of taking basic colors like black and grey and mixing it up in a sophisticated way. This dress segues perfectly from the office to the bar AND features pockets, which if you don't know, is one of my favourite things.
So now I bet you're thinking, then first example of a knit dress with colour blocking was classy, but what if you're more daring? Then this Cynthia Steffe Colorblock Dress is for you! The hot fushcia colour of this dress is daring and the bateau neckline will elongate you and make you appear more graceful. At first glances, I didn't like how the blocking on this dress was so unbalanced, but its asymmetry has really grown on me! This dress just screams "yeah I just went to another cool art gallery party, see how bored I am with hanging out with muscians and artists?"
If colour blocking is too trendy, then this great little two piece jumper from AsiaJam is perfect for you. Playful and versatile, this dress may be layered with whatever strikes your fancy: think sweet little blouses in spring and summer, and cropped cardigans with chunky necklaces in the winter. Sadly, the belt is sold separately with this outfit, but see how it is a perfect example of how to accessorize? I love this dress the best and am already thinking of pairing it with my white wool legwarmers and flats.
Finally, we have this cute plaid jumper from Gentle Fawn. This wool dress keeps it classic with dark off-white plaid, but adds some sweetness with its lace-trimmed pockets and button patch pockets.
While the Gentle Fawn and AsiaJam dress can be worn alone, you will probably want to layer the dresses with a shirt while the weather is still a tad crisp, or you don't really like your lady-lumps hanging out too much. Pictured above, these shirts from Forever21 offer some great options. If you are going for a plain white shirt, try to pick one with interesting details, like pleats, or an exuberant bow collar - details like these keep your outfit from just being stuffy and make it youthful. Otherwise, experiment with different materials like satin, or go for a more casual look by pairing your knit dress with a striped tee, like the Basic Stripe tee shown above.
Knit dresses by themselves can be boring and wallflower, but with the aid of accessories and colour, a knit dress can become ultra-fashionable. Whatever your style, this key item can be worn with attitude by anyone, from a model to you on the street.
Labels: Fashion