How I Style: Eyelet Dress (For Fall and Winter)

Styling can be difficult, especially when it comes to trendy pieces. How to style, also known as how I style, is a chance for me to pick a trend and style it using Polyvore to help you.

Eyelet dresses are a staple in summer; they're light and airy, and they're usually white and innocent.  But, once the warm weather goes away, you hang it up in the closet and ignore it for months, only to bring it back out once the snow clears.  But, you can wear them year round with a bit of work, and I'm here to show you how.  First thing I'm going to tackle is the "don't wear white after Labor Day" rule. You wear white in summer because it deflects the most light, thus keeping you cooler. It's why we wear dark colors in the colder months, because darker colors retain the light and heat. Also, fall and winter time are wetter and dirtier than the warmer months, so white is ill advised. But, like any rule, this one is meant to be broken.  Eyelet dresses feature eyelet lace, which looks like this:

It's usually very subtle around the hems, and sometimes, at the neck and sleeves.  Eyelet dresses are usually very feminine in the shape; I grew up wearing a lot of eyelet lace trimmed dresses and blouses. 

Since white is hard to pull of on it's own without blinding people, I decided to pair it with darker colors to tone it down, and to enunciate the eyelets. This outfit is very minimal, it's all about focusing on the dress. Since this dress has a drawstring waist, I decided against a belt, so I just added some tights, socks, and boots. I added in a big floppy hat to balance it out. You totally don't need to wear the cape with this outfit, it could hold out on it's own, but I couldn't resist a little homage to red riding hood, especially in the Winter.

This outfit is the opposite of the previous one. With this outfit, instead of focusing on the dress, I used it as merely a top. I added a teal skirt over the top, and belted it with an intricate belt. I added over the knee socks and knee high for leg warmth, and then added a cardigan for balance. As a final touch, I added a clutch with a decorative detail. This outfit is heavy in color and in actual weight, so it would be fantastic in the late Autumn months, in between the snows. You could add a peacoat to this and still look great.

Layering, but in a different way. Instead of layering over the dress, we're layering under. Adding the blouse under the dress--especially one with an interesting print, is a great way to layer without covering up the dress.The print on the blouse is interesting, and the bow adds a cute touch, so I didn't want to cover it up. Because the print is interesting, I didn't want to compete with it, so I kept the rest of the outfit relatively simple: black knee highs, brown Chelsea boots, a brown satchel and a black bowler hat. I opted for knee highs instead of socks because I like the gap of skin between the hem of the dress and the beginning of the socks, and I consider it built in accessory, which is why I opt for it all of the time. The brown boots are great for the mid Autumn puddles, and, the bowler hat is for balance. I chose black because I wanted to keep a relatively even spaced spread of color, but a brown one would look just as lovely. 

Just because the dress is lace and white doesn't mean you have to dress girly. With this outfit, I channeled my inner male, and paired the dress with a brown overcoat. I added a dark navy blue snood and belt, with oxblood Doc Martens and a satchel. There is something about boots and dresses that I just love. It's hard and soft, and if it's done right, it looks great. The coat has a deep and thick collar, and is great for warmth in the cold Winter, and the deep collar allows for a but of peak-a-boo of the dress. Without the coat, the outfit is still a relatively simple outfit. I belted it for added definition and added a scarf to match, and added dark red Docs to contrast the white and blue. Though this outfit is obviously still girly, it isn't in your face. But, it also isn't androgynous. You could add tights--I would--but it isn't necessary. Obviously these are my stylings, so if there is something that isn't quite your style, feel free to change it! This is a guide, not a set-in-stone rule book. 
 I hope you all enjoyed my stylings and my advice--feel free to comment down below with any items you'd like to see styled in another "How to Style". Much love,