The chilly weather is starting to set in, but that shouldn't mean you have to retire your favourite dresses. After all, if you're anything like me, they're capsule wardrobe items you feature heavily in your repertoire year-round. Personally, I often wear the same pieces during different seasons thanks to some clever styling tricks and layering. The midi—in its many guises—has to be my favourite style of all. Whether teamed with trainers, boots or loafers during autumn, I find that dresses are the most versatile things to wear.
Right now, you can update your dresses in the simplest of ways: Fasten a looser-fit summer option with a wide waist belt or a chunky cardigan, for example. I also love to wear my dresses under one of my two favourite jackets: a blazer or a leather biker jacket, as it'll always make the outfit look current. Then there's the excellent layering tool I've come to rely upon: a long-sleeved roll-neck. It's the perfect layering piece for those more-revealing frocks you might have worn during the heat wave. Keep reading to see my favourite autumn dresses and how I'm styling them for the here and now.
The perfect dress brand for unique styles: Stine Goya
Stine Goya is my latest designer obsession, and its midi dresses tick all the boxes for me. I love the fun prints, and they work for day or night. When a dress looks just as good with trainers as it does with heels, it's a winner.
The perfect tea dress: ASOS
ASOS's famous tea dress is back, and it's been updated from the original pea-green shade to a bright pop of pink. Perfect to layer with a leather jacket to toughen the look up.
Related: How to Dress in Your 30s, as Told by Four Very Stylish Women
The perfect pinafore for layering: Topshop
Topshop pinafore dresses were super frustrating for me to wear without revealing myself too much: I loved all the prints, but the shape didn't work. Layering over a roll-neck answered my problems. Not only does it keep me warm, but it also keeps me covered up.
The perfect party dress: Philosophy Di Lorenzo Serafini
I enjoy making a dress that's usually worn for evening work in a more casual way with a blazer and biker boots. I'm a big believer in not saving your dresses for best and finding a way to make them work on a regular day too. It might be a past-season piece, but this black lace dress has become a staple part of the Philosophy offering almost each year, so you can still find similar styles.
Related: I Dare You Not to Love These 4 Autumn Dress Trends
Shop more of my favourite dresses
The perfect kind of year-round floral print.
It's becoming a street style favourite already.
Add a belt and this will look far more expensive.
Great with cowboy boots, as pictured.
Just add knee boots for the full '70s look.
Wouldn't be a complete list without a leopard-print option.
Just in case I need another LBD…
Layer with a biker jacket now; then wear it on holiday later.
A new brand definitely worth having on your radar.
Next up, the boots to wear with different dresses.
