SOFT LAYERING
Layering your Outfit
One of my favorite style hacks. It allows you to get the most out of your wardrobe by creating new outfits with one dress. Sometimes, a dress may not look like a dress if you layer another item. Now, I know that we think of layering, we may think about layers of clothing, and that may work, but for the summer, it may mean layering “softly”. Soft layering may mean adding accessories or lighter-weight fabrics to the dress. It may mean adding a larger, chunkier accessory, like a wide belt. When thinking about soft layering, think about WEIGHT, DIMENSION, and COMFORT.
WEIGHTY ACCESSORY
may make the difference between summer layering and fall layering. Weight, in this case, means the fabric weight. If the fabric is lighter, sheer or has a lower thread count (when the weave is more spacey than tight), it may work well for the summer.
Here I add a sheer shirt, similar in color, to the dress. If I didn’t tell you, you may have thought this was a single dress with different tones. Or if you decide to add a t-shirt underneath, it may give your dress a different weight, as opposed to not adding a shirt. Other layered pieces, like a belt, get to the dimension of the layered piece.
DIMENSIONAL ACCESSORY
refers to how large or small an additional item may be. For example, here I use this belt which synchs the waist because of its size, wider vs thinner. It’s just wide enough to add a little something more to this dress without compromising comfort.
Now for me, while comfort trumps aesthetic, they can both coexist. Let’s talk COMFORT.
COMFORTABLE ACCESSORY
If I want to layer a piece in the summer, I want to think about my comfort level. Let’s say, I add a blazer, I will make sure to wear a t-shirt or tank underneath, but I may also add some shorts.
The weight and dimension of the blazer DEFINITELY matter. In this case, this is a lighter blazer, over a t-shirt and distressed denim shorts, all to create a comfortable fit.
So, yes, layering can be done in the summer, especially if you live in a climate where the temperature changes during the day (gets cooler later in the day) or if you will be in or out of air conditioning.
Give LAYERING a shot!
It’s definitely one way to get the most out of your wardrobe.
