8 Tips on How to Style the Same Dress Different Ways so it Looks New (2024)

I’m sure this goes without saying but rewearing the clothes in your closet is a smart thing to do. Most of us can’t constantly be buying new clothes for every occasion that comes up. But, you also don’t want to look like you’re always wearing the same thing to work or to events. For me this especially rings true with dresses. While I have fixed that issue renting dresses from RTR (Rent The Runway) before, sometimes I completely forget before it’s too late. And even though I am not buying a new dress that will sit in my closet for months in between wears, you’re still having to fork out more cash for something to wear as opposed to “shopping your closet” for something suitable to wear AND that is why these tips are so important and will come in handy when you think you have nothing to wear.

Most of us, have more in our closets than we remember and with a few tweaks you can wear the same dress on a number of occasions and throughout the seasons without looking like you’re wearing the same old dress. I know it might be hard to see the potential when you haven’t gotten something new in a while to mix things up and so I wanted to share some of my styling tips to help you get the most wear out of the clothes already in your closet!

Before the holiday season I picked up this lace dress. I bought it because I knew I’d be able to wear it more than once and because I didn’t have anything that color to work with for our family holiday photos. That is the one time of year that I usually spend more on our clothes since I like to find coordinating outfits for all of us. I had planned on wearing the dress as is for the photoshoot but as I was looking at all our outfits together it seemed really dark, and not to mention it was really cold and I would have been freezing in a sleeveless dress! That’s besides the point and I’m getting off track…but, it does lead me into one of my first styling tricks!!

How to Style the Same Dress Different Ways so it Looks New

1. Wear a sweater over your dress so it looks like a two-piece outfit instead of a dress. My sweater of choice is this cute grey peplum sweater. It runs short so it’s great to wear with high waist jeans or over a dress to keep you warm and stylish.

2. Add a belt to give your dress a little extra interest and waist definition. I love my reversible Tory Burch belt because it’s two belts in one and depending on what I’m wearing or carrying I have it totally covered with the tan leather or black leather side.

3. Swap heels for boots or flats to give your dress a whole new vibe. You might think that this lace dress will only look good if it’s worn with heels because it’s a dressier dress by nature but I’d like to disagree with you on that. I think that no matter the material or style you can transform your look.

4. Just like with the first tip you can throw a blouse on over your dress and add a belt (from the second tip) to create a polished outfit perfect for the office. I love belting my oversized blouses even when I’m wearing them with jeans to make me look more put together. It works just as well with a dress.

5. This tip is unfortunately a little harder with a dress like this one that has a fuller skirt but works especially well with slip dresses or bodycon dresses and that’s to wear a skirt over your dress. I love doing this with some of my other dresses that I own. You can dress it down with a denim skirt or dress it up with a pleated midi skirt. The possibilites are endless when you think of all the different style skirts there are.

6. Wear your dress with a chunky knit long cardigan for a cozy winter vibe. I’ve had this red cable knit cardigan for a few years and love how quickly it changes any outfit when I put it on. Red is a bold color that looks great year round, not just around the holidays. This looks great with heels or flats.

7. Throw on a blazer over your dress for a workday outfit that’s sure to wow but still be appropriate and understated. With a fitted blazer you still get to see the dress but not too much skin and so it makes it totally ok for an office environment. If you’re more into boyfriend blazers and that’s what’s already in your closet put a belt over the blazer to make it more fitted and to raise it up a bit. I feel like with jackets in general when worn over dresses you really need to look at the length of the jacket. You don’t want it to hit too low, especially if the dress has a fuller skirt because then you’ll look larger than you are. You still want to show off your curves or the illusion of having curves and that’s why adding a belt over the blazer can help achieve both when it isn’t already fitted or more cropped.

8. Wear with tennis shoes or sneakers and a t-shirt or sweatshirt if its colder for a super casual weekend outfit. Again, transforming your dress into a skirt is such an easy way to get more wear out of it. These are such easy ways to create new outfits out of what you already own. Wearing a band tee or graphic tee will look so different then wearing it with a white v-neck. Just like styling with a blouse in tip four the possibilities are endless. You can create a monochromatic outfit or add a pop of color.

Dress: ASTR The Label, on SALE! (last seen on the blog here and here). Boots: Steve Madden, on sale! Belt: Tory Burch, reversible. Jacket: BlankNYC. Bag: Gucci. Sunglasses: Chloe, old.

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Do you already do any of these styling tricks? Either way, I’d love to know which tip is your favorite!!

As always, thank you so much for stopping by the blog today! I hope you enjoyed this post and these styling tips! As a little reminder, I created a FREE downloadable style guide with some simple tips to help you elevate your everyday outfits. You can snag yourself a copy here!

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