How to wear a sweater dress as the whole outfit
A sweater dress can be the only decision you make before you leave. Here is how to choose the knit, finish the look in four steps and keep it in shape on a single rail.
Start with the fibre
Read the care label before you look at the shape. A knit with some nylon or polyester in it holds its line through a long day. Plain cotton tends to stretch at the hips and elbows by the afternoon. Wool and wool blends are the warmest, though some people find them scratchy at the neck. A mock neck helps in cold weather because it covers your throat, so you can skip the scarf.
Size is partly taste. An oversized dress is meant to slouch, so your usual size gives you that drape. Going down one size gives you a closer line. Neither is wrong.
Four steps to finish the look
- Check the hem sitting down. Perch on the edge of your bed or a chair. If the hem rides much higher than mid thigh, plan on opaque tights.
- Add tights in a matching shade. Black, charcoal or a deep brown that sits close to the dress color makes one long line from hem to shoe. Opaque tights are warmer than sheer ones.
- Choose a shoe with some weight. A knit dress is soft and a little bulky, so an ankle boot or a flat loafer balances it. A thin strappy shoe tends to look lost next to it.
- Put a coat over it that does not match the hem. Either clearly longer or clearly shorter looks deliberate. A coat that stops at the same spot as the dress looks like a mistake.
Then add one thing, such as a belt at the waist or a pair of earrings. More than one starts to compete with the knit.
Keeping it in shape on one rail
Hanger shoulders push small bumps into heavy knits. Fold the dress in thirds and put it on a shelf, or drape it over the rail with the fold at the middle. Between wears, lay it flat on a chair overnight so the fibres can relax.
Wash it cool, inside out, and dry it flat. If small pills gather under the arms, a fabric comb or shaver takes them off in a minute. Do it gently and in one direction, so you do not snag the knit.