Style Tips: how to style a navy dress

29 Comments

1. That mannequin is very unappealing. What’s up with that?

2. I like the simplicity of this dress and bag. I would remove the necklace and add colorful bracelets on one arm. A jean jacket or shawl could be added for AC. Happy Saturday!

3. The mannequin device looks to be the torso & arm portions of a full-size artist poseable figure, missing the head and legs. Its designed to be posed in any position. It helps the artist get the proportions correct. I have a couple smaller versions. I don’t find it appealing as a display prop. I don’t find the dress to be very appealing either. It reminds me of the 1950s. It could be jazzed up with a belt. I’d ditch the necklace and suggest an little Audrey Hepburn scarf to echo the retro look of the dress. And keep going with the Hepburn theme with a little bolero jacket and ballet flats. I’d ditch the oversized tote as well. Its not a look that appeals to me but it could suit someone else very nicely.

4. An odd looking mannequin but love navy, so love this dress. Maybe add a light weight white jean jacket for chilly evenings? Maybe add white enamel chunky necklace and bracelets to lighten it up? I think white is just a perfect partner for summer navy.

5. This dress is very cute and probably flattering but it appears to have deep armholes. As in, you’d have to wear a sweater or jacket or your bra might be showing. It could be the photo. A bright belt and necklace could be worn. This is a dress one could do a lot with. I would add a lightweight sweater in a cheerful color: red, yellow, lighter blue, or white. I think the scarves add bulk and make a torso look bigger instead of camouflaging.

6. Thank you for starting us off today with the style tips!

7. Thank you for the take on the display device, Kathie! And for including your style tips!

8. Hmm, this is a bit challenging b/c navy is so dark. Maybe add a colorful woven raffia belt, espadrilles, a straw bag and hat with a colorful scarf tied around it. For jewelry, a simple gold cuff and a necklace chain or leather cord with a pearl or bead.

9. I love this simple dress! I would take a few inches off the hem. It needs to hit mid calf on me. I would play with a Madewell cotton square scarf in my autumn collection of colors to see how that would look tucked under the collar. I would wear my round straw crossbody and see if I could find navy or nude espadrilles. I am not sure which would look best. Probably the navy since I have dark hair. I have a citron large and very light weight square cashmere scarf that could add what I need for contrast if it was chilly. Great possibilities with this dress!

10. I like this mannequin; looks like the artist’s posable ones. So much better than some of those molded plastic ones I have been seeing. This is the style of dress I would have worn when I worked. I love navy (and black) and own quite a bit. So many options to styling but today I feel like adding a gold and tortoise chunky necklace with a matching tortoise bracelet. A wide woven stretch belt with tortoise buckle would look great. Just because the AC was cranked up all the time at work I would add a mustard or yellow cardigan.

11. This is a great dress for summer. To create a dressy outfit, I would add a colourful scarf with pinks and reds, plus earrings with one of these colours. Plus red or pink sandals. Fir a more casual look, I’d wear it with a jean jacket or sweater and a pair of Keds (my favourite summer shoe).

12. I would also ditch the necklace and flatten the collar the way it’s meant to be worn. I would love to add a belt as some others have suggested, but I think the wide smocking would prevent anyone from doing that. To dress up, I’d add a lacy open cardi in white (or green or yellow); for casual, I’d tie a red and white sweater over the shoulders — heels or sneakers respectively.

13. I have a lot of blue in my wardrobe. I’ve owned all blue dresses in the past and never worn them a lot.
    In the dullest of looks I’d go for a white sweater or jacket, silver jewelry and other colors of blue in a scarf for pin.
    I agree that the dress is too long.
    I have a thing about the American flag, I never wear clothing that mimics the stars and stripes b/c I feel it’s disrespectful. If pushed I might pair this with red shoes for a July look, but that’s as far as I’d go.

14. Love the respect you show. Though I do wear patriotic colors on holidays, your comment touched me.

15. I like this dress and would style it with chunky turquoise jewelry (stacked bracelets, earrings or a necklace), tan wedge sandals, keep the bag (I own it and it’s a nice one), add a straw hat. For the evening, I would forgo the hat and add a light sweater either in coral or ivory. Bright coral lipstick and minimal makeup.

16. I’d wear this with flat sandals, a wide flat brimmed hat snd a tote bag much like it’s carrying. I’m a fan of silver jewelry with navy. It looks like a great dress. Happy Saturday Pam.

17. I agree with everyone who would like to see a shorter hem length.

18. I have always liked navy and coral together….thanks Linda.

19. The ideas stated here are all great. I will add…in the fall, you could wear a lime green pullover lightweight sweater over the dress. And it would look like a top and skirt. So versatile ! Pam, I listened to the podcast. Wonderful!! So inspiring.

20. Thank you, Marcia! I am so glad you enjoyed it. They were very kind to ask me to be their guest.

21. The mannequin is distracting. Not something you want as a merchandiser. I really like the dress. It’s a blank canvas, really. I would undo a couple buttons, add a white tank and layer on some colorful, beaded necklaces. The bag is perfect as is. Some simple sandals in a neutral color and you’re out the door. Deborah’s idea of a colorful neckerchief would also look great. Very French chic!

22. I would love to wear this navy dress. I would always wear this with a topper because of my scared arms from dialysis for 28+ years. This would be so chic with different accessories!!! So versatile!!!

23. LOL, the arms on that mannequin!!!! 😀 I had to laugh at those for a hot minute and get past that. But I must say: What a great, basic, versatile, figure flattering dress to add to the wardrobe! I believe it could easily work during three seasons. I love it as is with the chain necklace for summer, but I’d opt for a straw tote that was a bit smaller to better balance the proportions. This garment can be either dressed up or down with just about any shoe option on the market. I live in Texas where temps are already getting sooooo hot, but by September or so, it will cool off. Okay. Maybe I’m being too optimistic…So maybe October. 😉 This dress could extend into the fall wardrobe easily with a denim jacket topper or cardigan, along with a leather bag and seasonal shoes. Just about any color or style would work with it. For the early spring wardrobe which, for us in Texas, will be useful from March through April, simply choose from spring toppers.

24. LOL, the arms on that mannequin!!!! 😀 I had to laugh at those for a hot minute and get past that. But I must say: What a great, basic, versatile, figure flattering dress to add to the wardrobe! I believe it could easily work during three seasons. I love it as is with the chain necklace for summer, but I’d opt for a straw tote that was a bit smaller to better balance the proportions. This garment can be either dressed up or down with just about any shoe option on the market. I live in Texas where temps are already getting sooooo hot, but by September or so, it will cool off. Okay. Maybe I’m being too optimistic…So maybe October. 😉 This dress could extend into the fall wardrobe easily with a denim jacket topper or cardigan, along with a leather bag and seasonal shoes. Just about any color or style would work with it. For the early spring wardrobe which, for us in Texas, will be useful from March through April, simply choose from spring toppers.

25. I like the color and simple style of this dress. The neckline and collar would compliment a shorter neck. I would style this with a thin gold chain choker necklace, small gold hoop earrings, a smaller straw tote and natural toned sandals with a low heel.

26. This is the perfect post for me! I’m just starting my 100 day challenge with Wool& in a navy sierra dress. So I can just scroll through these comments and try them all out! Thanks everyone!!! So far I have worn it with my school t-shirt over the top and tied in a knot so the dress looks like a skirt, with a pink/white striped cardigan and a cute baseball hat and with a cactus cardigan and cactus earrings. All with some sort of flip flop or sandal. I am pretty casual here in the PNW.

27. I have a similar navy dress, and wear it frequently. I add a small cotton neck scarf in a multi color print that includes some red. Then I add red drop earrings, red platform sandals and a red purse.

28. I do like the dress but would want it to be knee length for me…..I feel dowdy in longer. I would wear a necklace that fits inside the collar rather than awkwardly hanging over…..probably in a color, white or turquoise. Nude shoes, smaller straw bag and a lightweight jean jacket for a/c. I never think of a belt as it seems to be drawing a line around the waistline I do not have. But the first thing I noticed about this photo is the pins in the back of the jean jacket to the right. It is cheating for a store to make a jacket look like it has a nice fitted shape, only for the customer to discover it has no shape when she tries it on. False advertising!! Bait and switch!!

29. Personally feel this is a dress that would work with just about any figure type. For myself do like the smocked waist (have a spaghetti strap/wide legged/linen jumpsuit and find it comfortable) that adds character to an otherwise neutral colored dress plus because I am relatively slender and have long legs, would undo a few lower buttons to create a split to reveal a wee bit of them. For accessories; I would choose navy blue canvas espadrilles. Jewelry if a metal would be ‘current’ in design, being more on the chunkier side rather than delicate. i.e.: Options — A necklace in either a choker or princess length / a cuff bracelet / hooped earrings / large faced watch etc.. Whereas for the addition of color, change out the neutral woven tote and replace it with a dyed raffia type in a spring green for example with earrings to match. -Brenda-
    P.S.: Re the mannequins; agree with others as often used for figure drawing by artists which BTW is also a requisite in fashion designing.

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