If you are between the ages of 29-35, you undoubtedly remember the prime days of Disney Channel. Images of teen stars on the red carpet in gloriously wild layered looks probably live rent-free in your brain! Who didn’t have a Disney Channel star whose wardrobe they wanted to raid? Hey, I’ll be honest Lizzie Mcquire had the greatest influence on my personal style. Some of these looks could honestly be pulled off today with the resurgence of Y2K looks. Instead, let’s update them to fit our current age. One of my favorite controversial styles from back in the day is the dress over pants look. There are several reasons why I gravitate toward this look:
– A dress AND pants (rather than one or the other) means twice the prints and textures!
– Wearing double the “main pieces” means using more of your wardrobe consistently!
– Layering the two means you can really play with shapes! Tight bottom and loose top or loose bottom and tight top or loose and loose or tight and tight- the list goes on!
Given these points, a dress over pants look is one to try! Today, I’m sharing my top three tips on updating the style for a 2023 world.
1: How To Style A Dress Over Pants: The Basics
The Advice: The easiest way to make a dress over pants look dated is to USE dated pieces! It sounds stupid, but the best way to update this look is to use pieces that are somewhat recently trendy or are incredibly classic.
My Look: You can see how I used this advice in my look by choosing wide-leg pants. Looser pants are definitely having a style moment! The camo pair I chose provides an updated wide base for the look. Btw, camo is practically a neutral, so pretty much anytime you are going to style denim, you can switch out for camo if you’re trying to for a maximalist look.
2: Focus On The Colors
Advice: If you do this look and stick with the cotton candy and unicorn color palette Disney stars tended to stick with, you will look dated. However, by choosing rich jewel tones or dark muted shades, your look will look fresh and forward-leaning.
My Look: The deep shades of the aline dress alongside the muted camo dress create a grown-up color palette. Additionally, the pinks of the tulle turtleneck give a bright color pop that is undeniably a throwback to the pants over dress looks of Y2K.
3: Add What Makes You Happy
The Advice: Any style advice I dole out will always include to add what makes you happy! You cannot develop your personal style without including what you love.
The Look: For how to style a dress over pants look, I added my favorite green boots and some necklaces (a pearl chain and a silver chain) that always bring me joy.
In conclusion, the dress-over-pants look isn’t just a blast from the past; it’s a style statement waiting to be redefined by YOU. Remember, the core essence of fashion trends vs personal style is making it uniquely yours. Embrace the colors, textures, and, most importantly, the joy it brings you. Because at the end of the day, the best accessory you can wear is your radiant confidence. So go on, bring out those hidden gems from your wardrobe, layer them up, and strut your updated Y2K-inspired style.
Is this a trend you think is best left to the past, or is this a look you’d give a go?
Sound off in the comments cause I would love to know!
FOR YOUR PERUSAL
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