5 Ways to Wear Your Dresses as Skirts or Tops | Restyle Your Closet

So often women say "I don't have anything to wear", when staring at a closet full of clothing--and I am absolutely guilty of this as well. The trick is to become an expert at seeing pieces differently, and learning to rock them in unexpected ways. You can totally shop your closet and get 3x the wear out of a single piece when you wear your dresses as skirts and tops. Layering them is the easiest way to shop your closet and create additional looks you'll love.

This may not work with every single dress you own, but it will work with many of them. You just have to play around with proportions to see what works and what doesn't. (Yes, try on your clothing. It's not a process that ends in the dressing room, as daunting as that can be. We'll talk more tips on that tomorrow!)

5 ways you can restyle your favorite dresses as skirts or tops: 
1. Wear a looser top like a mens' shirt or a chunky knit sweater over a fitted or straight dress. With the volume on top, you'll want to keep the fabric close to your body on the bottom. Finish with a fantastic pair of heels. I did something similar here with a denim top, belted over a slim dress.
2. Wear a more fitted top over an A-line dress, or one that flares at the bottom, like I did here. Pulling on a sleeveless top, then adding a sweater and a belt gave one of my favorite dresses an entirely new look as a flirty skirt.
3. Wear a blouse over a sheath dress to give the appearance of a pencil skirt and top, like I did here. Notice the top is versatile enough to wear over a dress, and with jeans. Or, for the same silhouette, tuck your favorite summer tank dress inside a pencil skirt--like Emily of Cupcakes and Cashmere did in the photo above. Wear bare shouldered for a night out, or add a blazer for a conservative office environment.
4. For a really modern look, make a play on peplum by donning it over a long maxi or body conscious dress a la Folake of Style Pantry.
5. Tuck your dress into jeans or slacks, or if the material will allow, just scrunch it up to hip length, like the clever look on Kela of Kela's Kloset above. If you're not quite comfortable that your secret is safe, add a blazer like she did, or a pretty cardigan to help complete the look. 

Have you tried any of the tricks above? What's your favorite way to restyle dresses you love?