How to Make Dressy Less Dressy

“I can’t wear this out. I’ll be overdressed!”

“I can’t wear this dress again. I wore it to the last work party we had!”

“I love this dress, but I rarely ever have any occasions to throw this on!”

Sound familiar?

As ladies, we love occasions to glam ourselves up simply because it makes us feel fabulous! We look forward to formal events – homecoming, work parties, and weddings because shopping for these events is half the fun! After a fun-filled night, most of us hang these dresses back in our closets to serve as nothing more than a great new memory until the next event rolls around and we get to shop for a new dress again! Let us give you a few ideas on some key pieces that will take a “fancy” dress down a few notches so you can wear it again for a date night or a girls’ night out, in the end you’ll get more bang for your buck!

Here’s our formula for making dressy less dressy with footwear, accessories and over-pieces.

Subtract the heels, subtract the glitz, and add layers.

Below are some examples on how to achieve this:

For this first look, fancy became less fancy with a few boho touches here and there. We kicked off the heels and replaced them with a pair of leather western boots. We added a loose-fitting vest, brown leather belt, gold accessories and a fringe cross-body handbag. All set for a country scene or concert!

Our second look dresses down a party dress into the perfect look for a girls’ night out. First things first, the heels had to go! We opted for a short boot for comfort, especially if you’re hittin’ the town! Remove the glitzy belt and add a light wash denim jacket and turquoise accessories to make it more casual.

Our last look turned an elegant maxi dress into an outfit you can wear on the streets! By adding in layers, we gave this look a pop of color and a completely different look and feel. We traded in the heels for socks and a pair of combat boots! For the final touch, we topped off this look with a headband.

Check out more ways on how to reinvent your dress in our STYLE shop!

Would you like some suggestions on how you can wear your favorite dresses again? Leave us a comment and we’ll be glad to have a stylist answer your questions!

Find your favorite pieces to pair with your dress in any of our Buckle stores across the United States, or on buckle.com.