Dressing for the holidays can be fun but expensive especially around this time where you’re spending a lot of money on gifts, travelling, and parties. One way to cut back on your holiday budget is recycling your summer dresses! Yes pull out those paper-thin white (and floral!) ones that you put away months ago and let’s add some layers and accessories to make them holiday-worthy.

Admittedly I didn’t buy this dress in the summer but a few months ago when I found it second hand on my favourite indie shopping instagram account. It’s the Dôen Georgia dress from their Spring 2018 line that they reintroduced in the fall. I own Dôen’s Albertine top which is the blouse version of this dress so I was so happy to add this dress to my collection. My only problem was how was I going to wear it in our very cold Canadian winter? I thought I would share with you my favourite way to layer dresses for cold weather and make a summer dress holiday appropriate.

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1 | Wear a Warm Dress Coat

I will forever be a fan of Aritzia’s wool dress coats. They’re a Canadian brand who knows how to keep a girl warm and stylish. This is their “cocoon coat” that’s wool, lined and available in short and long lengths as well as many colours. I own this in camel and grey and they’re my go-to when it’s a cold date night.

2 | Invest in Over-the-knee Boots

I bought these OTK boots over a year ago in Navy and immediately bought them in black because I love them so much and wear them with everything in the winter. Whether you’re dressed up or down with jeans or a dress you will get so much use out of over-the-knee boots. These ones are the Olympia from Marc Fisher which are hard to find anymore but I highly recommend the brand. And as you can see by the price they’re definitely an affordable investment.

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3 | Layer well

Underneath this dress is a nude-coloured tank top that I always wear under white. Go up a size for more length. It covers the top half of my black tights so you don’t see a dark line at my waist. I’m wearing sheer polka dot tights here but depending on your venue add a thicker pair. My favourite are the Superopaque tights from J.Crew. They’re thick and amazing quality- I’ve worn them so many times without even worrying about them ripping.

3 | Add Glamorous Accessories

Now we are nice and warm in our layers and boots but how do we look like we belong at a holiday party? Add beautiful and preferably sparkly accessories. You don’t have to break the bank on these accessories. The earrings are second-hand from value village and my bag is from my wedding years ago. You can often find a fun makeup bag that can double as a going-out bag or add a sparkly keychain or accessory/ribbon/earring to a clutch you already own.

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 What I’m wearing: Aritzia Cocoon camel coat | Dôen Georgia Dress (I wear an extra small. The old version fits large and I actually ordered their new version 2 days before I found my second-hand deal! After comparing them the new version (made of Ramie) is a brighter and thicker fabric which fits much more true to size so I would order a small if  I was getting that version today | Marc Fisher Olympia boots | Sequin clutch (old) similar | Tights (warmer tights) | Earrings (vintage) similar 

All photos by the best: Kate Watkinson

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