There’s a Wednesday morning recurring thought I can’t quite shake. Standing in front of my closet at seven- thirty trying to figure out how to look put-together but not wanting to deal with the decision fatigue that comes with separates. Enter: the dress.
They aren’t inherently more ethical or sustainable than other clothing items—far from it. But they do help with decision fatigue and, when chosen mindfully, fit into the rules I try to build my closet around these days. When compiling the round up below I realised my shortlist shared some key features: 1.
They can withstand any adventure an actual autumn day might through your way. Rain that starts as you walk out the door and clear as you hit the train.
Hot offices and outside meetings in September.
Jeans and boots one day and ballet flats with a trench the next. If your day doesn’t go according to plan, so doesn’t your outfit. These dresses can take it.
They’ll go from drop-off to zoom meeting with you and leave you feeling confident at both. 2. They have some heft to them.
I cut anything too lightweight. Fall is hilarious like that. You think you’ll layer but then you get stuck in a conference room with the heat turned up and your“It’s cool, I’ve got layers on!” outfit is suddenly too much.
The ones I kept have enough weight that they can stand alone when you strip down, but aren’t so heavy that they’re unbearable in warm offices and air conditioning. Bonus points if they’re breathable, but not clingy when the temperature shifts. 3.
They don’t feature ties at the waist that will loosen and slide all day or rely on wrapping to keep them up (because, trust me, they won’t). I’m all for a good belt, but only if it can actually stay put through meetings and Monday. I also only included wraps that use alternative, more reliable methods of staying up.
4. They’ve got to pass the “forgot-I’m-wearing-this” test. Seams that aren’t digging into my hips when I sit, sleeves that don’t pull when I grab things, necklines that don’t make me constantly adjust.
Basically, if it’s there to be worn, it should fit without calling attention to itself. Everything else is details. Pick-up the kids?
These still work. Skype call with your boss? Sure.
Last minute dinner plans after work? Yes. They’re just easy.
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Including some work friendly options was important. It can be difficult to find fall dresses that can work in the office—they often fall on the heavy or uncomfortable side. I looked for ones that bridged that gap; ones that were professional enough for client meetings, but didn’t make me feel like I was wearing a suit.
And everything has pockets. 5. Don’t make me think about color too hard.
I love a black dress as much as the next girl, but when you’re putting together a capsule wardrobe for fall you need some variety. Included quite a few darker dresses because they will hide every imperfection—from stained shirts to scratched pants. But I wasn’t going to trick myself into thinking I only wear grey and black in the fall, so added some brighter, happier options too.
Including dresses that work for night needed their own vetting process. They had to: 1.Not require specific shoes to work or insider undershirts to feel comfortable. One of the joys of a dress is being able to throw it on without thinking about what you’re wearing it with.
These all work with the shoes I already own and are comfortable layering under jackets and cardigans. I also didn’t include anything with fabric that would obviously crease from sitting (don’t get me started on how ill fitted most form fitting dresses are to the act of eating a dinner let alone a whole day of meals). If you’re going to sweat it out in a dress, I might as well look like I did!
2.Can be worn with layers. I didn’t include anything that didn’t look good under a coat OR with a cardigan because layers are your friend. It’ll suddenly be warm one day and freezing the next and you’ll want to be prepared.
Everything I kept works with leggings, skirts, and low heels. Bonus if they can work with boots too. Because I’m not changing shoes twice a day anytime soon.
3.Wash easily.
Life’s too short for dry clean only or even hand wash only clothes. They stay in your closet, unused, because laundry feels like too much work.
Then you feel bad about spending money on them so you never wear them. Leave me alone. I’ll enjoy my machine washable garments please.
That said, they still had to stand up to regular wear. No dresses that lose their shape or look worn after a few washes. And there you have it.
Dresses that work for fall (and beyond). Ones that will allow you to move through your day without worrying about what you’re wearing underneath (or on top). They aren’t the end-all answer to a slow fashion wardrobe, but when styled right these dresses can reduce panic shopping and help with decision fatigue.
Fix a few of your wardrobe staple problems and you’ve solved a big chunk of the overwhelm that comes with getting dressed.
