Jumper Dresses Part 2

    If you live in the northern hemisphere like me, you may be looking longingly out your window, desperately trying to wish spring into existence, but for many of us it just isn't coming and we continue to bundle up and layer up before heading out the door each day.  If you're in the southern hemisphere you're probably dreaming of layers, cable knits, and cooler days ahead.

    Wherever in the world you happen to find yourself, this post is for you, because I am a firm believer that sweater dresses are a wonderful trend that I hope stays around for years to come.  In a previous post on jumper dresses I mentioned a few tips for wearing them and as winter presses on I thought I'd revisit the subject since these chilly days don't seem to be going anywhere.  The jumper dress in my last post was a relatively small knit and it can be a little different when working with a thicker dress.

For today's post I'm wearing the Knitted Ribbed Sweater dress in Dusty Rose from FemmeLuxe's midi dresses collection.  FemmeLuxe has a great selection of sweater dresses in different lengths, colors, and knits, but this one in particular falls into the Midi dress category.  A "Midi" dress means that the length falls at mid-calf in other words below the knee but above the ankle, and that extra length combined with this warm knit makes it heavenly to wear on a cold day like this.  You can't see it, but it's frosty this morning.  
    I also love this Grey Cable Knit Jumper Dress in Winter.  Gray has a wonderful softening effect and I may have to make another trip to FemmeLuxe for that one as well, but I've always had a huge crush on rose anything, or mauve as it's also called, so I had to have this dress.  Rose has long been a favorite color of mine because it has the girlish femininity of pink but its understated tone speaks of sophistication and elegance.

    The thicker knit of this dress makes it deliciously warm which means I can layer less and look great without succumbing to hypothermia, but a thicker knit can hide one's shape and be a little harder to work with when putting an outfit together, so here  are a few tips for thicker knits.
    1.  The right belt makes all the difference in just about any outfit, and with this dress it's all about thickness.  A thin belt would be lost against this dress, and make no impact on its shape, but a thick belt creates a nice waistline and stands out against a large knit.  I love a wrap belt, but this leather buckle number  had so much style it was calling my name.

    2.  Shoes, shoes, shoes.  This dress is somewhat longer than the sweater dress in my previous post, so instead of printed tights and ankle strap heels like I wore in that outfit, I opted for knee-high boots with ruched sides.  Knee high boots have been around for a very long time and everyone should have a pair.  Black goes with everything, but there's something about cognac and mauve that makes both colors seem richer together which is why I chose that shade for both the belt and shoes and keeping those two things the same color helps make the outfit cohesive.

    3.  Accessorizing a sweater dress is fairly simple.  Chunky knit = chunky jewelry.  This type of outfit requires a bolder approach to jewelry, preferably things that are longer and layered. I chose larger, dangle earrings and a chunky necklace or one with two or three long strands or a large bracelet instead of teensy weensy pendants and stud earrings as those little things would be lost against this type of fabric.    Save the dainty pieces for cotton and lace.

    4.  Make-Up.  This tip isn't about sweater dresses.  Instead, it's about this particular color.  The best palette for Dusty rose is a more natural one.  Soft brown, champagne pink and yellow perhaps with some midnight blue for the eyelid crease or to line the lid at the lashes and a more natural color for the lips.  All these colors look lovely with dusty rose, but I avoid red dark brown and other strong colors on the lips and greens and blues on the eyes.  I'm not an expert on make-up, of course and if you have some pics showing proof that those colors look well with mauve, I'd love to see them, but thus far I haven't found any evidence.

Shopping info: FemmeLuxe Rose Knitted Ribbed Long Sleeved Midi Dress - Ellie