Sweater Dresses

I have to admit my first reaction to sweater dresses was to balk at their impracticality. After all, if it's cold enough to warrant wearing a sweater, shouldn't you at least wear some proper pants? I'd like to invoke the ignorance of youth as my defense. Moving on, I've grown to love sweater dresses paired with tights and flats or leggings and boots.

This BCBG black sweater dress with a cowl neck is one of my favorite pieces in my closet (and not just because it was a gift from a very special someone). I've experimented with wearing it with tights and bright pink flats, and with boots and a skinny belt. I love how comfortable and easy sweater dresses are, and yet they manage to look effortlessly chic and pulled together.

I was thrilled to find this tutorial for creating a sweater dress from an over-sized men's sweater. Basically, any old sweater can be flipped inside out, pinned to fit, sewn along the new seams, and flipped back to normal. Adjusting the arm holes would be the trickiest part, but if that proves too daunting, the sleeves could be simply shortened and hemmed as the over-sized look is quite current. Now to dust off the sewing machine...

Image via Bluefly