How To Wear a Dress Over Pants (Without Looking Like an Idiot)

Wearing a dress over pants is one of those things fashion girls do that I used to feel like I could never pull off. But it’s actually a styling trick that’s relatively easy to pull off and practical. Layering a dress over pants looks chic, keeps your legs warmer than tights (minus the risk of runs), gives dresses that cool tomboy contrast, and extends your wardrobe by essentially turning a dress into a top or jacket.

The key to making it work is sticking to tailored silhouettes—a shift dress over tailored trousers, or an A-line skirt over skinnies. You don’t want to look bulky or lumpy. But from there, you basically treat the shirt like a dress and just pull on your pants.

Still sound confusing? I find a picture is worth a thousand words, so I just like to copy these cool examples of how to wear a dress over pants.