The Style Problem: What to Layer Over a Dress

Featuring Your Biz Squad (Style) Professional, Stephanie Grabow

In the Midwest, some fall afternoons still feel like summer. When it’s 82 degrees at 3 pm, no one is thinking about tartan plaids and suede boots.

So, let’s talk about the topic that got the biggest response from the regular readers of my weekly email. (If you want to get on the list, you can sign up here.)

“Style Warning: Throwing your old denim jacket over your cute lightweight dress is killing your look. It weighs the outfit down, changes the character and dates your look solidly in 2015.”

I dropped that nugget in last week’s email, and I heard from three different people that I left them in a puzzle with no way out. Oops! 

The problem: It’s hotter than Hades outside and inside, the air conditioner is so cold your fingers are turning blue. Add fluctuating hormones to the mix, and you don’t know what to wear to cover all of the possible temperature configurations you’re going to encounter in your day.

And yet, you still want your look to feel modern and fresh.

So what should you wear instead? And why am I sooooo anti-your-old-denim-jacket -layered-over-dresses?

3 Reasons to Not Wear Your Denim Jacket Over Your Dress

  1. The look feels outdated. Think about the first time you wore a denim jacket over a dress. Was it more than five years ago? More than 15 years ago? More than 25 years ago? Yep. We’ve been rocking that style for decades, and she is tired. Let her get some rest.
  2. If you’ve been wearing the same denim jacket for five years, you may not recognize that silhouettes have changed, and your 2019 jacket feels dated. 2024 jackets range from short and shrunken to boxy work jackets, but they don’t look like they did even three years ago.
  3. When you layer anything over your dress, you change the line and proportions of your outfit. If the silhouette of your jacket doesn’t complement the lines of your dress, then it all starts to look frumpy. And no one is doing frumpy on my watch.🙅

 

What to Wear Instead of Your Denim Jacket

  1. A Top Coat—A top coat can be a trench coat, a duster, or a faux leather long coat. All of these options give sophistication and movement to your outfit while making the lines of your outfit feel longer and making you look taller. And, a top coat works over mini, midi, and maxi-length dresses.
  2. Sweater or knit blazer—Think of this as a step above an old white cardigan. Knit blazers provide structure without feeling constraining or stuffy. When choosing a sweater, think about linen, cotton, or lightweight cashmere to complement your outfit. Plus, when you don’t want to wear it, you can drape it over your shoulders for a chic, relaxed flair.
  3. Wraps—A beautiful wrap is the easiest way to keep a lightweight layer with you at all times. You can swaddle yourself in one if you’re cold, or roll it up and tuck it into your bag when you’re warm. They take up very little space and are so easy to manage. Plus, they come in a range of fabrics, including sheer linens, elegant cashmere, and metallics for eveningwear.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by too many options, choose one piece and wear it several times to figure out how it works for you. Then, when you’re ready, you can add another to your collection. Soon, you’ll have an array of great outfit finishers that you feel confident and comfortable wearing. 

And you can save your denim jacket to wear with your Canadian tuxedo, or what the style watchers are now calling Denim x Denim.

You will rock that look!

Always cheering you on-

Stephanie

Stephanie Grabow is the Founder and CEO of Stephanie Grabow Style+ and SG Style Collective. She is a style coach for female entrepreneurs and leaders, a speaker and a curator of beautiful things. It is her goal to make nailing your look the easiest 10 minutes of your day. Follow her at stephaniegcabowstyle.com.





What to Wear To Work in a Heat Wave

By Your Biz Squad (Style) Professional: Stephanie Grabow

Outside, it’s hotter than Satan’s house cat. 

And you know that inside your office building you’re going to be assaulted with air conditioning so cold it will give you goosebumps.

So now it’s 6:45 am and you’re standing in your closet wondering how you get dressed for anything when the thing that feels best is… nothing.

And nothing is probably not an option in your company dress code.

I grew up in the Mid-South, just a few miles from the banks of the Mississippi River, and walking outside in July and August could feel like you were moving through liquid Vaseline.

Sticky, heavy, exhausting.

My experience surviving that heat and humidity, combined with the wisdom handed down from generations of stylish Southern ladies has given me the secrets to getting dressed in the heat. You can look pulled together and fresh without freezing your fanny off in your workplace that’s kept at a temperature only a bro could love.

Here are five tips that will be your saving graces:

Choose Natural Fabrics and Lightweight Textures

Linen, cotton, chambray, seersucker, and gauze are all breathable and allow air to circulate around your body, keeping you cool. These fabrics move with you, creating your own private little breezes and allowing sweat to evaporate more quickly. 

And let’s agree to give up the need for perfectly pressed and starched fabrics in summer. If your linen is starched as stiff as a tabletop, it’s not able to move and won’t allow air to circulate. You might as well be wearing your stiff living room curtains for all the good that’s doing you. 

Allow your natural fabrics to show their intrinsic texture and beauty. That movement and bounce provide the lush elegance that makes them such favorites. Release your need for starched perfection and embrace your new chill, relaxed style. 

Keep Your Silhouettes Loose

Save your catsuit for December. 

In the blazing summer sun choose dresses, skirts, and wide-legged bottoms that allow air to move around your body. Loose silhouettes keep you cool and also provide a relaxed and stylish look. Think about flowing sheath dresses, breezy maxi skirts, and even office appropriate shorts. These pieces create an elegant and airy vibe, perfect for battling the summer heat while still looking put-together.

Make Your Thighs Happy

Nothing will ruin your mood and your day (not to mention your focus) more than miserable, chafed, sweaty thighs. (IYKYK)

Find yourself a pair of undershorts specifically designed to be worn under your skirt. Sometimes referred to as slipshorts, girlshorts or anti-chafe shorts, these foundation garments are lightweight, soft, and breathable. Think of them as Spanx without the compression. They’ll keep you comfortable all day. Bonus, they wick sweat away for an extra dose of cool comfort.

Minimize Accessories

When it’s 97 degrees outside, the last thing you want is heavy jewelry sticking to your skin and weighing you down. Choose a few focal pieces like great earrings, a thin necklace, or a statement bag. Avoid chunky bracelets, heavy necklaces, or massive layers of jewelry that can trap heat and feel bulky.

Choose Stylish Layers

Keep a light cardigan or wrap tucked into your bag to throw on when you feel the chill of the air conditioning. 

Materials like linen and gauze won’t add bulk but will provide just enough warmth to insulate you from cold indoor air. That extra layer also adds an element of style to your outfit, finishing it in a way that feels chic and polished.

Protip: Choose your layers with thought and make sure they’re in proportion with your entire look. That old, boxy, white cardigan thrown over your breezy dress will turn your outfit from relaxed to sloppy in a hot second. 

You can navigate the summer heat wave and still look stylish and chic. You’ve got this!

Stephanie Grabow is the Founder and CEO of Stephanie Grabow Style+ and SG Style Collective. She is a style coach for female entrepreneurs and leaders, a speaker and a curator of beautiful things. It is her goal to make nailing your look the easiest 10 minutes of your day. Follow her at stephaniegcabowstyle.com.



Red Shoe Diaries and the Power of First Impressions

Your Biz Squad Professional: Stephanie Grabow

👠Lucky Dorothy. Her homemade blue gingham dress got a glow-up when she put on glittery ruby pumps. 

Those shoes had superpowers that transported her to where she most wanted to be, into the circle of the people that she most wanted to be with.

When she clicked those shiny shoes together, they helped her shortcut out on the flying monkeys, the creepy guy, and the perils of a witchy-witch.

Am I advocating for you to wear gingham and glitter together? Not unless you’re doing a whole cosplay thing and that’s another conversation.

I AM telling you that shoes can change your life.

🙈Or at the very least, they can speed you forward toward your goals and avoid tangling with pesky flying monkeys.

There’s solid research that documents that we really are judged from the ground up.

🤯In the Mid-South, where I grew up, you’re taught from an early age that you can determine whether someone is worth your time by looking at the heels of their shoes. 

Scuffed-up heels, frayed shoelaces, and, worst of all BORING SHOES? Those are clear signs that the other person is not serious about your time.

Because: 

  • she lacks self-awareness about the vibe that she is sending off.
  • she doesn’t pay attention to details.
  • she doesn’t care what people think about her.

Actions taken on first impressions are real and you can use them to your benefit or your detriment. You get to choose.

Sitting at your desk, looking down at your feet and thinking, 

“Huh. I wonder what these turquoise rubber flip-flops I bought at Whole Foods say about my professional capabilities?”

Maybe you’re also making this face? 😳

Am I advocating for this outdated system of judging each other?

Hard no. 

But what you and I both know is that business interactions can move so quickly that snap judgments are made, and in that quick second you want every detail you can control to be working in your favor. 

Your client has 21,000 unread emails and a text notification bubble that’s on fire.

Make their job of choosing YOU easier.

You’ve heard a thousand times that a large part of communication is nonverbal. 

If your prospect sees you as not pulled together, or worse yet, someone who doesn’t care about perceptions?  They’re probably not going to feel confident trusting you to come into their inner circle and help solve their business problems.

Why make connecting with clients or co-workers harder than it has to be?

Put on a pair of shoes that will get you in the door using these 4 guidelines:

Opt for color. An outfit built from neutrals gets a punch of excitement when you finish your look with shoes in one of your ideal colors. Wearing dark denim and a neutral top? Grab a pair of flats in your best green or pink. Your outfit will look more intentional and great shoes are an easy conversation starter.

Choose a modern silhouette. Those round-toe ballet flats from 2015 have seen better days. Choose an almond-shaped or square-toed version to look more current.

Choose comfort. I promise that you’ve never had the best day of your life in shoes that hurt your feet. Make sure that you can walk a city block in your shoes without getting a blister.

If sustainability is your thing, choose a brand that uses recycled materials. Every season, there are more great choices that check this box, so you’ve got lots of options.

Dorothy’s red shoes changed her life. Maybe your next pair of shoes will too!

Always cheering you on!

Xo-

Stephanie 💋

Stephanie Grabow is the Founder and CEO of Stephanie Grabow Style+ and SG Style Collective. She is a style coach for female entrepreneurs and leaders, a speaker and a curator of beautiful things. It is her goal to make nailing your look the easiest 10 minutes of your day. Follow her at stephaniegcabowstyle.com.