I am having such a Carrie Bradshaw moment in this dress. I love it so much!

I received this gorgeous dress in early summer, and tragically it was stolen from my front door in Orange County. The horror! The brand was so lovely as to send another… and I couldn’t get it to zip up the back.  But I loved it so much that I was still determined to find a way to make it work. Enter the belted blazer!

I’ve shared a similar look on CBL before here and here, but another way to get more wear out of those gorgeous cocktail dresses in your closet is to throw a blazer or vest over it and belt your waist. The end result is chic, unique and totally different than the dress on its own.

photos by Meg Stone

dress c/o Sau Lee, also love this one and, this one and this one (on sale) | blazer – old Forever21, love this one and this one | belt, similar look for less here | heels, similar look for less here | bag – last season, love this one and this one | sunglasses – Céline, similar look for less here | lip in MAC red | earrings | necklace 1, 2, 3

Thank you so much for reading! Can you see yourself layering over a cocktail dress for a different look? I’d love to hear, and if you’re not so sure, try it out. You never know what you might discover in your own closet! XO –