We're all familiar with summer dresses and how easy they make our lives, thanks to the fact that all you need to style them with is a good pair of shoes, and an accessory or two.
However, winter fashion - runway worthy as it is - requires a lot more thought. More than just looking as crisp as an autumn leaf, dressing for cooler temperatures entails balancing practicality with your personal style x-factor. I mean, no one wants their drip to be the reason they're on a drip a week later.
Besides knitwear dresses or special occasion dresses, we tend to move our dresses to the back of our wardrobes, come May.
READ MORE: These local fashion enthusiasts prove that you can be stylish and dress modestly at the same time
Of course, there are exceptions as not all dresses were made for Camps Bay sunset pictures. There are those practical ones you can sport in different ways from January to January - it just all comes down to layering and styling.
So with that said, these are the three must-have dresses we recommend this winter:
Tweed mini
Why not channel Chanel in this season's biggest textile trend; tweed?
Styling
It's already a winter-friendly fabric, so all you need to pair it with is a turtleneck or plain white shirt, a matching tweed jacket if you can, and some cute or barely there hosiery.
Shop:
Buttoned waistcoat dress, R1 199 at ZARA
READ MORE: The Chanel style tweed is the hottest new fabric for winter
Print-cess maxi
... or midi.
It doesn't matter whether it's a wrap dress or a button-down frock, just so long as it's in a printed fabric. This type of dress is the perfect kind to add colour to winter's dark hues.
Styling
Any jacket or blazer in a solid colour works here. Complete the look with a statement pair of ankle or calf-length boots.
Shop:
Cobalt Maxi Shirt Dress, R999 at Poetry
Floral maxi warp dress, on offer for R599 at Superbalist
Monochrome mini
A mini dress in a one solid hue should speak before you do.
Styling:
You can go for a full monochrome look by accessorising in the same colour from head to toe like Janelle Monáe.
Or you can play with length by slinging a long statement coat over your shoulders.
An alternative way to play with length is by wearing thigh-high boots with your winter mini.
Shop:
Black knit mini dress, R499 at Cotton On
All images: Getty or supplied
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