Welcome to the latest edition of Ask CF!  Every two weeks, we select a reader fashion question and answer it here on the site.  Do you have a specific fashion question for us?  Scroll to the bottom of this post to learn how to send it our way!

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Ask CF Question

Hi CF!

You are my go to for fashion advice so first off, thanks for being such a great resource for us!

I’ve got dresses in my closet that I LOVE but are just a bit too short for comfort. Is there any way I can make these dresses wearable or are they doomed to hang in my closet or be given away?

I’ve also got these amazing dresses which are a bit too fancy for my usual events. Is there any way to casual them up a bit so I could wear them to class? Some of them are lacy, some of them are silky, and they just look a bit too dressed up for class but I’d like to try and put them to use if I can.

Thanks!

Anonymous Fan

Our Response

Dear Anonymous Fan,

As someone who could wear dresses all day, every day (especially the fancy ones!), I’m really excited that you sent in these great questions. It’s also always nice to hear when someone wants to make the most of the wardrobe they already have, as opposed to buying a whole new set of clothes (not that there’s anything wrong with treating yourself, though!). 

Below, I have put together two outfits that demonstrate how to style too-short dresses, and two that show how to dress down fancier dresses.

Outfit #1

Products: Dress – Zara, Earrings – Belk, Bag – Express, Leggings – American Eagle, Ankle Boots – Forever 21

In general, I would suggest pairing too-short dresses with opaque black tights or leggings; however, I tend to prefer the latter over the former in this situation, simply because they provide more coverage (especially in the case of dresses that could be mistaken for tunics or long tops–I assume that you’re not going for the pants-less look!).