Dress down in a gown

How do I style an evening dress for daytime?

Make your wardrobe work harder this festive season by dressing down your fancy evening dresses with basics for the day.

When it is time to party, simply remove one element of your outfit, swop or add accessories.

Here are tips on how to pull it off:

Look 1: Add layers

The key to wearing an evening dress during the day is to dress it down with plain separates. This adds a relaxed vibe to your outfit and helps cover up more skin-baring dresses.

Experiment with proportions - try a long cardigan or a long jacket with a maxi dress or switch it up by layering with a cropped sweater.

What to wear: Green strappy frilled dress (photo 1), $119, from Zara; men's cotton shirt jacket (photo 2) with raw edge detail, $299, from Scotch & Soda; and Bianca boots (photo 3), $229, from Doc Martens.

Look 2: Cinch in the waist

When layering a shirt over a dress, cinch in your waist with a belt for a shapely silhouette. This works well with a slim-fitting dress because it will have a flattering peplum effect.

What to wear: Foil plunge lace midi dress (photo 1), $179, from Topshop; white shirt (photo 2) with gathered collar, $103.80, from iRoo; black leather belt (photo 3) with metal buckle, $69, from Cos; yellow Cora handbag (photo 4), $300, from Elyse & i; and black pointy flats (photo 5), $56.90, from Charles & Keith.

Look 3: Contrast with chunky separates or accessories

Get a cool streetwear vibe by contrasting feminine and flowy dresses with chunky accessories or oversized separates.

What to wear: Green metallic foil dress (photo 1), $79.90, from H&M; U sweat pullover hoodie (photo 2), $59.90, from Uniqlo; Jupiter necklace (photo 3), $139, from In Good Company; and silver polyurethane brogues (photo 4), $250, from Pedder Red.

This article was first published on November 17, 2016.
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