by Jess Atkins, Stylebook Co-Founder

You don’t need to buy a new outfit every time you go to an event - you just need to learn to remix your closet! There is increasing pressure to wear something different to every event, but buying new clothing for everything is a waste! Instead, use a simple, well-tailored dress as a blank canvas that can be transformed with accessories and layers. I’m going to show you how I made my favorite dress appropriate for 10 different events that range from casual to formal. I’ve worn my little black dress to the opera, a bachelorette party, NYFW and more. I’m going go to teach you how to style one dress into an array of party outfits - and how to remember them all! I didn’t buy anything new to make these looks; I just searched what I had in my closet.

The Dress

A little black dress is the perfect starting point, although any neutral works! Search your closet and find a plain, day-to-night dress as a starting point. If you’re going to buy only one dress, I recommend something in a neutral color, made of all-season fabric, with a silhouette that you can dress up or down. Reformation has a lot of great options! My dress is a square-neck, silk/cotton blend, fit-and-flare dress from J.Crew.

Here's why this dress is the perfect starting point:

• Silk is an ideal choice because it looks great in all seasons, it’s breathable and has a finish pretty enough for more formal events. Silk is also tough and will last a long time if cared for properly
• Knee or midi-length is appropriate for virtually any setting
• Going sleeveless gives the option to layer

Save Your Outfit Ideas

I depend on Stylebook to save all my outfit ideas - I would never remember them if they weren’t saved on my phone! I like to save outfit ideas as soon as I think of them, and it gives me a searchable catalog of outfit ideas to choose from when I need to find something to wear for an event. I recommend that you do the same thing, so you don’t end up shopping unnecessarily later. When you start getting creative with your dress, a million ideas might pop into your head - save those outfits right away in Stylebook! This will ensure that they’ll be waiting for you when you need something to wear for your next event.

Look Up Your Outfits by Item

I organize my outfits in Stylebook by occasion, which makes it really easy to pick out an outfit in just a few minutes. Since this dress is used in many different types of outfits, they are spread out across many categories in my saved outfits. However it’s easy to see all of the outfits that use the same dress from the notes page:

1. Open the clothing entry in the closet feature
2. Tap the notes icon
3. Select the row that says “Used in X Outfits”

Take Notes

Add notes to your outfits so you can find them easily later. If you write that an outfit is great for weddings or date night in the notes field, you can later use the search feature in the Looks section to find them later! You can also add notes to the calendar entry for that day and search with the Calendar's search tool (learn more about Stylebook's calendar).

Styling the Looks

Let's dive into how to style the dress into many different types of looks. I made outfits ranging from casual to dressy to formal, using things I already had in my closet. Remember that you don't need these exact items to create the same types of looks - this advice can work for any closet!

Casual Outfit Ideas

I used casual layers and accessories to dress down my LBD for a backyard barbecue (1), a dinner out with my husband Bill (2) and drinks at the boardwalk (3). I added everyday items to my dress, to give it a more relaxed look.

Wear Casual Shoes: Casual shoes will instantly dress down an LBD. In outfits 1 and 3, I actually went with super casual flats. If you don’t want to wear flats, I recommend wearing a block heel or boots. When in doubt, go for shoes that have the opposite vibe of your dress. For example, in outfit 2, I wore motorcycle inspired ankle boots to toughen up the girly pinafore look of the white blouse and dress.

Layer Up: Adding layers can completely transform your outfit. Test out very causal jackets or tops with your dress. The key is to make sure they have the right proportions and to work with the shape of your dress. I like to make sure my waist is visible by wearing cropped pieces, tucking in my top or utilizing a belt. For example, in outfit 2, the square neck of my dress reminded me of the aprons in Downton Abbey, so I tried a white blouse underneath like on the show. The result was a super feminine look, which I loved.

Theme Your Accessories: For the summer look in outfit 3, I pulled out my beachiest accessories. I wore my flat sandals and a casual wicker purse. Amanda Brook’s book “I Heart Your Style” inspired me to wear a flower in my hair and it was the perfect finishing touch to add a tropical vibe.

Party Outfit Ideas

I used statement accessories to create party-ready looks for a bachelorette party (1), NYFW (2) and a night out at the local theatre (3). I let my add-on’s be the star of each outfit, which created a focal point other than the dress itself.

Add Some Color: Look for statement accessories like a bag, earrings or headband in a beautiful color. Once you choose a statement item, don’t add much else. If you feel like it’s not enough, maybe try balancing the pop of color with another small item in the same color like I did in outfit 5.

Add Texture: Pair your dress with a textured item in neutral or the same color as your dress. For example in outfit 6, I added a little bit of contrast to the silk with a leather jacket and shiny patent leather heels.

Formal Outfit Ideas

I pulled out my most glamorous accessories to create outfits to attend a ballet a Lincoln Center (1), a charity Kentucky Derby party (2), an evening engagement party (3) and date night (4)!

Sheer Layers: Sheer layers will up the glam factor of any outfit, and outfits 7 and 8 completely transform thanks to sheer tops. Check out the lingerie department for sheer tops and bodysuits (like these). It's surprising, but these tops have proven to be super versatile. I can wear them with many different dresses, and I’ve even worn them with a chunky cardigan and a cami.

Ribbons: For my Kentucky Derby outfit, I tied satin ribbons on the straps giving the illusion that it was actually a totally different dress. Ribbon is just a few dollars, and can also be worn as a belt or as embellishments over the ankle straps of your shoes.

Balance The Glitter: In outfit 10, I wore an embellished gold belt swiped from my wedding rehearsal outfit and metallic sandals. The key to preventing this look from going over the top was keeping my hair and makeup fairly causal to help balance it out a bit. The sparkle adds enough glam on its own!

Take-Away

This dress may look plain, but it’s a star in my closet. I really believe that in the shopping philosophy of “buy less, but choose well.”

Before you shop for your next party, see if you can re-stye what you already own!