Blogging about style makes it really difficult not to buy clothes. (No shit, Sherlock.) Seeing clothes is the reason people come to a style blog – in my case it’s one of several reasons, but it’s still a major one – and who wants to see the same clothes over and over again? I love clothes and will never be able to stick to a very limited selection, but I don’t want to drown in them either: for environmental, ideological and practical reasons. So what to do?

I addressed this issue from one angle already when I explained why I now occasionally (occasionally!) use items that I’ve borrowed from the brands. The other thing I want to do is to show how I restyle old favourites. I’ve got three posts prepared about three dresses that you have already encountered on this blog and about what I did to make them more autumn-appropriate. I’ll kick off with this Riina Põldroos pink satin dress that you’ve seen styled in a very 90s fashion and with a kimono.

The idea of pairing a fancy maxi skirt with a sweater goes back to Jenna Lyons’s iconic Met Gala outfit from 2011. It can be difficult to recall how fresh and almost revolutionary it was back then, as it has become such a staple styling solution by now. My look here is the descendant of Jenna’s idea, but it’s a dress rather than a skirt. I love this combination for several reasons: it really does look modern and effortless and even I don’t want to do classic glamour every time I go out; I love the contrast between textures (satin and wool in this specific case); it is more forgiving than a slip-dress worn solo and it’s warm.

This particular sweater is in fact very warm and might be too much indoors. But I have worn the same dress with a more delicate gray sweater with excellent results. You could use a sweatshirt or even a hoodie or go for a more fitted roll-neck, if you are comfortable showing the exact contours of your body. I’m also thinking it might be time to bring back a long-line cardigan worn open and belted over this dress, with some long necklaces. I actually really want to try this last option now…

Let me know what you think. Are re-styling posts interesting for you? Do you like this specific idea?

Dress by Riina Põldroos, sweater by H&M Studio (on loan), shoes by Aldo. Images Stina Kase, makeup Erle Taklai, hair Helen Heinroos Hair (Cäroly).