Dresses Over Pants: Your Fast-Track To Fall Layering Done Right

Fall in New York City often brings style dilemmas aplenty. What to wear to combat a frosty morning, stuffy commute, air-conditioned office, and toasty bar? We're not quite in winter coat territory, nor is it warm enough to bare too many limbs. The solution? Layering. We hear the word thrown around in fashion every year with little indication of exactly how or what to layer. But fear not; this season it's as easy as paint-by-numbers (thanks to the inspiration to be found both on and off the runway) and involves just two items: your favorite dress, and some trusty trousers.

Back in February, the fall '17 shows had a plethora of inspiration for the season. Tibi paired matching silk trousers and ankle-skimming dresses, making a strong argument for head-to-toe color, while Ellery and Simone Rocha proved that your party dress is work appropriate when worn over dressed-down slacks. Erdem and Gucci displayed matching brocade pieces, and Stella McCartney mixed textures with sequin frocks styled over tassel-hemmed bottoms.

Before you despair at the sight of rain, shine, and everything in between, click through for step-by-step breakdown on how to layer all of your dresses — from wrap-style to waterfall hems — over your pants.