Learning how to wear a turtleneck dress is a great skill to have if you are looking to elevate your fashion game. Turtleneck dresses are fall and winter staple pieces and never go out of style. They are both classy and cosy and work well as part of casual outfits or as office wear – talk about versatile!
I love styling turtleneck dresses and have been wearing them each winter for years. In this article I’m going to show how I style a simple black turtleneck dress as part of easy and quick outfits.
We all know there is nothing worse than spending ages staring at your wardrobe each morning worrying what to wear or how to style the pieces you already own. With this in mind I decided to put together all of the tips and tricks I have for turtleneck dress outfit ideas, to help save you time.
Here are 8 ways to wear a turtleneck dress, including pictures for inspiration…
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1. Style a turtleneck dress with a long wool coat and a printed pouch purse
An elegant way to style a turtleneck dress in winter is with a long lapel collared pea coat. This style of coat is not only timeless, it’s super warm, covering you to your knees. There is something so chic about a pea coat, on both men and women, making this style of coat a popular choice for celebrities and stylists in the winter season.
If you would like to add even more warmth to your turtleneck dress in winter, finish the look with knee boots for extra warmth on your lower legs. Choose a long sleeve turtleneck dress over a short sleeved, and go for a thicker fabric, like a knit for cosiness. Always go for thermal tights in the colder months, or long snuggly socks under your boots! These thermal tights on Amazon are great, if you are looking for a cosy pair –
How I style a Turtleneck dress and a pea coat:
In the above image I styled a black turtleneck dress with a dusty pink pea coat of a wool blend for warmth. I paired black tights and black heeled ankle boots with the turtleneck dress for a cohesive basic black colour theme on the body, allowing the leopard printed pouch purse and the pea coat to draw the eye. Finishing the look with a printed purse is an easy way to add a pop of detail to a simple outfit, elevating the look with a subtle stylish twist.
Try pairing printed purses or purses of a textured fabric with a simple turtleneck dress as an easy way to style the piece. This works especially well with a black turtleneck dress that can look a little bit plain without any fun accessories!
2. Wear a turtleneck dress with a cropped tailored jacket and ankle boots
A cute and feminine way to style a turtleneck dress is with a cropped jacket that draws the eye and cinches your waist. Choose a jacket that meets your waist or the tops of your hips, to create this stylish silhouette.
Cropped jackets are a great way to add dimension to the outline of your outfit, layering over your turtleneck dress without swamping your figure in material. Plus they are really on trend at the moment – this is an easy way to rock the cropped look without having to wear cropped tops or sweaters!
How I style a turtleneck dress and a cropped jacket:
In the above photo I styled a black turtleneck dress with a tweed style, boucle cropped jacket that has some serious Chanel vibes. This jacket is a wardrobe staple of mine as it’s so classy and chic, but most importantly easy to style! I wear it over dresses, with high waisted jeans and even to the office as it’s so versatile. Having a go-to cropped jacket in your wardrobe is an easy way to elevate any outfit, and it looks especially good with turtleneck dresses.
I bought mine about 3 years ago on Amazon, and it’s sadly no longer available. But there are plenty of other options on Amazon, like this gorgeous and affordable jacket (available in black and white!):
The turtleneck style and cut is naturally conservative, but it also has an element of class; turtlenecks look so chic, plus they’re timeless. A sophisticated cropped jacket is an easy style accompaniment to the turtleneck dress, for easy outfits that require no effort!
3. Add a pop of colour with a mustard yellow jacket
Put a spin on a simple turtleneck dress with a brightly coloured faux leather jacket. Mustard is a fun colour, and it’s really flattering, just like a black turtleneck dress!
I know this is another cropped jacket, but it’s so different to the previous one that I had to show it! The same principles apply in terms of the flattering, trendy silhouette the cropped jacket creates, but this one adds another level of texture and colour. A faux leather style jacket is a great piece to have in your wardrobe, and a bright colour like mustard is an easy way to style up a simple dress.
Sometimes simply adding a splash of colour or texture to an outfit can make your look seem way more put-together than it is. Having your go-to jackets that look good with a turtleneck dress will save time in the morning when you face your wardrobe, as you know that slipping them on will always result in a cool and cute look.
If you like the look get a similar jacket/pair of ankle boots to mine here:
Mustard is a great colour, but other lovely colourful jackets would also work well with a turtleneck dress. A dusty rose or a teal would be equally as striking – it all depends on what you like.
4. Layer a chunky scarf and denim jacket over a turtleneck sweater dress
Layering a chunky scarf and a simple denim jacket over a turtleneck dress is another simple yet stylish way to rock this piece. This is a great look for the autumn months, and would work equally well with a fall-toned scarf.
Styling a turtleneck dress in fall is easy, when you take layering into account. Bundle up in scarves, jackets, boots and tights for a quintessentially fall look that is super popular year on year.
In the above picture I styled a black turtleneck dress with these pieces, but a grey or neutral toned turtleneck dress would also look great as part of this outfit. Depending on the colour of turtleneck dress you are styling, this simple denim jacket and scarf combo will always look fashionable in the autumn months! I love this casual, comfortable style as it’s laid back but feels put-together.
If you like my jacket get a similar one here:
A distressed style denim jacket like mine adds extra texture and detail to the outfit, making it a bit more fun to look at than a simple plain denim jacket. Other washes of denim jacket would look awesome as part of this outfit too – try an acid wash, indigo wash or black denim jacket for a different feel, depending on your personal style preferences.
5. Wear a tweed style jacket with a turtleneck knit dress
Tailored looking jackets add instant sophistication and elegance to a turtleneck dress, that’s great for a business casual office dress code, or a fancy lunch out with the girls. A tailored, tweed style jacket is classy and timeless, and goes so nicely with the cut of a turtleneck. A structured tailored blazer would have the same effect, especially when worn with court heels to the office.
This style is a little ‘preppy’ (or ‘posh’ if you live here in the UK!) and expensive looking, but it’s deceptive. The jacket I’m styling in the above image was actually from Amazon. I included a link earlier in the article to a similar style, that’s available for purchase.
Having sophisticated looking pieces in your wardrobe really helps with outfit decision fatigue, especially when deciding what to wear for work each day. Keeping a few tailored looking jackets or blazers in your wardrobe rotation is a bit of a life hack in my opinion. Slip them on over turtleneck dresses, jeans and t-shirts, or over cocktail dresses and heels for a versatile pop of elegance whenever you need it.
Choose a basic black/monochrome jacket that goes with everything first, then have fun picking out brighter pieces and building your collection.
If you are enjoying this article you may also like: How to Style Mom Jeans in 2021 – 15 Ways
6. Layer a neutral toned sweater over a turtleneck dress for a chic look
Neutral toned sweaters look great with turtleneck dresses, for a relaxed yet chic looking vibe. These types of tones always look more expensive and of a higher quality than their more colourful counterparts – camel over neon orange for example!
Choosing these types of colours and pairing them with the conservative cut of a turtleneck dress is an easy way to look more put-together, without having to give your outfit much thought.
Layer a snuggly knit sweater over your turtleneck dress for a simple outfit perfect for the fall and winter months. As the base of the outfit is of a neutral colour palette, have fun adding detail with accessories, such as a printed purse or statement earrings. In the above image I styled a beige jumper over my black turtleneck dress, and I added my trust leopard printed pouch purse (I just love this bag so much!), as a stylish twist.
7. Rock a leather jacket and sleek heeled boots with a turtleneck dress
Leather jackets are the pinnacle of effortless cool. They never go out of style, and look fantastic as an edgy juxtaposition to the conservative cut of a turtleneck dress. If you are styling a black turtleneck dress pair it with a black leather jacket, and sleek, heeled black ankle boots for a super cool look.
An all-black outfit is mysterious, cool and a little bit sexy. This is a great look for a date night or for drinks with friends.
In the above image I styled my black turtleneck dress with a faux leather jacket with zipper and popper detailing and sleek heeled ankle boots with a tall shaft that fits to the calves for a seamless look. We all know how slimming black clothing is, and how flattering a silhouette it creates – give this look a go for yourself and see how it makes you feel!
If you like my jacket, check out this gorgeous similar one on Amazon:
It’s available in a huge range of colours – try a grey one to suit a grey turtleneck dress, or a camel one for a neutral toned dress – whichever you like!
8. Accessorise a turtleneck dress with a dainty silver necklace
Layering jewellery over the top of a turtleneck or a turtleneck dress is really on trend right now, made popular by TikTok stars and Gen Z influencers. Stacking chunky silver chains, or loads of necklaces is an easy way to rock this style.
I prefer slightly more dainty jewellery, like the silver stars necklace I styled in the above image. Silver necklaces look great over the top of a black turtleneck dress, as they really stand out against the contrasting black.
Shop a pretty layered silver necklace set here, if you want to try out the look for yourself:
Accessorising a turtleneck dress is easy. Here are a few ideas:
- Wear a beret with your turtleneck dress for a chic pop of detail
- Stack necklaces over the top of your turtleneck dress for an on-trend look
- Wear a pair of statement earrings with a turtleneck dress for a feminine finish
- Style a printed purse with a turtleneck dress to add texture and dimension to the outfit
A note
Thank you for reading this ‘How to Wear a Turtleneck Dress’ guide – I hope you feel excited and inspired to wear your turtleneck dress with my tips and trick sin mind!
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Lorna is a footwear geek and the founder of Wearably Weird. She created a YouTube channel in 2021 for fellow footwear fanatics, dedicated to detail-rich footwear reviews and info. She has a fashion media qualification (awarded in 2011).