Together Segal Petite Mara Dress - versatility at its finest!

Styling Tips and Benefits of a Versatile Dress

What makes for a versatile dress and why is it so beneficial as a wardrobe essential in a woman's capsule closet? Versatility in clothing means that an item can be worn in many different ways; or a lot of different looks can be created with an item. Why focus on versatile clothes? Because they enable us to get a lot of variety from only a few clothes. The more versatile the clothes in your closet are, the less you need to own to create many styles. 

Versatile dressing is a theme in Together Segal’s women’s daywear collection for petite women and we love styling our designs in different ways for various looks. Versatility combined with timelessness and minimalism make for excellent investment pieces that can last in your closet forever. 

Timeless style is classic and tends to not go out of style or look dated. It consists of elevated basics, sophisticated centerpieces and streamlined outfits that avoid being identified by a particular fashion trend or fashion decade. Our clothing designs are meant to be worn over and over and thoughtfully rediscovered throughout the years and every season.

Considerations for a versatile piece of clothing

  • Is it basic and neutral (basics and neutral colors can give you more room to play with styling) And basics can be more than a white shirt and neutral knit
  • Can it be styled in different manners (opened or buttoned, belted or unbelted, layered)
  • Can it be worn for different occasions and in different seasons  - The most versatile clothes are the ones you can style up or down in any season
  • Can it be beautifully combined with other items and colors 

The more of these characteristics a piece of clothing has, the more versatile and ultimately valuable it is.  Versatile items can provide more fun with accessorizing, giving you the creative outlet to make an item look so unique with different styling techniques. 

Benefits to a versatile dress

  • More wear time in a given week - Style differently each time. 
  • Saves money, time and energy.
  • Simplifies your closet: Less indecision about what to wear. 
  • Seasonless, versatile designs can stay in your wardrobe for a long time and can give you the ability to afford better quality items. 
  • More space in your wardrobe.
  • Boosts creativity in the closet - Makes styling fun and interesting.
  • More efficient packing - Pack less and light.
  • Multi-purpose - A versatile item can take you from day to night or office to dinner or brunch to the beach to shopping. 

The Mara Dress: One dress, multiple ways to wear 

Let’s consider the design process for the Mara Dress, a luxurious tunic style dress. We always start with the foundational criteria of timeless style, elegance, and comfort—the primary determinants for structure and fabric. With Mara, we made versatility another central design element, intending to make a versatile tunic that can be dressed up or down and worn in many ways.

The Mara has a straight fit in its basic configuration and comes with inseam pockets. We added a detached belt as one of the easiest ways to make it versatile: without the belt you have a simple straight fit, but with the belt you create a more fitted, body-aware silhouette. Sometimes you want one look, other times the other is desired, and either the color-matched belt we provide or a more colorful or patterned one of your choice will work. Buttons from just above the waist to the collar provide the ability to fine-tune the level of formality or informality, as they work at all configurations from fully buttoned to not buttoned at all. High side slits work well on their own, and also allow for pants (maybe jeans?) or boots under the Mara. Layering, or styling our dresses with boots in  the colder months and sandals in the warmer months, are easy ways to change up your look.

Think about versatile clothing that fits your lifestyle and makes you feel good. At the end of the day, you want your pieces to reflect you, what you love, and how you live. 

Together Segal Petite Dress Mara
Versatile Petite Mara Dress
Together Segal Petite Mara Dress
Together Segal Petite Mara Dress Versatile Styling
March 09, 2022 — Melissa Segal