Kelly Clarkson Showed Us How to Repurpose Summer Dresses for Colder Months with One Staple Piece

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Getty (1)

Getty (1)

Since my summer dresses have been, well,gone and packed away, I’ve really been missing them. But maybe I don’t have to move on after all.

Kelly Clarksonrecently wore what looked like a white button-up shirt and a sleeveless sweater dressfor a day filming her talk show, and it totally blew my mind. In my eyes, her dress would have been a fall or winter “no-no” given the sleeveless situation. But with the addition of a long-sleeve layer, it looked warm and seasonally appropriate.

Not only did it send me searching for similar styles for both, but something also dawned on me: This hack could be used with anyshort-sleeve dress, not justcozier celeb-inspired ones. In other words, my breezy spring and summer styles are fair game, too, since an extra layer was the only thing needed to falli-fy them.

Kelly Clarkson Show Instagram (1)

Kelly Clarkson’s Outfit Blueprint

Evaless Button-Down Shirt

Amazon

$30 at Amazon

I get a lot of use out of my versatile button-ups, aceleb-worn shirt style, but I’ve never worn one under a dress — though that’s about to change. I have a whole collection sitting in my closet already, but I do think the puffy sleeves on this one are more feminine than a sharper-cut suit-like one, so it may very well be my next purchase. Plus, when shoppers call it everything from “beautiful” to a “head turner,” it’s hard to resist.

Zeagoo Sweater Vest Dress

$37$30 at Amazon

I plan on using this hack with dresses from my own closet first, but I also found a few similar to Clarkson’s, too. This one is like the dress version ofKate Middleton’s sweater vest, and it’s pretty loose around the midsection, so it wouldn’t show the outline of a button-up underneath. I also think the two together would be cooler than a dress made of entirely thick sweater material. It’s available in sizes S to XXL and rings in just under $40.

Karen Kane Plaid Shift Dress

Nordstrom

$168 at Nordstrom

Another style I may have to splurge on is this plaid beauty, which looks a lot like a certain designer brand. Taylor Swift, Jennifer Garner, and Clarkson herself have all been opting for theseasonal pattern lately.

Btfbm Satin Button-Down Shirt

$33 at Amazon

Mango Cotton Button-Up Shirt

$50 at Nordstrom

Old Navy Classic Button-Down Shirt

Old Navy

$30 at Old Navy

The Drop Gabriela High-Neck Sweater Dress

$50 at Amazon

Vince Camuto Sleeveless Rib Midi Sweater Dress

$119$80 at Nordstrom

Gap CashSoft Rib Mockneck Maxi Sweater Dress

GAP

$98 at Gap

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See More from PEOPLE Shopping

Martha Stewart’s Modern Farmhouse Furniture and Decor Is on Sale from $22 Just in Time for a Spring RefreshThis $27 Nylon Tote Bag ‘Holds So Much’ — Even a Change of Clothes and ShoesWayfair’s Coastal-Inspired Furniture Storefront Has Pieces to Revamp Your Patio for Spring — Up to 60% Off

Martha Stewart’s Modern Farmhouse Furniture and Decor Is on Sale from $22 Just in Time for a Spring Refresh

This $27 Nylon Tote Bag ‘Holds So Much’ — Even a Change of Clothes and Shoes

Wayfair’s Coastal-Inspired Furniture Storefront Has Pieces to Revamp Your Patio for Spring — Up to 60% Off

source: people.com