What to wear over dresses?

[herbaceous]

Love a dress, me. Flattering, no need to match tops and bottoms or work out what to do at the waist, etc... But what to wear over them when it's a bit cool? Especially when they have puffy sleeves, as so many of them do these days?

I'm a 14-ish, quite curvy, and nothing is quite right. I've got some more fitted jackets from a few years ago, but they look a bit dated now.

But, of the offerings in the shops, blazers look wrong, biker jackets are too much, cardigans look frumpy and don't accommodate sleeves, and shackets and the new-fangled boxy jackets make me look entirely shapeless as they stop at the wrong place of my body and obliterate what remains of my waist. Am contemplating a bomber, but fear that will be the case then too...

I can't be the only one!

Here's me yesterday in M&S with a lovely jacket but looking like a sofa beneath it.

With that kind of dress, a longline chunky cardigan (sleeveless if you like) coatigan or a trench coat

Or an afghan

I have no solutions, sorry, just here to offer solidarity as I too struggle with this.
I have a couple of puffy sleeved top and have the same cardigan (my go to really) with them.
I also contemplated a bomber earlier this spring, but I can't really sit in the office with a bomber on, can I?!
That jacket and dress in your photo look good to me though, so don't do yourself a disservice.

Sorry meant I have the same problem with some puff sleeved tops as well as dresses, what to wear over? I just have cardigans currently and stuff them in but not ideal.

Found this in M&S today. Must have been hiding yesterday. Accommodates statement sleeves, ends at right place on body, can be inside or outside.

Think will be perfect!

https://www.marksandspencer.com/jersey-quilted-bomber-jacket/p/clp60639526?intid=mobileappppdpshare

I love my denim jacket over dresses .. l also have three QUIZ light weight waterfall jackets with 3/4 sleeves.. generous sleeves so okay for more puffy/ angel sleeves.

One black.. one pink one white.

Obviously a cardigan but failing that nothing, dress for the occassion!

I just bought a denim waistcoat for that very purpose! In fact I already had one, a looser cut ,more like a sleeveless denim jacket, which I like, but the new one is much more fitted. They both go over dresses very well.

I would put something underneath the dress rather than over it if I needed to be a bit warmer

I always wear a shorter denim jacket that's really fitted and roll the sleeves up a little bit

Or I wear a chunky long cardigan which looks good too.

IMO the issue in that picture is that the jacket is the wrong length. It cuts you off in the wrong place.

I’d wear a cropped jacket which stops at the waist do the dress (I have a leather one this length which looks great with all dresses of that shape)

OR I’d wear something as long as the dress, eg a trench coat.

i think a fitted cropped jacket would suit you well.

I would wear a Uniqlo thermal long sleeved top because they are incredibly soft and thin yet so warm

And I would add a gilet on top, left open. I might belt the dress with a thin belt at the narrowest point of waist in the darkest shade of the gilet just to nip the dress and stop it being too much fabric

Then if I'm really cold add tights and boots, hat (wool fedora in dark caramel) scarves!

I agree on jacket length, it needs to be about 6 inches longer or shorter. Shoulder pads would also boost the fit.

You could also wear a poncho, they can be boatneck or have a waist tie, they come in many styles and lengths.

Cropped denim jacket

Knitted vest

I wear cashmere wraps - ones that are big enough that I can wrap and tie in different ways depending on the dress.