If there is one thing that drives me crazy during the winter, it is seeing women suffering in the cold to look beautiful. Dresses are great wardrobe items that sometimes get overlooked or just considered for the summertime. Well, you, my dear readers, are oh so wrong. I would like to put an idea in your head that you may not have considered before: things can be worn year-round.

When we buy things, we immediately associate them with the season we purchased them in. Stop fooling yourself; there's a lot that can be worn during the winter! Although dresses are usually associated with warmer months because of their usually revealing nature, they are great items to transition with into fall and winter.

The rules of winter dresses are simple: if you show less, it looks like it was done on purpose. If you wear a short dress and small shoes, you'll look a little, well, stupid.

Legs are obviously important things to consider when you're wearing a dress, they can be exposed and they can be covered up. And while those two options seem extremely obvious, the element that most people forget is how they cover their legs up.

Socks: Knee-length socks are a great way to cover up a little, and they're also perfect for when you want to pair great boots with your dress but you want to add a little colour. Don't shy away from the thought of showing a little sock.

Boots: When wearing a dress in the wintertime, consider the shoes you're wearing and how they look paired with your dress. Not all shoes go with all dresses, and most importantly, not all boots go with all leg coverings. It's sometimes tricky to find which ones work best but with a little imagination and a full-length mirror you'll figure it out. The most important thing to remember is how the horizontal lines of the shoes, tights and hem of the dress cut you up. Nobody wants to look shorter than they are.

Tights: Tights are also another great option for concealing your lovely gams. Patterned tights are good, but when something is busy, it draws attention to that area. If you have a crazy pattern on your legs, people look there. Consider how the lines you're creating with your garment affect the proportion of your body. I do not recommend tall boots with patterned leggings — the little that you see will look wider and a solid colour would probably look much better and help slim your silhouette.

Maxi: Lengthen that hem! Who would've thought a longer skirt or a longer dress might suit you better? I will admit to being a little frightened of a good maxi skirt the first time I tried one on. They're long and my original association with them was the scary Goth sitting in the corner. I had always associated black long skirts with this image and, well, it's pathetically sad that it took so long to get over it; if you have a similar fear, you should try them now! They're comfortable and they either give you a great silhouette or they flow away from the body and are flattering. Maxi skirts are great because you can wear tights or nothing under them, or you can wear leggings if it's too cold for bare legs. They allow a great deal of variety and are definitely a great winter casual wear staple item.

So next time you're about to put that dress back on the hanger and back in the closet, stop yourself and think that putting that little extra effort into what you're wearing might send you from fashion follower to fashionista. The easiest way to grow is to learn from our mistakes. If you try to wear a winter dress once and fail, try again. Nobody ever got anywhere by giving up, especially not in fashion.