Every September the same wardrobe mistake repeats: the linen goes into storage the first cool morning, and a category of clothes that cost real money sleeps for eight months. It does not have to. Layering is the most underused of all style tips, and the linen dress happens to be one of the best layering bases a closet can hold. The generous cut leaves room underneath, the texture plays beautifully against knits and leather, and the muted palette most linen comes in is practically an autumn palette already. Here are five formulas that keep the dress working until real winter.



