First thing’s first: sweater dresses don’t have to be frumpy.  It may take a little extra cash – or waiting for the right sale – but a well-made, well-fitted sweater dress can remain a winter staple for years.  Jen bought one a year ago, and happily pulled it out of her closet last week for another round of winter style.  She’s already begun bugging Elle about her plans to layer it over her brand new Ariel Caged Platforms and black tights one day, skinny jeans and bright flats the next.  (Shut up, Jen.)

Ignore the fact that this is a “trend” and, instead, find a dress that fits and flatters your body.  You’ll be able to use it year after year, utilizing trendy accessories to keep it current and your own personal flair to keep it you.

Pop Knit Dress: $128

With this dress, color blocking is your friend.  The well-placed stripes really showcase curves, and the angle of the white stripe makes it perfect for apple figures.  We’d also like to see it on an hourglass – especially one that really wants to show off her hips.

Saucy Dress: $148

Every fashion lover has a personal battle with at least one pattern or cut.  Elle’s is stripes…and this dress makes her want to keep fighting the good fight.  She thinks this could look amazing on any curvy woman, as long as she has the confidence to pull it off.  It also works on straight bodies (that’s a given).  Our favorite part?  The foldover detail at the collar.

Cowlneck Sweater Dress: $39.99

This dress works best for events that are listed as “casual” but you don’t really want to be casual. The draped collar and golden sheen dress up an otherwise relaxed look, which we like best for straight bodies and pear shapes. It also comes in black, and is available in sizes small through 3X!

Dolman Sweater Dress: $39.90

This dolman trend ain’t over… and we don’t mind. It’s surprisingly flattering on hourglass figures (we think it’s all that draping, which emphasizes a large bust and small waist) and also looks stunning on apples. With the cinched hipline and wide collar, we can also see this looking very flattering on a straight body. It comes in black, too!

House Of Cassette Femme Sweater Dress: $126

Don’t let the photo fool you – this dress is not only comfortable, but flattering for a lot of different body types. Personally, we’d love to see an hourglass girl, straight, or an apple girl in this dress. With tights, without… Doesn’t matter. Although, just imagine this with a pair of textured sweater tights. Need more convincing? It has pockets. Done.

BR Dolman Sweater Dress: $98

Don’t be concerned – this dress may seem a little too similar to the grey dress above, but fear not – we have spotted enough differences between this dress and the other to… well, like it more. It’s a wool-blend, so the warmth will definitely be there (bonus points if tights and/or a turtleneck are involved). It’s also available in XS-XL, which delights us to no end. Honestly, we’d love to see anyone in this dress, but mostly, ourselves.

What do you think of our picks? Do you have a favorite sweater dress? Tell us about it!

Though we love the classics – everyone should own a basic cardigan and a crewneck sweater – we also think that it’s possible to be as uniquely fashionable in winter as it is in summer.  One of the easiest ways is to take whatever basic bottoms you own – jeans, slacks, skirts – and pair them with a not-so-basic top.

Women: Pleated wrap sweater – Grape wreath
$79.50
Those pleated shoulders are perfect to balance out a pear shape or add volume to an hourglass.  The banding across the hips, along with the tighter sleeves, showcase your curves while keeping you warm!

Women: Double-breasted shawl cardigan – off white
$59.50
It’s a jacket…no…it’s a sweater!  We love how soft and warm this one looks, and how sleek its even lines would be on a straight body.  We also think that the light color and fun collar would be perfect for a pear.

Splendid Mini Oatmeal Stripe Wrap
$126
This is a favorite for both Jen and Elle.  Elle loves how drapy it is, and Jen is always looking for tops that don’t cover her hips and thighs.  (It’s a comfort zone for her – she’s working on it.)  We think this top would give a straight figure a chance to play at curves for the day, and an hourglass figure a big boost without being too saucy.

Dani Ruffle Front Cardigan
$128
Apple girls!  This top is totally for you.  The ruffles create lots of length in the torso, and the collar has such a pretty heart shape for anyone with an ample bosom.  Hourglass girls can rock this top too, of course, but this really is the perfect cover-up for an apple figure.

As always, remember that most of these tops will work on almost every figure, when they’re paired with the right layers and bottoms.

What’s your body type, and which top would you choose?

This is the first installment of Style in Season, where we scour some of our favorite designers and websites for the most body-flattering and stylish options for all kinds of weather.

We firmly believe that a good jacket is a true investment piece. In the best case scenario, it should be fitted, stylish, sexy, and last for years – so you can afford to spend a little more, knowing it will be back winter after freezing winter.

The hardest part of finding a great jacket, we’ve found, is shape: what will look best with each of our body types?  What will accentuate our curves without restricting movement?  Will a jacket fit our bust, waist and hips?

There’s one surefire way to avoid those uncertainties: look for jackets that feature a belt.

We saw a lot of belted jackets hit the runways earlier this year, internationally, in the Fall/Winter 2009 collections. There were collarless coats with belts, trenches with belts, architectural coats and voluminous coats… It’s hard to go wrong.

Below are our favorite belted jackets of the season, along with the body types we think they’d fit best.

New York & Company Women’s City Style Plaid Trench – Cooling Cranberry, Weakening Brown
$79.95

Did you think you could do the plaid trend and a trench for under a hundred bucks? Neither did we, but this jacket proves us all wrong.  It would look great on almost every body type, though apple girls may want to avoid such a heavy collar.  You must check it out in brown – we love the way it’s styled.

ModCloth Carmen Trench
$107.99

We both immediately fell in love with this fantastic collar, and the way it’s styled with the belt tied instead of buckled.  (Options, ladies!)  This is truly a waist-lengthening jacket, and would look especially great on hourglass and apple figures.

Guess by Marciano Nadjia Trench
$228

We’re both suckers for the idea of “cozy”, and with this sweater, it looks like it would be pretty effective. Plus, with a faux leather belt, you could feel comfortable wearing it out to grab a drink or get some dinner. Hell, we’d even wear it on a date! (If we weren’t both already in terrific relationships, of course…). We love the brown, but the black sends out messages of “vixen” that we just can’t ignore. Great for almost all shapes, but especially straight and hourglass girls.

Plaid Ponte Jacket
$34.99

There’s no reason that your belted coat can’t be a short one! Particularly for girls with straight, or pear figures. The vibrancy of this pattern will definitely attract attention, but not in a Lady Gaga way, no… In a “damn, that girl is rockin’ some curves and confidence!” way. Yes, the lines on this jacket will give the illusion of curves – a nice bonus any way you look at it!

Spiewak Perrin Coat in Black
$195

Sometimes, simple is just… better. A classic trench like this wool one from Spiewak will last for years, literally. You will be able to wear it season after season – chances are slim that coats like this will ever be “out of style”. Plus, look at the details on the sleeve!

Ben Sherman Hillman Coat
$259

Jennifer adores almost everything by Ben Sherman, and this jacket is no different.  The houndstooth pattern is classy, yet eye-catching, and the hip-skimming cut is perfect for petite girls and short waists.

Do you think we picked the right jackets for your body shape?  Which jacket is your favorite?