what to wear: the new separates

It’s easy to grab a go-to dress or a perfect-fitting jumpsuit on those days when you just don’t know what to wear. They don’t requiring any layering or matching, and you still look pulled together. These silhouettes are tried and true, and we should all continue to wear them. There is a new way, however, to accomplish this ease of dressing for those of you who are always looking for something a little different: one of this year’s hottest trends has been the two-piece outfit.

This is an ensemble consisting of two matching parts or pieces that can be be worn together or worn as separates. When worn together, the look is similar to that of a dress, but that has been split at the waist. The top tends to be a blouse, cropped top or shirt–never a jacket, which would just make it a suit.

Advantages to this look? You can fit the top and bottom separately for a more accurate fit. And while some versions of this trend display the midriff the cut is actually more forgiving on the waistline as a result of the untucked top and higher waistband, bypassing problem areas altogether.

The fabrics and the colors are flexible, making two-piece ensembles work well in almost any weather condition.

Megan Brown, owner of Del Ray’s Mind the Mat, is featured here wearing a dark grey, Donna Morgan two-piece and Sacha London pumps. The color and feel of the material makes it wearable from now right through the fall—with the right accessories and outerwear, totally appropriate for the winter.

“I love two-piece outfits,” she said after putting this one on. “It’s a little more conservative than what I normally pick out for myself, but the separation of the two pieces gives me the funk and edge I need in any outfit I wear.”