I love the idea of throwing a mannish blazer over a long, feminine dress. It's a little unexpected, almost counter-intuitive, and yet modern, and I prefer it over more conventional cover-ups, such as a pashmina (yawn!) or a cardigan. The blazers that work for this kind of look need to be single breasted, slim-cut, and graze the hip, such as these by Helmut Lang, Faith Connexion, Mango, and Madison Marcus (on sale!). Perched on your shoulders, it kind of looks like you borrowed it from your husband or boyfriend, which, in my opinion, is gorgeously romantic.

Photo: Harper's Bazaar