For a long time, I avoided maxi dresses. For one thing, I had a hard time finding any that didn't drag the floor, and I'm not about spending money on alterations. But mostly, I had no idea how to style them for multiple seasons. I finally embraced the maxi dress a few years ago but didn't get much wear out of the few I owned.

Don't get me wrong. One of the best things about a maxi dress is the ability to throw it on with a pair of cute sandals and walk out the door, but I'm a firm believer in my three outfit rule: I don't buy something unless I can wear it three different ways (unless it's for a special occasion

I bought this gorgeous floral maxi dress from Amazon last summer. It's super soft and stretchy, has an elastic waist and pockets. I've talked about it on the blog several times - it's just that good! I wear it all the time, but I haven't gotten too creative with it, mostly because we've been staying home for the past six months. A maxi dress isn't something you'll see me in often during the fall and winter months, so I wanted to challenge myself to find ways to wear this dress in cooler weather. So without further ado, here are five ways to wear a maxi dress.

This is the way I typically wear my maxi dresses. Because this one does skim the floor, I knot the bottom to keep it from getting under my feet when I wear flats. Knotting it also means people will see your shoes.

Dress: Amazon (exact - wearing size M in teal green)

Shoes: Old Navy (exact - wearing size 7)

Want to dress up your maxi dress for the office, a date, or dinner at a nice restaurant? Add a blazer and heeled sandals. I bookended my outfit with a white blazer and white sandals. The white in the jacket helps pull out the white in the pattern, while the low heel on my sandals keeps the dress from brushing the floor.

Dress: Amazon (exact - wearing size M in teal green)

Blazer: JCPenney (similar)

Shoes: ShoeDazzle (exact - wearing size 7)

This is a good business casual combo for cooler days. There's not much yellow in the pattern of my dress, but it's enough that the yellow cardigan works. I added a belt at my waist to help keep my shape. Cardigans tend to make my shorter frame look frumpy. You can't really see them in the picture, but I finished the look with taupe booties.

Dress: Amazon (exact - wearing size M in teal green)

Cardigan: Old Navy (similar)

Belt: Target (similar)

Boots: Old Navy (similar)

I love cozy outfits, and nothing says cozy better than a soft sweater. This is my favorite dress layering trick for cold days. Take a loose-fitting sweater, gather the hem into a 'ponytail,' secure it with a rubber band or hair tie, and then tuck it up under. Be sure to tuck all the way around so you don't have a weird tail in the back. Then add a pair of casual, lace-up boots in a neutral color. I tied up the bottom of the dress so my boots can be seen.

Dress: Amazon (exact - wearing size M in teal green)

Sweater: Walmart (similar)

Boots: Target (exact - wearing size 7)

This is the warmest outfit of all. Grab your favorite denim jacket and top it off with a chunky scarf in a color found in your dress's print. Add some warm socks and casual ankle boots. Knotted hem optional.

Dress: Amazon (exact - wearing size M in teal green)

Jacket: Old Navy (similar)

Scarf: gifted (similar)

Boots: Target (exact - wearing size 7)