Kristen Bell’s Dress Is a More Fall-Friendly Version of the Style Seen on Meghan Markle and Katie Holmes

Welcome to The Blueprint, where we break down the celebrity looks we want to wear right now and build them back up, piece by piece. 

Is Kristen Bell’s dress ringing any bells? Because it is for me. 

On September 24, the actress wore a $299 striped Posse dress while doing press for her new Netflix series Nobody Wants This. It bared her décolletage with its off-the-shoulder neckline, while simultaneously covering the majority of her arms and legs thanks to long sleeves and a full-length design. In summary, it was the picture of temperature regulation. 

And it seems as though everybody, including myself, wants a dress with the classic pattern: Last summer, Meghan Markle and Katie Holmes both wore the same strapless striped dress that was basically Bell’s dress in a breezier form — same brand and all. 

Kristen Bell’s Outfit Blueprint 

• Dresses: Merokeety Striped Sweater Dress, $29 with coupon (orig. $41); amazon.com
• Lulus Black Striped Off-the-Shoulder Midi Sweater Dress, $55 with code (orig. $69); lulus.com
• Prettygarden Button-Down Knit Midi Sweater Dress, $42; amazon.com
• Lulus Black and White Striped Textured Midi Dress, $39 with code (orig. $49); lulus.com
• Madewell The Signature Knit Mockneck Sweater Dress, $118; madewell.com
• Lulus Heathered Beige Striped Knit Midi Dress, $52 with code (orig. $65); lulus.com
• Shoes: Dream Pairs Slingback Flats, $26 with Prime (orig. $35); amazon.com
• Lifestride Claire Slingback Flat, $55 (orig. $70); nordstrom.com
• Bruno Marc Penny Loafers, $17 (orig. $36); amazon.com

Lulus Black Striped Off-the-Shoulder Midi Sweater Dress

I am that person who keeps their jacket on long after they’ve returned home since I like to be cozy. Sweater dresses are just thicker versions of the average style and are just as cozy as a blanket, but so much more presentable. Oh, and Bell, Kelly Clarkson, and Reese Witherspoon also wear them. 

This one from Lulus is a little bit shorter than Bell’s, but I’m usually wearing tall boots in the fall anyways. And if I do get cold, a leather jacket would coordinate well as a topper. The classic pattern — also seen on Gwyneth Paltrow and Reese Witherspoon — is also less chunky, which is more minimal for my everyday dress. 

Merokeety Striped Sweater Dress

If an off-the-shoulder style is immediately going to make you shiver, you don’t have to grin and bear it. I personally don’t mind it, but I know that my mom, for example, would prefer something like this. It’s also a bit baggier, which I would also typically pick as my first choice. 

Dream Pairs Slingback Flats

Bell’s shoes were slick slingback heels, so I want to copy mostly everything from her outfit. I wish I could carry out the Carrie Bradshaw heel strut, but I trip when nothing is even on the ground. Flats have become my best friend in the past year, and this pair has the ittiest bittiest heel that looks both safe and comfortable for me to wear. They’re also on sale for under $30 for Prime members. 

And then once snow and sleet start to fall, I’ll definitely switch to something closed-toe like penny loafers, which I found for you, too.  

Keep scrolling to shop more striped dresses and black shoes inspired by Kristen Bell now. 

Prettygarden Button-Down Knit Midi Sweater Dress

Lulus Black and White Striped Textured Midi Dress

Madewell The Signature Knit Mockneck Sweater Dress

Lulus Heathered Beige Striped Knit Midi Dress

Lifestride Claire Slingback Flat 

Bruno Marc Penny Loafers