the LBD: your party MVP
The last two weeks of the year are a kind of party/special event sprint. It’s daunting to look at your calendar and see everything from brunch with your girlfriends (ack, including Liz the fashionista) to that New Year’s Eve party at your cousin’s swanky condo. Still, you don’t have to increase your seasonal stress when it comes to what to wear, especially if you’ve got a good little black dress. I think of a well-cut LBD as the MVP of your wardrobe, a versatile canvas that can go from casual cool to cocktail soiree fancy, depending on how you style it. Here, our friend Deepa Venkataraman, a local marketing professional, models three looks.
Brunch
Tone down the LBD’s dressy vibe with a cozy cashmere sweater, booties, and laid-back accessories for a Sunday pre-shopping meal. How to keep the look more casual:
– A sweater or jacket in an icy pastel comes across as both wintery and contemporary when paired with black.
– Keep accessories easy and a little funky, a wooden long necklace, low-heeled booties—so no one will think you just slept in your cocktail dress and rolled out of bed out for lunch.
Dress and sweater, Kiskadee; earmuffs, Coco Blanca; bag, booties, necklace and gold bracelet, The Shoe Hive.
Drinks with co-workers or a church service
Events after work (or with people you work with) and church functions call for looking polished but not prim. By treating a dress like a jumper and layering it, you get a new, French-chic look. How to do it:
– When layering a dress over a blouse or top, be sure the top is trim enough to not cause bulges in the frock. Wearing tights or Spanx under it all can help; just tuck your shirt into them for a smooth line.
– Even though this look leans a bit more conservative, add pops of style with your accessories—a bright shoe, a printed bag, a statement necklace, or ring.
– You can also layer a dress under a chunky sweater on colder days—just think of it like a skirt.
Dress, blouse, and bag, Kiskadee; pumps, necklace and earrings, The Shoe Hive.
New Year’s Eve Bash or a fancy date night
When the dress code is swanky (but not-quite black tie), a little black dress acts as the base for old Hollywood-ish pieces—a snuggly faux fur, bright, sky-high heels, and blingy jewelry or bags. Notice that this outfit doesn’t just pile on the glitz (you are not a Christmas tree, lady!)—it mixes textures, colors and a bit of sparkle for a look that’s New York sultry, not Vegas showgirl. Here’s how to get the effect:
– Don’t dress in head to toe black—it’ll look somber. Add sparkle, color, or texture via accessories.
– You’ll get more wear out of a faux fur in a honey or grayish tone than a black one; it simply mixes with more things and brings a welcome does of lightness to darker winter months.
– Trot out your most colorful, brightest shoes for big parties—they’ll get you noticed in, ahem, a sea of LBDs.
Faux fur coat, evening bag, and rhinestone earrings, Coco Blanca; pink pumps and snake cocktail ring, The Shoe Hive.
Need help putting together party outfits or refreshing your look for 2016? Contact me, Jenn Barger, for a consultation or style session, email me at jenn@dcstylefactory.com.
Photos by Callan Swenson
2 Comments
I love all of these ideas with the LBD. However, I also love the LBD! Which store is that from?
Kiskadee!