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1. There is the classic Little Black Dress (LBD)
and then there is the avant-garde black dress. Own one of both.
The first should be a body-hugging Audrey Hepburn sheath style,
and the second should be crafted of something utterly unexpected
like corduroy, beaded chiffon, or leather.
2. Don’t make the dress do all the work. Invest in a pair of pumps that
bear perfect proportion to your hem.
3. Build your wardrobe around the dress: A peony-red swing coat and a black
dress. A hounds tooth raincoat and a black dress. A white alpaca poncho and
a black dress, and so on.
4. Try quirky accessories with a very classic spaghetti strapped LBD…a
silk bow tie in violet and black, a top hat, a little faux fur cape, or a pair
of fluorescent fingerless gloves.
5. Wear serious and large-scale jewels with the same style of dress. Rope some
chunky coral, Mexican turquoise, ‘50’s paste, or a big topaz on
a velvet ribbon around your neck. Look at Romantic portraiture for inspiration.
The LBD is your frame; your face is the masterpiece.
6. Own at least one LBD with a white collar and cuffs; it is the perfect dress
to slide from the corporate boardroom to a cocktail party. White near the face
is more flattering at the end of the day.
7. Update your LBD to suit your life and your body. Skin along the low-cut
neckline of a woman's dress gets a little less perfect over the years, so heighten
the neckline and choose a gown with sheer chiffon sleeves.
8. Always make an extra effort with your hair and make-up when wearing an LBD.
A slightly bouffant chignon tied with a velvet bow or a glossy blow-out, teamed
with smoky gray eyeliner and extra mascara, heighten the seductive powers of
wearing all black.
Coo-coo-cachoo, Mrs. Robinson!
9. Choose your occasions to make the LBD; cocktail parties are drowning in
chic black, baby showers are not. If you have to wear a black dress to an all-black
affair, do jolt it a little with a bright-red corsage of silk peonies or some
heavy gold bracelets and a high, high ponytail.
10. Never regret wearing a black dress to feel more conservative, authoritative,
or simply sexier than you naturally are. Your bank manager, your mother, and
your husband will all be happy. |
