How to make the little black dress exciting
Every magazine and style how-to book will tell you that the little black dress is an item every woman must own. We’ve all heard the mantra – it’s chic, it never goes out of style, and it’s a safe choice for those moments when you can’t think of anything else to wear. I never owned a little black dress until I was 25 years old because to me, black is a boring and dreary color reserved only for business functions and other occasions where showing off a sense of style is strictly prohibited. Little black dresses are the antithesis to the busy patterns, bright colors, and the statement accessories that I love. Or so I thought.
Though I still rarely resort to wearing black, in the past year I’ve managed to find ways to make the LBD a fun fashion choice. Here are my favorite ways to wear the two black dresses I own!
With contrasting accessories
Little black dresses are a perfect backdrop to show off contrasting statement accessories. Usually, this means a glittering necklace, but it can also be a colorful beaded bag, or in my case, a crazy pair of glasses. I wanted to play up the mod vibe of my black eyelet dress, and I had the perfect accessory to do so – a pair of white cat eye frames I bought at a San Francisco thrift shop years ago. Paired with white wedges, bold pink lipstick, and an understated black clutch, it was one of those rare times where wearing black made me feel chic.
With colorful outerwear
The little black dress also gives you a great excuse to wear the colorful blazers and jackets languishing in your closet. Here I am again wearing the same black dress, but this time with a loud patchwork jacket from a garage sale. This was one of those moments where I did turn to black because I ran out of options; I was to celebrate Malaysia Day with the Malaysian embassy and I had no clue what to wear! Black seemed like a safe choice for a diplomatic affair, but my outfit desperately needed a pop of color. Problem solved with the patchwork jacket! I was very worried that my ensemble looked too trendy, but when I entered the ballroom, I realized that a plain black dress would have looked dull next to the colorful kebayas Malaysian women wore that evening.
With your curves
Little black dresses have many incarnations, and the bandage dress became an unexpected favorite. Ever since my post-college weight gain, I’ve stayed far away from body-hugging pieces, thinking that loose silhouettes will hide the unwanted flab accumulating in my midsection. While this is mostly true, I had no idea that the right bandage dress can make your figure stand out while downplaying the unsightly bumps you want to hide. As opposed to my other black dress, I like wearing this one with simple accessories and making my curves the statement of my outfit.
