How to Style The Little Black Dress

The reason it’s the perfect “little black dress” and not the perfect “little burgundy dress” is that a woman can to get the most wear out of versatile black — more than any other color — by dressing it up or down with other garments and accessories.

Keep two things in mind when building your wardrobe from this one fabulous dress:

The key to successfully making an outfit for any occasion from just one little black dress is beginning with a classic shape that flatters your body type; babydoll-, mini-, and maxi-dresses aren’t as adaptable as a simple, timeless cut.

Keep it simple: the beauty of the little black dress is its unabashed minimalism. No matter how much you layer your look, stick to mostly neutral shades with a few pops of analogous accent colors.

Here’s how the little black dress can make you a fashion chameleon: smart and professional by day, sexy and sultry at night, and clever and funky on weekends.

Little Black Dressing at Work

Keep It Professional at the Office

• For daytime, layer a trendy bow tie blouse, a crisp white shirt or slim-fitting turtleneck under the professional little black dress.
• Slip on a solid-colored cashmere cardigan, or a cropped blazer, and put on a pair of opaque tights with a pair of tall boots (for a more casual look), or peep toe shoes with high or kitten heels (for a more formal daytime ensemble).
• Finish off your classic look with diamond stud earrings (or whatever you can manage) and some pearls.

Little Black Dressing at Night

Keep It Sexy for a Night on the Town

• Wear the little black dress on its own with sheer or fishnet stockings, sexy stilettos, a little bit of bling (dangly earrings or a tennis bracelet), and a small clutch.
• To keep evening chills at bay, add a touch of faux fur. Shrug on a fake fur cape, bolero or mini-poncho — it’ll keep your shoulders warm and leave the rest of your outfit on display.

Little Black Dressing on the Weekend

Keep It Comfy and Funky at Lunch with the Girls

• Layer a cozy turtleneck or long-sleeved tee under the little black dress.
• Put on a pair of opaque or funky patterned tights with a pair of tall, mid-calf, or ankle boots. Alternatively, stay grounded with a cute pair of flat shoes.
• Cinch on a thick belt, put on some bangles or a chunky cuff bracelet, and slip on a long necklace with a funky pendant.
• Layer over a fitted tweed blazer, cropped jacket, bolero, or leather jacket.
• Finish it off with a scarf, gloves, and your favorite short-brimmed or newsboy cap.

Go Ultra Simple for a Casual Date

• For anytime elegance, wear your little black dress over a cream or charcoal grey turtleneck or fitted tee, buckle on a black leather belt and finish it all off with a bright scarf for a splash of color.
• Slip on opaque charcoal tights and a pair of black peep toe wedges.

Find out which little black dress will be most flattering to your figure.

Sheath Dress Styling Tips

Elegant, feminine and practical, the sheath dress is defined by a figure-hugging silhouette with a well-defined waist, that usually is cut mid-calf or shorter. Sheath dresses may be designed with or without sleeves, and are especially flattering on curvy, hour-glass figures, like Christina Hendricks or Salma Hayek.

Now that you know what a sheath dress is, here’s how to make the most of this versatile, sophisticated frock:

How to Accessorize a Sheath Dress

Shoes? High Heels, Please.

The sheath dress’s distinct waist serves to create the illusion of long legs in the same way that high-waisted pants make your legs look longer. The elongated elegance of the sheath dress begs you to take it one step further by wearing the highest heel you can comfortably manage, be it in the form of a classic pump, wedge shoe, or high heeled boot. Not only will it keep the long lines going, but a higher heel will also enhance the shape of your leg by flattering the curves of your calves and ankles.

Statement Jewelry

The neat, minimal shape of the sheath dress makes it the perfect canvas for one or two tasteful yet eye-catching accessories: pin on a colorful or metallic brooch, or adorn yourself with a long string of pearls, a chunky necklace, or a thick and ornate bracelet. The retro style of the dress (à la Mad Men era) also makes it particularly suited to vintage costume jewelry.

Cinch a Sheath Dress with a Belt

The highlight of this simple dress style is its well-defined waist; further cinching the waist of a sheath dress with a wide belt accentuates the style’s feminine appeal. We love the cummerbund-style Burberry Prorsum Leather Wrap Belt ($315); get the look for less with the Elegantly Waisted Twist Belt($137). Wear multiple super skinny belts (crisscrossed) as a more original way to achieve a similar effect. You can also wear a single thin belt over a sheath dress, but this look works best on dresses that fit rather snugly around the waist; if there’s a lot of extra fabric or the dress isn’t a great fit you’ll end up with an unflattering, bulgy, frumpy looking waistline.

Layer with a Blazer or Cardigan

The sheath dress’s strong silhouette makes it a brilliant base for layering with cute cardigan sweaters and slim-fitting blazers. For a softer substitute to a structured blazer, and as an exercise in smart layering, go ahead and wear a longer cashmere cardigan sweater over your sheath dress (with the buttons between your breastbone and belly button fastened) and cinch it all with a wide belt.

Add a Punch of Color

Once again, the sheath dress’s simple shape means you can go a bit brighter and bolder than you normally might at work. While basic black and gray are appropriate for very conservative environments, choose bright, energetic solid colors or attention-grabbing graphic prints for effortless, eye-opening sophistication. And nothing pops like red! The DKNY Cherry Cap Sleeve Sheath Dress ($484) is a show-stopping ultra elegant dress to wear when you want all eyes and attention on you.

Totally trend-right for fall’s jewel tone color palette, queen of the sheath dress, L’Wren Scott’s Emerald Wool Sheath Dress($1730) is a dream basic for the office and for evening events.

How to Wear Sheath Dresses at Work

Sheath Dress Hemlines

Sheath dressing takes naughty-secretary style and transforms it into smart, modern executive fashion. In the workplace, the sheath dress is a decidedly feminine, more efficient alternative to the business suit. For professional attire, always opt for sheath dresses with hemlines the hit anywhere from just above the knee to mid-calf.

Sheath Dress Necklines

There are many choices when it comes to necklines for the sheath dress, including bateau (or boat neck), deep V, jewel, scoop, square or sweetheart. No matter your workplace, save cleavage for night-time looks and wear a light blouse – preferably one with a bow-tie neck detail or ruffle – under dresses with revealing necklines. Banana Republic’s Black Lightweight Wool Pleat Dress ($150), with its sweetheart neckline and faux-wrap construction,  is a stunning little number to have as a go-to dress in your wardrobe. Professional, flattering and unabashedly feminine, this dress is suitable for a slightly dressier workplace and easily dresses up with simple accessories and showstopping shoes.

Sheath Dress Sleeve Options

If your workplace allows, in warmer spring and summer months wear a sleeveless sheath dress like the divinely detailed sleeveless crew-neck Alexandria Sheath Dress ($425) by Diane von Furstenberg; if that’s too much skin, slip on a cardigan or fitted blazer. For more coverage in cooler months (or air-conditioned offices), go with a cap-, three-quarter, or full-length sleeve. Check out the Gap Leathertrim Shift Dress ($70) with  ¾-length sleeves; wear it with opaque black or grey tights and black leather ankle boots for a smart look that transitions well from work to play.

For a dress that ticks all these boxes, behold L’Wren Scott’s Black Square Neck Sheath Dress($2065): slim cut, with a soft feminine square neck, ¾ length sleeves and the new midi length hemline that extends to the calf,  is the epitome of a classic little black dress.. truly a wardrobe essential.

Sheath Dress Evening Looks

For night time looks, simply shed your blouse, cardigan sweater or blazer, slip on a pair of strappy stiletto shoes, put on some dangly earrings, let your hair down from its daytime chignon and head into the night wearing Versace’s Purple Back-Zip Shift Dress ($1340). The figure-hugging cut of the dress and dramatic makeup is all the sex appeal you need.

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DVF Wrap Dresses

Season after season, the flawless wrap dress finds itself reworked, redesigned and reinvented on the runways of modern designers, but one woman alone can take the credit for the fabulous little package that is the wrap dress.

Designing the Wrap Dress

Introduced to fashionable women by the legendary powerhouse of style, Diane von Furstenberg in the 1970s, more than three decades later the wrap dress continues to be as flattering and curve-loving as ever.

In 1972, Belgian born designer Diane von Furstenberg’s concept for the contemporary wrap dress began as a cotton jersey shirt dress similar to the pattern for a wrapped dancer’s sweater. And just a few years later, in 1974, the shirt prototype was elongated into the fabulous frock commonly known as the wrap dress.

Von Furstenberg’s revolutionary design earned her massive acclaimBy 1976 Diane von Furstenberg had sold over a million of her signature wrap dresses and landed on the cover of The Wall Street Journal and Newsweek, the latter dubbing her “the most marketable woman since Coco Chanel. Today, Diane von Furstenberg is the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) president. and came to symbolize female power and freedom to an entire generation as she encouraged women to “feel like a woman, wear a dress.”

Inspired by a chic, young generation of women who were buying vintage 1970s wrap dresses, Diane re-launched her wrap dress collection in 1997.

Of course, wrap-style dresses have been around for centuries, such as the kimono and toga, but the modern wrap dress has streamlined, simple lines that every woman can appreciate. And the queen of color and print does not disappoint in her effortlessly chic New Jeanne Wrap Dress and the ¾ length sleeve New Julian Wrap Dress; available in a multitude of vibrant colors and tasteful geometric and tribal prints and patterns, these iconic wrap dresses are at once classic and modern.

The Figure-Flattering Wrap Dress

If ever there was a garment designed to flatter a woman’s figure, it was to be the wrap dress.  Tall and willowy, shorter and shapely, plus sized or petite, the wrap dress looks phenomenal on every shape. The folding style of the wrap dress hugs a woman’s body in all the right places, skimming the hips, accentuating cleavage, and cinching the waist.

Curvy Body Type

If you are curvy with an hour-glass figure, the cross-over wrap dress with its lovely waist-cinching tie further accentuates a narrow waist, full bosom, and shapely hips.

Straight Body Type

If you have more of a rectangular or straight figure, with little difference between your hips and waist – like Diane von Furstenberg herself – the wrap dress will create the illusion of a more womanly shape thanks to its waist-cinching closure. And women with flatter chests can indulge in deeper necklines without worrying about looking too risqué.

Maternity Wrap Dresses

Since the wrap dress is extremely customizable, the wrap dress is also an excellent investment for the expectant mother. A jersey-knit maternity wrap dress, will take you from early first trimester (before you’ve shared the news) and well into the second or third trimester. The tie will sit just below your bust line once your waist disappears, and the fluid stretch fabric will flatter your rounded, pregnant body.

The Versatile Wrap Dress: Dressy or Casual

A true chameleon, the wrap dress is one of the only garments that can be dressed up for a formal evening affair with sexy stilettos and stunning earrings, converted to a casual weekend brunch look with boots, chunky jewelry and a pashmina, dressed way down at the beach worn over your swimsuit with flip flops, or made totally funky and modern worn over leggings or your favorite jeans.

A testament to its universally flattering shape and versatility, the wrap around dress can be found in nearly every fabric, style and color.

Tunic Style

We’re not going to tell you tunics are new. We’re not even going to slap tunics with an avant-garde label or tie them up with an of-the-moment ribbon. Tunics have been around longer than we can remember (dating back to the days of togas), but we just can’t stop lovin’ them.

Recent Tunic History

After popping up in blocky prints in the 1960s, after hanging off the shoulders of long-haired hippies in the 1970s, and after getting tighter and brighter in the 1980s and 1990s, tunics came rolling in with the tireless boho chic style, looking cuter and trendier than ever.

At the heels of the dress-over-pants look, which was worshipped by some and pooh-poohed by many more, the thigh-skimming top had skeptics grinning everywhere. Flattering, adorable, chic and palatable, tunics had just the right mix of style and practicality to have the world of fashion jump on board.

We’ve seen tunics in light fabrics that dance delicately at the hips, we’ve seen gaping boatnecks that hang seductively over tanned shoulders, and we’ve seen flirty ruffles, coy little ties, and plunging necklines. The chameleon of apparel, the tunic can take you all over the style map, from schoolgirl cute to southern-sun sexpot. We love the sexy, animal printed lovers + friends Weekend Tunic in 2 Colors, with its sultry cut-out shoulders and airy fabric, perfect worn on its own or with leggings or jeans.

Modern Tunic Style

For this round of tunic-mania, waistlines are bobbing from bust to hip and cuts are ebbing from swimmy to snug. First up, the tunic is embracing the babydoll. A welcome leftover from the warmer months, empire waists (or even higher!) give you a busty bosom that flares to perfection just at the hip. Not for those with a lot of luv up top, this look sprinkles you with innocence while revving up the sex appeal. Keep your eye out for banding or tie-back details, cap or palm-kissing sleeves, and full hemlines that sway and flow from your waist to your bottom.

Tunic Styling Tips

This brings us to rule number one when sporting a tunic: whatever you’re wearing from the waist down better be fitted, curve-loving and nowhere near baggy (with a few exceptions). With all that movement up top, keep it sleek and slender below – no one likes looking dumpy, now do they?

Gathered Tunics

A spin on the loosey-goosey tunic swaps the gathering under your bustline for a band at the hip, bringing the flowing fabric to a silhouette enhancing accent right where you need it. Such cuts benefit from a rouched neckline in either a wide “V” or sexy scoop, and the sleeves – either short or long – should  match the shirt’s hem with either a band at the upper arm or a cinched cuff at the elbow or wrist. Think of this season’s favorite tones – yummy chocolates, classy neutrals, or punches of reds, indigo and golds.

Knit Tunics

Fall’s influx of knitwear has tied tunics all up in a knot, giving your long-waisted looks a cozy feel with sweaters that start hugging at your chin and finish right under your caboose. We adore the Swan Dive Ruffled Tunic; this sheer, oversized crochet tunic is both feminine and bohemian, perfect for weekend looks.

Sturdier, thick, luxurious cable-knit tunics made from cottagey cool, and jailhouse stripes with floppy necks are saturated in adorable academia. Looking chic while keeping cozy and warm has never been so easy.

What to Wear with a Tunic

When donned in a tunic, it can all go wrong if you don’t piece together the right items:

• Choose skinny jeans, trouser-cut slacks or denim, or a pair of leggings, always elongating your legs with lean looks and a higher heel.
• Provided the tunic is long enough to be considered a dress — which means it covers your fanny and is long enough to allow you to sit down without flashing your bottom — go ahead wear your tunic solo, highlighting your legs with sky-high heels, wedges or boots.

Accessorizing Tunics

Buckle yourself in with a waist cinching or hip defining belt, giving a relatively curveless style a form-flattering finish. Or pick up a string of wooden beads and pile your wrists with boho bangles galore.

Far removed from the simple sheaths of ancient Rome, today’s tunic has the versatility of your little black dress with the of-the-moment style factor of those worn-once tragically trendy pumps. And as these head-to-hip tops catapult full-throttle into yet another season, the tunic is showing no signs of slowing down.

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Summer Plaid

Summer 2011′s plaid fashion trend is inspired by all that is light, sunny and fun about the season. Forget about heavy tartans and wool, and instead think cottages, camping, golf chic and alfresco dining.

Perfect for the long weekends and longer days of summer, this summer’s plaid fashions are taking a cue from checkered gingham, patchwork patterned picnic blankets spread under a shady tree, stylish tree planters in the Great Outdoors, and polished prep plaid on the golfer’s green.

Lightweight Fabrics Put a Summery Twist on Plaid

The first step to pulling off paid during the summer months (without looking like a seasonally-confused lumberjack) is choosing a lightweight fabric. In warmer weather this probably goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: steer clear of heavy fabrics like plaid wool tartans, tweeds, or polyacrylics, and definitely keep the flannel and fleece plaid offerings  tucked away for winter.

Cotton Plaid is Perfect for Summer

The fabric of choice for mastering the casually chic summer plaid trend is (drum roll please): cotton. This go-to, natural fiber breathes and moves easily, making it an ideal fabric for the sunny days of summer.

Plaid for Everyone!

Plaid for summer… really? Yes. There’s a plaid for everybody: whether you’re preppy, risqué, bohemian, prissy, punky, or mod, there’s a plaid, checked or hatched pattern for you.

Mod Fashion

If there’s one decade we could nibble on over and over again, it’s the fabulous sixties and all it has to offer.

Beneath the  flamboyant florals and psychedelic swirls lie the clean lines of the often repeated look of the crisp, minimalist mod.

Mod Fashion Revival

We’ve seen it before: the shapeless shifts, the multi-colored flats, the geometric prints, the plastic bangles and the walking cubism. But this time around, we’ve left behind the paint-by-numbers flamboyance and we’re left with merely the essentials. Never mind emulating your grandmother’s lamp shade — let this look of the past take you flying into the future.

A-Line Dresses

For frocks, this season’s “it” shape — the mini-dress — has been knocking at fashion’s door for a while. But the mod-inspired miniature shift has now taken on an A-line cut, ditching the skin-tight and bubble looks of the 80s in favor of the sculptural style born in the 60s. If anywhere at all, waists are popping up under the bust line or loose at the hips, creating boxy or tent shapes that are just begging for a twirly dance-a-thon.

Embellished Necklines

The seams and gathers that usually busy about your middle have gone for a hike up north, setting up camp around your neckline. Defined yokes and cinched collars give an otherwise shapeless shift a little definition and mock turtlenecks, bows, ruffles, rolled collars, pretty peter pans and bold boat necks are as prim and proper as the dresses beneath them.

Style Simplicity

Ditch the fussy details for simple, eye popping accents like a bold-colored boot or a simple coat topped off with a covered, over-sized button.

Hiked Hemlines: Mighty Mini Skirts

Hello thighs! Mastering mod means hiking up those hemlines and embracing the two pretty stems poking out beneath you. 1960s shifts are known for their derriere-skimming lengths so don’t be shy and get shorty in a mini skirt or dress! Since these boxy shapes hang far from the body, there’s no risk of getting into “what was she thinking” territory — just slip on a pair of opaque or textured tights and don’t forget your knickers (Britney).

The cropped look has trimmed away at outerwear, too, bringing back the 1960s mini coat with its three-quarter sleeves and big-button detail. Found in basic black or bold rainbow solids, the cropped jacket is baby-doll adorable. This coat should come to a halt at hip-bone height — or for a longer take, around mid-thigh — and should mimic the same boxy cut of its mini-dress companion.

Ankle Boots

Boots have also been hacked down to miniature proportions, with ankle boots leading the pack. Worn with caution, these impish booties look sweet at the end of wool-legged gams sticking out under a structured mini-dress, and the flat styles will finish off a pair of straight-legged denims with chic success. So long as you avoid the Hollywood starlet trend of pairing peg-leg pants with four-inch-heeled ankle boots that conjure up witch-like images, and steer clear of below-the-knee skirt hems, you and your booties will be frolicking in style.

Mod Means Modern

The word “mod” is derived from “modern,” so don’t forget what that six-letter word is all about. Think minimal, streamlined and bold. Ditch the fussy details for simple, eye popping accents like a bold-colored boot or a simple coat topped off with a covered, over-sized button. Round, turned-down collars care of Peter Pan and straight, geometric cuts care of 60s pop art are clean, unique and utterly mod.

Your color palette is anything but limited, diving from black-white contrast to the richest hues in the rainbow. The 21st century take mod does skip over the pretty patterns of yesteryear, though, opting for daring solids in stiff fabrics that stand free of the body line. And the rockadelic metallics dominating this season’s evening wear have found their way onto the boxy styles, too, giving rise to the coveted silver mini-dress and luxurious fabrics with a hint of sheen.

So march on down to the salon, demand a bob, and prepare yourself to go short, structured, bold, and mod, mod, mod!

Ballerina Inspired Party Dresses

What could be more graceful and poised than a ballerina? Look to romantic, ballet-inspired ensembles to give your style a subtle seductiveness that will make you feel like a princess, and make your man melt.

Elegant silhouettes, lace, delicate fabrics, full skirts, nude shoes, corsetry & muted shades create a dainty, come-hither look that’s one part lady, one part bombshell.

Tutu Dresses with Feminine, Pretty Skirts

There is nothing more feminine and romantic than a pretty skirt.

Dainty skirts with elaborately frothy layers or a flounce of lace look utterly ethereal and will have all eyes on you (and your legs) as you sweep and float across the room.

Pair a full, voluminous skirt with a structured, boned top such as a curvy corset to create a charmingly modern twist on a ballerina’s tutu.

If a full skirt isn’t your thing, increase the sexy factor by wearing a pin-tucked skirt, straight pleated or fluted skirt with a corset or slim-fitting lacy blouse.

Play Up Your Curves

Dresses cut on the bias have a wonderful way of skimming your curves in a way that is both tasteful and tantalizing. Make sure that your frock of choice is impeccably cut; ill-fitting bias cuts will be anything but flattering, putting emphasis on bulges you’d rather hide.

Ballerina Details: Lace, Silk & Satin Skirts

Take a page from Swan Lake and incorporate a ballerina’s statuesque neckline you’re your ensemble. Look for dresses in silk or satin fabrics with vee- or scooped necklines, which elongate the neck.

Add flounce of lace at the hem for a sweet yet sensual appeal that’s inspired by the many foamy layers of a ballerina’s skirts. If you’re feeling creative and can’t find a dress or skirt with its own lacy detail, simply wear a lacy slip underneath your dress or skirt, and allow a couple of inches of its lacy trim to peek out from beneath your skirts.

Romantic, Antique Colors

Avoid crisp white undergarments, and instead opt for cool, muted, or faded colors that create an antique, Old World feel: look for pearl, buttercream, toe-shoe pink, the lightest silvery-lavender, nude or tea-stained hues, and washed-out blues and greens.

Ballerina-Inspired Accessories

• To complement the delicate fabrics and soft palette of this romantic fashion trend, look for nude shoes and bags which keep the style soft, and choose only one or two ornate details to add sparkle and interest to the outfit.
• Tiny drop earrings and a single theatrical jewel, such as a sparkling, delicate bracelet or cuff are perfectly understated accessories for the ballerina fashion trend.
• Nude, leg-elongating pumps or shoe-boots, or even neat ballet flats look divine with floating fabrics and muted hues.
• A small embroidered satchel or petite ruffled purse will highlight the girly mood of the pretty, romantic fashion trend.
• Ballet flats are the perfect complement to this ballet-inspired look; check out the adorable assortment of slipper shoes to choose from this season.

How to Wear a Mini Skirt

The trick to revealing skin — be it legs or arms or cleavage — lies in one simple, yet essential element: balance.

• Wear short skirts approaching mini territory with a top that offers more coverage: opt for full or three-quarter length sleeves, or wear a high neckline, concealing the cleavage and casting all eyes downward toward your legs.
• Try pairing a snug turtleneck with a sexy mini skirt, fashionable stockings and tall wedge-heeled boots.
• You can get away with wearing a shorter skirt by wearing opaque or patterned tights instead of bare legs, sheer hosiery or fishnet stockings.

• If you’re wearing a short skirt, avoid baring too much cleavage and above all else: do not expose your belly.
• Wear flat shoes to tone down a look which otherwise might come close to crossing the “too-sexy” line.

Follow this simple guide as an easy way to keep your skin factor in check: If you are exposing skin below the waist (preferably below the mid-thigh) leave something to be imagined when dressing your upper body. And vice versa: avoid wearing skirts cut above the mid-thigh or short shorts when showing off the assets of your upper body.