Last Saturday when I asked a client if she wanted an LBD (little black dress) she said, “Yes, but not the B part.” She loved the idea of such an adaptable dress for going out, but she didn’t want to get lost in the sea of black dresses she sees everywhere.

I totally agreed with her and assured her she didn’t have to wear black to get the versatility she’s looking for.

One of the reasons the little black dress (and black in general) is so popular is that it’s easy and not completely memorable like some other colors. But unfortunately, black can also be predictable. So what can you wear instead?

If you’re anything like me, you may not have New Year’s Eve plans just yet, but there’s a chance something can come up, and you’ll need a dress! And even if no plans happen, after the holidays is a great time to find sales and have this basic ready for your next big event!

Here are some ways you can get a party dress you’ll be able to wear multiple times over a few years:

• Look for a dark color such as navy, sapphire, forest green, aubergine (eggplant,) wine/maroon, or brown. Then, if you don’t want a dark color feel free to break the rule and go with red or cobalt!
• Stick with a simple style, with few details.

To decide on your color, first take a cue from your eye color.

• Blue eyes? Choose navy/sapphire.
• Green eyes? Forest green will look amazing!
• Brown eyes? Of course, brown is gorgeous on you, and most likely very unexpected!

If wearing your eye color isn’t your cup of tea, look to your hair color. For example, I have blue eyes, but wearing navy doesn’t make me happy. (I love it on other women; it’s just not for me.) Surprisingly, I found out a few years ago that my natural brunette hair color has green undertones*, and ever since I’ve been enjoying green. *This was horrifying at first!

While red isn’t exactly a dark neutral color, I’ve found my gorgeous red headed clients look fabulous in wine/maroon!

As I mentioned, black is easy, but if you are excited for something new, take some time to experiment and try on a variety of colors to find your magic shade.

Next, you’ll want to choose a dress that’s fairly simple. So forgo lace, bows, ruffles and other frills or complicated design lines. Instead, your accessories, wraps, hairstyle and even lipstick color will provide the variety and interest in look. And when a dress is simple, it’s much, much easier to change the look with what you wear with it…giving you the look of a whole new outfit each time.

Instead of relying on the little black dress over and over again for all of your occasions, a stunning dress in a color that complements your natural coloring will be just as versatile. And just wait for the flood of compliments!

 

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