Besides hanging out with family, eating way too much, and taking a well-deserved break from the madness, the holidays bring to mind one thing: shopping stress. Ticking off each name on that never-ending gift list is hard enough—without the added sweat of spending hours upon hours trying to put together outfits for all those upcoming parties. Talk about a self-defeating chore we don’t need.
Hating your closet these days? Here’s an idea that might knock you over. What if you could simply wear the same little black dress to every event, and no one would be the wiser? Sorcery? Fairytale? Nope. Just some fashion smarts.
Audrey Hepburn had it down. All you need to take a page from her style guide is just one LBD you love and three sharp accessories that are worth the investment. So take a nice long look at your favourite dress and give her a warm welcome because you two are going to BFFs this season. Just watch how it’s done.
ONE LITTLE BLACK DRESS, THREE DIFFERENT LOOKS
LOOK 1: CUTE AND CROPPED
Love the look of a cropped top, but not the idea of exposing your belly button all night long? Yeah, we get it. There comes a time when short is just, well, too short for comfort. (PS. Here are a few looks you may be too old to wear.)
But hallelujah! There just happens to be a new way to wear the crop top, and in case you haven’t seen it, it’s very chic. All you do is throw one over your LBD and go.
BONUS: Not only will the top help to avoid any wardrobe malfunctions, it will also help your trusty old dress multitask as a great skirt. Quel transformation.
Pictured: LBD Theory, $395 Crop Top ASOS, $70
LOOK 2: SPARKLE AND SHINE
You may be getting tired of your old little black dress, but that doesn’t mean you can give it a refresher just by adding a little well-chosen bling. Of course, we’ve all got necklaces, bangles and rings galore, but what about a little body jewellery?
This new accessory is a stylish and inexpensive way to make your dress look and feel like a million bucks.
BONUS: You can choose how full-on you want your bling. Slip on a full body harness for a dramatic effect or just add a hand harness to your outfit for more subtle, but very on trend, sparkle.
Pictured: River Island body harness, $6
LOOK 3: TRIM AND TAILORED
We all know that a fantastic jacket can solve most of life’s problems. So why not grab one to help out your LBD? For holiday parties, you can get away with a dressy topper that’s cheap, cheerful and festive.
To up the style factors, find one with some personality, like a winter white or a fringed blazer. Bonus: Your jacket will take your dress straight through cocktail hour and you can decide when the time is right to shed it.
BONUS: For the office party, you can pair the look with simple black pumps if you must, but we’d rather see you pull out the high coloured heels to really get glam.
Pictured: Topshop $80
What else do you need to make your evening look complete? This season, we’re all about those classic red lips. Which shade is best? We’ve got some recommendations so you don’t have to spend all day sampling. Check these out.
