Frocks & Frou Frou: Little Black Dress

Saturday, November 29, 2008

The Trade-Off

Well, I caved today and bought the drape-neck cashmere dress that I've been hankering after from Pure Collection (www.purecollection.com)

It's exactly what I was looking for earlier this year when I went on the hunt for a sweaterdress (before I compromised, and bought the puff-sleeved black dress from Donna Morgan, which didn't quite meet my expections, and has since been retired) : long sleeves, draped neck, and a beautiful yarn that won't make my skin crawl. I ended up getting it in the chocolate (to go with the red boots, y'all) and with the 15% off discount that I found (SAFEB, in case anyone else wants to fall off the wagon with me) it came to 173 quid, which should be around AUD$406.

Because it's a total, ridiculous indulgence - both something I don't really need, AND something I'm unlikely to be able to wear for 6 months - I've decided to be a Good Little Girl and cross off a corresponding amount of items from my Lemming-List.

Now, it can't be things that I sort-of, maybe wanted, but things that I was pretty much definitely going to get, as soon as I talked myself around to it. Off the list with them. Because the cashmere dress is certainly not a necessity, and if I've decided I must have it, then I also have to make sacrifices.

So here we go:

1. PURE COLLECTION DRAPENECK CASHMERE SWEATER DRESS (AUD$406)=

1 x Custom-Made Holly Dress from myblackdress @ etsy (http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15676472)

plus 1 x Yellow-Flowers Wallpaper Necklace from drawflowers @ etsy: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=17213059

plus 1 x two-in-one dress from Garinvaplus on eBay:

http://stores.ebay.com/garinvaplus

plus 1 x pair of Manhattan Boots from Ayla Boots:

http://www.aylaboots.com

Now, I do so love to live vicariously, so please go ahead and indulge yourself!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

LBD

Maggy London One Shoulder Ruched Dress

www.nordstrom.com

Ah, the Little Black Dress.

It's such essential wardrobe fodder that it's practically a cliche.

The idea of the LBD is the one perfect dress that can by dressed up, or down. It is at home at the office as it is on a date. You can wear it to weddings, and funerals and everything in between.

I'm not sure I ascribe to the idea of one dress for all events (where's the fun in that?) but I certainly have a few LBD's hanging in the closet. Enough of them that I'm actually embarrassed to give you a number. Here are two of my favourites:

Top: Miss Shop @ Myer www.myer.com.au

Dress: Crossroads www.crossroads.com.au

Boots: Duo Boots www.duoboots.com

This one's probably more the all-purpose dress. It's a great cut - based on the famous "Galaxy Dress" - and one that flatters every body. Today I've layered over a skivvy because it's freezing in Melbourne, but in summer that wide square necklace showcases my cleavage like nobody's business. Sometimes I team it with an obi belt for a bit of colour. I think of all the LBD's I own, this is the one I could least do without, because it's so easy to dress up, or tone down.

Dress: remixed, made up of

Top: American Apparel www.americanapparel.net

Skirt: City Chic www.citychic.com.au

Shoes: Poetic Licence www.poeticlicence.us

This isn't actually a dress - it's a too-small one shoulder singlet from American Apparel that kept riding up and a too-big pencil skirt from City Chic that kept falling down. Rather than retiring them both I sewed one to the other, and the result is one of the sexiest dresses in my closet!

So I'm probably not really in the market for another Little Black Dress, but I'm certainly still keeping my eyes open. Here are some of my current favourites:

"Body Con Dress"