November 2008
Erin Kobayashi
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| H&M Little Black Dress |
It makes you feel elegant, sophisticated and even European. It knows your every curve, feels amazing against your skin and once you find the right one, you’ll just know it. I’m not talking about a soul mate, but the perfect little black dress.
Think of it as a long-term lover: If you pick a good one, the LBD will last a long time and do wonders for you.
“An LBD to a woman is what a dinner jacket is to a man,” says Pamela Keogh, author of What Would Audrey Do?, about the chic style iconic actor Audrey Hepburn. When you put it on, you automatically become 10 pounds thinner, a hundred points higher in your IQ and instantly chic. When you slip a LBD on, it’s like high heels and red lipstick – you become another person.”
In a time of throwaway trends, fast fashion and a looming recession, the classic LBD is an economical investment that will last well beyond the holiday season. In fact, Keogh theorizes that the Depression of the ’20s and ’30s could have been a factor in the creation and convention of the LBD.
“I think Coco Chanel invented the LBD in the ’20s,” she says. “Prior to that, black was always for mourning and wasn’t associated with going out in the evening for festivities. During the Great Depression, it was economical, you could wear it more than a white dress.” And during the holidays when red wine is in heavy circulation, black is always a safe bet.
Even better, you are saving in more ways than one. The LBD looks best when worn with simple, low-key jewellery. A gold cuff, stud earrings or a simple stand of pearls will do the trick. “And a pair of great shoes,” Keogh adds. Less is truly more in the art of dressing up the LBD.
While on the hunt, Keogh advises women to look for fit and fabric. “Get the best material you can afford,” she says. “When you want a good LBD, you can get it for $80 to $1,000.”
Since arms are bare, the hem length and fit of the waist is crucial in making a flawless silhouette. Tailoring to a T is essential and worth every penny.
“I am amazed with how many women just buy dresses and wear them off the rack,” she says. “No man buys a suit and just walks out of the shop without having it hemmed and cuffed.”
After Keogh revealed that she doesn’t wear a brassiere under the free Valentino LBD she scored from the designer, I ask what her best LBD story is.
“Here’s my story,” she says. “If you put on a little black dress, you will always have a good story.”
Find your own little black dress at:
H&M
Chanel
Edressme.com