Little Black Dress

[Paisley]

We all have occasions where we don't know what to expect: who will be there? How will they dress? What do they expect? What should I wear?

Why, the little black dress, of course.

The LBD should be in a simple, classic design that won't go out of style in a few years. It should flatter your figure yet be modest. It should be the best quality you can afford, for it will be in your wardrobe for years.

Simple and classic means about knee-length, nothing extreme, nothing to give away when it was made.

We all have an idea of what flatters our figures, but the concept of "modest" varies widely. In some quarters, going sleeveless is immodest. For most people, whether they wish to admit it or not, a miniskirt is, if not immodest, sexy. Go for classy instead; you won't want to be underdressed and overexposed when you want to impress your boss or your boyfriend's parents or a judge.

Good quality fabric shouldn't pill. It should breathe and not cling. When you wad it up in your fist for a few moments, it shouldn't come out wrinkled. It should feel good when you put it on. If you are unfamiliar with fabric quality, do what John Malloy calls cross-shopping. Go to a high end store (e.g., Saks, Neiman Marcus) and feel the fabric in their suits and dresses. Then go to a lower end store (e.g., Walmart or K-Mart) and feel the fabric there. With experience, you'll be able to tell high quality fabric from low-quality at a glance.

An example:

Now, unless hoop skirts and mutton sleeves become de rigeur, a lady should get a lot of mileage from this dress. From Talbots.

 

[VargasGirl]

I want this one from Red Dress Shoppe sooooo bad! I just can't justify spending the money on a dress when I can't even afford to go out somewhere where I would wear it!

 

[Tourbillion]

Good quality fabric shouldn't pill. It should breathe and not cling. When you wad it up in your fist for a few moments, it shouldn't come out wrinkled. It should feel good when you put it on. If you are unfamiliar with fabric quality, do what John Malloy calls cross-shopping. Go to a high end store (e.g., Saks, Neiman Marcus) and feel the fabric in their suits and dresses. Then go to a lower end store (e.g., Walmart or K-Mart) and feel the fabric there. With experience, you'll be able to tell high quality fabric from low-quality at a glance.
QUOTE]

Tell that to my silk organza. It wrinkles if you look at it.

All the same a quality little black dress is indispensable.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I want this one from Red Dress Shoppe sooooo bad! I just can't justify spending the money on a dress when I can't even afford to go out somewhere where I would wear it!

I have this dress, save your money, it's cut isn't that great. I usually like everything I get from The Red Dress Shoppe. So, I was rather disappointed when I got this one. It just doesn't fit right. I don't mind spending a little more money on something if it is of good quality and well made. That's not the case with this dress

 

[Kim_B]

I recently bought this dress to have as my LBD...from Fashion Bug, no less. It's very comfortable and drapes very nicely.

This is one that I'd purchase if I needed a more formal black dress...

 

[Elaina]

MY LBD is one of three: navy, burgandy and hunter green. I look awful in black, and far from looking sophisticated, I look washed out and like I need to check into the hospice. Simple sheaths, done in a cheong-sam style, varying skirt lengths (they all end below the knee, but they're off by a few inches). Sleeves are three quarter on the blue and short on the others. I did buy quality fabric, even tho I made them, I paid as much for those as I would have in a store. I also have one in the oriental brocade in raspberry that I can wear (and get away with) instead for those times I'm feeling daring.

 

[Paisley]

My LBD for daytime is actually navy. Navy works better with my wardrobe and coloring than black does. I bought it from Brooks Brothers about ten years ago. It came with a plaid jacket that is now passe, but the dress is a classic. It's a simple lined wool sheath with short sleeves and a jewel neck. I'd feel comfortable wearing it to a job interview or a night on the town.

Since my evenings out usually involve dancing (read: perspiring), my nighttime LBD is a pretty good polyester. It doesn't pill, doesn't wrinkle, and doesn't stretch. It's washable. It has a scoop neck, but the neckline is high enough that I don't have to worry about what people will see if I'm dipped or i bend over.

 

[melankomas]

thank you, Paisley, for starting this thread; i've learned already! i don't own any dresses, but if i ever venture forth, i'll be prepared. but it seems this should be called the little neutral dress, due to its careful avoidance of affiliation!

 

[Miss Sis]

I guess my LBD is my Ghost dress, which isn't black, it's a grey-lilac colour. It has long sleeves, a very low V neckline which I can fill in with a slip and the body is bias cut. It is a very slightly crinkly, crepey material - possibly rayon? I don't know. Ghost do brilliant dresses which are quite timeless.

I was trying on the same dress in black thinking, surely I should have one black dress, but I just couldn't as it really doesn't suit me! So I tried on the grey-lilac one and it was great. I have worn it for lots of different occasions and I always get compliments. I guess that is the aim of the LBD.

 

[Kim_B]

Emily Post on Dress Etiquette, 1922.

Somewhat on topic, I suppose...maybe not!

I was reading this over my lunch break and thought it was certainly entertaining, to say the least. Some thoughts still hold true today, I believe...

http://www.bartleby.com/95/33.html

 

[Polka Dot]

Trust Emily Post to tell it like it is:

• Because a woman is no longer young is no reason why she should wear perpetual black‚Äîunless she is fat.
• If emerald green is the fashionable color, all of the yellowest skins will be framed in it. When hobble skirts are the thing, the fattest wabble along, looking for all the world like chandeliers tied up in mosquito netting.
• A woman may be stared at because she is indiscreet, or because she looks like a left-over member of the circus, or because she is enchanting to look at.
• No advice is intended for those who have a skin that either does not burn at all, or turns a beautiful smooth Hawaiian brown; but a woman whose creamy complexion bursts into freckles, as violent as they are hideous...
• ‚ÄúHere comes the Zebra‚Äù or ‚Äúthe Cockatoo!‚Äù is inevitable if a dress of stripes or flamboyant color is worn often.

 

[Elaina]

See I think that's the thing. I grew up making fun of my mom for wearing 60's Jackie-O stuff. My mom is quite fluffy (I don't think fat should be stuffed in black all the time, but my mom did up until I started seriously educating about fashion) but she looks good in it.

I, on the other hand, have always hated modern fashion. I understand it, I can dress you (or anyone else) in it to a tastefull, or tasteless degree, but it's not for me. I have an asthetic I prefer which is usually sometime from 1860-1960. And I always preferred to look good rather then trendy.

But I have always disagreed with formals having to be sleeveless. I can't wear them (indeed, I can't wear alot of things) not only because I'm chunky, but because I have scarring over half my body, mostly centered on my arms and shoulders, that it is more tasteful to cover them up then to show them off. Nor have I agreed with never wear "original" clothing. Darnit, I'm weird and I want to dress that way...tastefully.

 

[mysterygal]

I've found that a lady needs at least two 'little black dresses'....they are so great for just about any kind of function that you may be attending. And if you get a classic style one, it will never go out of style, so no matter what, at least you know that you'll look great.

 

[melankomas]

Somewhat on topic, I suppose...maybe not!

I was reading this over my lunch break and thought it was certainly entertaining, to say the least. Some thoughts still hold true today, I believe...

http://www.bartleby.com/95/33.html

that was amusing! many thanks.

 

[Sunny]

But I have always disagreed with formals having to be sleeveless. I can't wear them (indeed, I can't wear alot of things) not only because I'm chunky, but because I have scarring over half my body, mostly centered on my arms and shoulders, that it is more tasteful to cover them up then to show them off.

I strongly agree with that, too. Matter of fact, I don't like much of anything that's sleeveless, and I think it's a crying shame that sleeveless shirts are so common. Sleeves are good for women both with heavy arms and with rather scrawny arms. They're also important for balancing a bigger bottom half; that's good if you're trying for a triangle shape, but it's not slimming. Sleeveless dresses accentuate both heavy arms and heavy hips.

I remember my mother admiring the figure skater Ekaterina Gordeeva, and pointing out how wise she was to have sleeves on her costumes. The sleeves really accentuated how graceful her arms always are.

Besides all that, sleeves are pretty! People miss out on so much when they leave off the sleeves.

 

[Paisley]

I'm not a great fan of sleeveless shirts and dresses, either. The look isn't very flattering on ladies with either thick or very thin upper arms. It doesn't always cover the tattoos that are now commonplace on upper arms and shoulders (and there are times when it's wise to cover them). It renders the dress inappropriate for occasions where you need to look professional, such as a job interview. Yes, you can wear a jacket over a sleeveless dress, but the jacket can then get sweat stains.

If your LBD is just for evening, though, and it suits your figure, sleeveless is probably fine. But on my sleeveless LBD, one of the straps always slides down when I am dancing.

 

[Viola]

I rather like sleeveless, or off the shoulder dresses on myself. It depends on the dress, of course, and not that I have entirely flawless arms, (hello New Years resolution!) but being able to show a little collarbone, a bit of tasteful skin, really amps up the "evening" quality as opposed to "officewear."

Also, I'm really, really short and long-sleeved dresses generally require shortening.

-Viola

 

[Polka Dot]

It's not black, but I recently bought a 3/4 sleeve navy blue wrap dress from Ann Taylor Loft. It's got nice, clean lines, and I don't see it going out of style in a month. Other than this, I don't own an LBJ, but I do have several black skirts in varying lengths that have served me well. I'm thinking I'll wear this dress for Christmas mass and various parties over the next couple of weeks.

The main reason I bought the dress (aside from needing something to match my new navy blue shoes ) was that it had sleeves. The trend of sleeveless/strappy/strapless dresses is not just a wedding gown thing, I've found. If and when I get married, no matter what's in fashion, there will be sleeves on my dress. I can't imagine being at a religious ceremony wearing anything strapless, and I certainly wouldn't want to spend the day yanking up my dress!

 

[Folly]

My LBD is from Wallis, an impulse buy one afternoon from my husband when I was feeling down. It's to my knee, high in the neck and sleeveless. It's fondly referred to as my Audrey dress. I have another which is a little too clingy and makes me feel like a retro air hostess lol

 

[Elaina]

There are a number of sleeves that work on anything. It's not that my arms are flabby (which they are) or when I'm thin they're too scrawny (which they get that way), not even tattoos. Sleeves, are to me, the bees knees. Fluter, raglan, kimono, capped, heck I even can get away with leg o' mutton sleeves (take that one sleeveless.)

I really can't think outside of prefrence why sleevelss should be mandatory. There are elegant sleeves too. My prom dresses had sleeves on them, and I certainly didn't look dowdy or matronly.