My Perfect Little Black Dress

Iconic fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld once said, "One is never over-dressed or under-dressed with a Little Black Dress."  Can you imagine?  A dress that's always in style and stunning for any occasion?  A dress that always make you feel comfortable in you skin and yet, uniquely beautiful?  We call the Little Black Dress a wardrobe staple for a reason.  Staples are those things that hold it all together, and something that important should be carefully considered before you buy.  After all, if you want perfection, it's reasonable to be prepared to wait for it.  If you haven't found the right LBD, maybe it's time to renew your search.  

Some women say, "Oh, I don't need a fancy dress, I never go anywhere nice."  Rather than waiting for a fancy event to present itself before buying a dress, I've found that if I buy the dress  the opportunity comes along to wear it...even if I have to create that opportunity myself.  And I have on more than one occasion, bought a beautiful dress and then planned a romantic dinner or weekend brunch to go with it, but I've never regretted getting out or entertaining friends while dressed to the nines.

So, how does one go about choosing the perfect Little Black Dress?  The first and most important thing is honesty.  Wait...what?  Yes, honesty.  You have to be honest with yourself about your body.  You have flaws, of course, we all do, but you also have strengths.  You have beauty.  Fashion simply accentuates that beauty (and ideally minimizes the flaws).  Women can be overly critical about our looks, so in this moment, when your search that indispensable wardrobe staple is beginning--Be honest with yourself about your beauty as much as you are about your flaws.

Next you have to be honest with yourself about who you are and who you want the world to see.  In a world of instant everything, we rarely get more than a few moments to make an impression, to say this is me.  Your wardrobe can communicate all of that instantly, so it's important that it's saying what you want it to.  Are you a bombshell?  A modest maven?  A leader?  A free spirit?  Whoever you are, let it shine and let your wardrobe help you do it.

For me, it's been a few years and my own LBD was in need of an update.  In the past my LBDs have run the gambit from the loose, cotton boho of my single years to matronly peter pan collar when I was a young mother chasing my small children, to the sleek silhouette I adopted while enjoying my time in Tokyo.  I've changed.  I've grown.  I've discovered that I'm stronger than I ever thought.  It's time that my wardrobe staples change with me.  I went looking for something classic, yet modern, stunning and unique.  FemmeLuxe had the perfect dress to fit the bill.

Angelica. My perfect Little Black Dress with a perfectly fitting name was there, calling me to come and take a closer look.  It was love at first sight, of course, but, at first I hesitated.  Could I? Should I?  It's funny the way we second guess ourselves when we know in our hearts what we should do.  It was only a momentary hesitance, because once I put this dress on, there was no doubt it was meant to be my LBD--the Little Black Dress I'd been searching for.  It had everything I was looking for and then some.  Sexy but tasteful.  Unique and edgy with that hint of vintage bombshell that I love.

When will I wear it?  Um, for every occasion, of course.  I've already got an amazing date night in the works, and then of course that pesky high school reunion is right around the corner and it would be wonderful to go feeling as good as this dress makes me feel.  This dress, like the right Little Black Dress should, does more than make me feel amazing, it makes me feel like me--the real me that I sometimes hide because I'm afraid to stand out, afraid what people will say.  But, if I may quote another fashion icon "People will stare. Make it worth their while." —Harry Winston

Shopping Info:  Belted Bodycon Midi Dress - Angelica from FemmeLuxe, heels from ModCloth