Don’t underestimate the importance of a LBD, a long-sleeve black dress.
This is the dress I wear when I want to make an extra effort to look sharp. Interestingly, it’s also the dress I wear when I don’t have time or energy to think of anything else to wear. It looked so simple that I overlooked it online and it wasn’t until I tried it on in MM.Lafleur’s showroom in New York that I realized how amazing it really was and knew it was a keeper. The fit, the wrinkle-free fabric, the cut…all of it is amazing. This dress has proved to be more essential than any other item of clothing in my work wardrobe, with a suit being the only exception.
I wore a belt to cinch my waist for a long and lean look. A belt in an opposing color adds visually appealing contrast and tying it around your natural waist emphasizes your natural curves and lengthens your lower body for a very flattering look. The dress comes with a skinny belt (see here) but I’ve worn a thicker belt for a stronger statement. The ostrich texture on my belt really stands out against the black fabric. The beauty of a black dress is that you can play around with accessories in different colors and textures.
For other accessories, I wanted to enhance my look while maintaining an overall minimalist effect. I wore an understated gold bar necklace, a classic watch with gold dials in brown leather, and a gold bangle. I kept all of the metals in my accessories gold for consistency. A pair of nude pumps gives the illusion of longer legs, but a pair of black suede pumps goes great with this dress as well.
I want to take a moment to talk about the price of this dress. At $175, I think you are getting incredible value for this dress. I usually link to similar items at lower price points but to my surprise I actually could not find a similar black dress for less online. Banana Republic and Ann Taylor did not have anything similar, and all the dresses that were of comparable design and quality, such as ones from J. Crew and Vince were more expensive. Out of everything in the MM.Lafleur line, this dress is my #1 favorite (along with the Jenny dress of course).
What is your #1 tested and trusted item of clothing that you wear when you want to look your absolute best for work?
****Don’t miss your chance to win an awesome prize from MM.Lafleur! Enter my giveaway here. Ends tomorrow. ****
SALE ALERTS:
– 30% off sweaters at Club Monaco
– Amazing clearance sales at Nordstrom, such as 40% off this pair of Vince Camuto suede ankle booties, 30% off the highly rated and very popular Helmut Lang leather leggings, and 40% off this cozy knit
– 25% off fall favorites at J. Crew with code GETWARM
I’m wearing:
MM.LAFLEUR “the Etsuko” dress (I’m wearing size 0) // MM.LAFLEUR “the Greenwich Ave Ostrich” belt (I’m wearing XS) // KATE SPADE Licorice pumps // GORJANA bar necklace // SAINT LAURENT Sac de Jour bag (small size), also available here // BANANA REPUBLIC bangle // DANIEL WELLINGTON Classic St. Andrews Lady watch (borrowed from Jen) // CHANEL nail polish in Rose Cache // PRADA cat eye sunglasses // Burberry lip cover lipstick in No. 30 Primrose Hill Pink
Shot by Jen Tam