Once upon a time black dresses just didn’t call to me. I wanted colour, prints, everything paired with red! All bold all the time, this bitch is underlined! Fast forward a few years to present day Amy and my tastes have changed several times over, these days favouring darker, rich tones, and definitely, finally, appreciative of a good black dress. And this Scarlette? Oh, she’s a good black dress.
A LBD is widely thought of as its owner’s good ol’ reliable; the multi-purpose black dress that will always leave you feeling comfortable and confident. For several years the concept seemed somewhat strange to me as I always gravitated towards colour and almost never found myself reaching for the black I included in my wardrobe for purely practical reasons. Now, though, I love a black dress, and have more than one LBD in my wardrobe that feel like glamorous comfort blankets. But this Prairie dress by Unique Vintage–oh, she could never be a comfort blanket, never mind a glamorous one. She’s left me feeling inspired!
Do I start singing Lonely Island’s ‘Lazy Sunday’ to myself every time I see this Frilly Sundae dress by Hell Bunny? Yes, of course I do. Am I embarrassed to admit that? No, of course I’m not. Is it a cute-ass dress? Yes, of course it is, let’s stop messing around with this nonsense and take a look at it!
There’s always something special about a little black dress, but I think this time of year especially they come into their own. The fact that a LBD can be elevated with the fun of using different fabrics and textures makes them even more wonderful, so I’m a big fan of a black dress that utilizes lace, velvet, even sheer elements. This Elizabeth dress by Dolly & Dotty, therefore, is just what I’m looking for to feel glamorous and moody as the evenings darken and the temperature cools.
The idea of the Little Black Dress is, I feel, often imaged in the shape of something slinky, well-fitted, possibly even involving glitter. For me, a LBD that will be reached for time and again is definitely a swing dress, something classic and timeless, even somewhat subdued by some people’s standards but easy to style into a knockout look for times I want to shine. The Lacey dress by Collectif more than fits the bill.
I can’t be the only one who sometimes pictures a certain kind of dress I really want, but can’t find it anywhere. For a couple years now that has been my struggle for a sleeved black swing dress with a white collar. It sounds like something that you’d think multiple brands might produce, so simple but chic is the idea, and so well fitted to the concept of something we could picture Audrey Hepburn wearing. But no, instead, I have been destined to wait, to wait and to hope.
This season, finally, Collectif have answered my wardrobe prayers, and produced that perfect dress. She’s here–the Winona.
I’ve never been a frequent wearer of wiggle dresses, always preferring the comfort and aesthetic of a swing dress or skirt. Still, I do have some lovely pencil dresses hanging in my closet, ready and waiting to for my more confident days. The great thing about this wiggle dress by The House of Foxy is that the peplum feature means this dress requires no confidence summoning; designed specifically with curves in mind, it serves the dual purpose of being incredibly chic whilst also working as a comfort blanket for those of us who struggle a little with our tummies.
If you don’t know by now how I feel about dresses featuring black sheer overlays then I’m sorry, you just can’t be paying attention. I am allll about them. I am in love with them. They are, possibly, my deepest and most romantic love of my life. Like, we’re a thing, okay? You just have to know that and accept it. And looking at Unique Vintage’s Georgia dress, I think you’ll see why.
You know when you really like a thing but you aren’t really aware you especially like that thing until someone points it out to you? Like, you’ve been collecting clothing of a similar style without even realising they’re similar? Yeah, that’s me and black mesh overlay items of clothing, or so I only realised when I sent a picture of this dress to my friend Hope and she said that as soon as she saw it she thought of me. Because apparently I like dresses or accessories with black mesh overlays, which I did not even fully realise until she listed the clothing I had that fell in that category, all of which I had forgotten about.
So, as it turns out I love a sheer black design detail in my vintage inspired clothing, and I also love capelets, so this dress and cape set were, really, basically destined to mine. Still, I held off purchasing it for quite a while because I kept trying to tell myself I need to be an adult. But then, as has happened in the past, I realised Deadly is the Female were stocking this piece, so my resolve dissolved somewhat once the 6000 miles of a Unique Vintage order evaporated as a sensible hurdle. Eh, who needs savings anyway, right? Sure, houses keep you safe and warm and dry, but do they make you look super fabulous for cocktail evenings and dinner party? No, no they do not. The dress won. Meet Luna.
If there’s one thing every woman needs in her closet, regardless of her style preferences, it’s a little black dress. The LBD is the long-accepted perfect option for any smart look, night out or formal event, but the other great thing about LBDs is that they make for wonderful last minute fall-back options. When you weren’t expecting to get a last minute invite, when your carefully selected outfit for the special event meets an unexpected tragic end, when you absentmindedly dropped off your job interview outfit at the dry cleaner’s along with your partners suits and now you have nothing to wear for your interview in an hour–the little black dress is always ready and waiting to help you in your hour of need.
A modest, classic, simple LBD can be dressed up or down to fit almost any event, and the puff sleeved Ellen dress by Zoe Vine is one of those versatile, timeless dresses that can serve as both savior and sinner in your wardrobe. You’ll all know I don’t wear a lot of wiggle dresses, preferring to opt for the fun and frills of a full circle skirt most of the time, but there’s something about how sassy and chic I feel in a black pencil dress that I do crave every once in a while. Trading in my petticoats and often-bright colours for the chance to be a bit moody and slinky, dramatic and daring for a night helps give me a burst of style inspiration that’s essential in keeping my vintage juices flowing.
Miss Amy May 