How To Style A Black Dress Five Ways

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Every woman needs a in their closet. It doesn’t necessarily have to be “little”, but it should be something that is versatile, can be dressed up, dressed down, feels comfortable, and most of all, makes the wearer feel confident and beautiful when wearing it. When I saw this in the new arrivals from Donna Karan on the Bloomingdale’s website, I had to have it. First of all, I love that it’s by Donna Karan. I’ve had something from Donna Karan in my closet for decades. My love affair with her brand started way back in high school when I was introduced to her . Her are indestructible! Also, the brand’s clothing flatters a woman’s shape so beautifully. Specifically though, this particular is cut in a fit-and-flare shape which is my absolute favorite shape for a dress. It covers what needs to be covered and accentuates the parts that don’t. I also love that it’s made out of “scuba” fabric. It’s not really scuba-I can’t go deep sea diving in this-but it’s a heavier fabric that resists wrinkling and hides any lumps or bumps going on underneath the dress! Even though this is basic, it’s not boring! The front has a fully functional front exposed gold zipper (and a full hidden back zip) along with ribbing along the hem and a fun high-low hemline. It’s sedate enough for a work event but I tested it out and it’s perfect for a quick twirl too! In the first set of pictures above I simply paired the with a pair of , another must-have wardrobe staple. These are so incredibly comfortable-the toes don’t feel pinched and the insole is cushiony. I highly recommend them!

| (similar) | Pumps |

You don’t always have to wear black shoes with a . I actually prefer to wear nude pumps with almost all dresses since it makes my stumpy legs look a little bit longer. In this case, I topped the with an unstructured no-collar blush blazer which makes it great for a work/office setting. You could just as easily swap out the blazer for a cardigan if you’d prefer, in any color you like.

| Blouse | Tights | Booties (similar) | 

Remember those I was raving about? Here they are! The fun thing about a sleeveless dress is that you can not only layer on top of the but also underneath it! Adding , a simple and sleek booties gives this a totally different look. And because the scuba fabric is so thick, it hides the bulkiness of the blouse underneath. It’s still work appropriate, but can be worn in a more casual environment as well.

Moto Jacket | | Tights | Booties | Earrings

This time just swapping out the kind of booties (sleek to moto) and adding a moto jacket makes this perfect for going out at night with friends. I think the gold zipper detail in the front also makes it look like you’re wearing a necklace without having the bother of having to wear one.

| | Earrings

It doesn’t take much to make this ready for a more formal occasion-just add some sparkly shoes and earrings and you’re ready to go! I couldn’t resist getting a little twirl here at the end! 😉

So as you can see, there’s nothing “basic” about this basic black dress. Just by changing out the shoes, jewelry, and handbags (we didn’t even cover those!), you can transform this dress from something you can wear to work, to a night out and to a casual weekend event. Once you have the right “basic” piece, you can do just about anything with it!

There are so many great new arrivals from Donna Karan at Bloomingdale’s right now. Make sure you scroll down to see more of my favorites. Don’t forget to sign up for the free Loyallist program at Bloomingdale’s too! Once you’re a Loyallist, you get discounts on most items (I saved $25 off the list price of this dress) and you always get free shipping and returns!

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