7 Inspiring Ways to Style Your Classic Black Dress

‘While there’s nothing more invigorating than trying out a new silhouette or pattern, there’s certainly a case to be made for trusting wardrobe essentials’. That’s what Vogue says in its ultimate guide to 2021 fashion trends. We think that there’s nothing more trustworthy than the classic little black dress.

Let’s be honest: the classic black dress isn’t always exciting. It’s not always enough to make you feel alive. Of course, there are tons of ways to liven things up a little, like adding a belt to cinch the waist or a bit of bling to maximize your sparkle but it has been done. Below, we’re taking a look at 7 more inspiring, more innovative ways to style your classic black dress that will breathe new life into wardrobe essentials:

1. Add On-Trend Features

Your ability to style your dress shouldn’t be limited by its original design. Even if your classic little black dress is looking a bit outdated, you can make it into your dream outfit simply by finding a good dress alterations company. You could do the obvious, like adding shoulder buttons, changing the neckline, or popping on a lace trim, but why stop there? A talented professional could add on-trend voluminous sleeves, or even shorten the dress for some risque leg-baring hemlines a la Lila Grace Moss for Miu Miu.

3. Go Retro

The little black dress is a classic. While it’s sometimes fun to play around with modern flairs, it’s also OK to embrace tradition and style your look with some retro accessories. And there’s never been a better time to do so. In case you haven’t heard, the original Dr. Martens' boot is back in action. The ‘1460 Remastered’ project was launched to celebrate the brand’s 60th anniversary, reimagining the vintage boot for the 21st century. It’s a great way to add an edgy, punk-adjacent style to your old trusty dress.

4. Let the Dress do the Talking

If you do a Google search for ‘how to style your classic black dress, you’ll find website after website talking about bold accessories that give the dress a touch of sparkle. But what about doing something a little different? A great way to style your LBD is to, well, not. By wearing a simple pair of flats and understated, nude jewelry, you can let the dress do the talking and be the center of attention. That’s not something we see a lot of these days, with bold accessories overpowering the simplicity of the dress.

5. Include a Splash of Color

One of Pantone’s colours of the year for 2021 is ‘Illuminating’; a bright, sunshine-inspired yellow. It’s a mesmerizing contrast to the deep dark hues of the little black dress. There are lots of ways to add colour, but one of the best - and most innovative - is to pair the dress with a bold bomber jacket. There’s actually a huge benefit to styling your classic black dress in this way: it’s a fantastic way to ‘dress down’ a more formal outfit so that you can wear your LBD every day and get more value from your investment.

6. Accent with Upcycled Materials

Who would have thought that ‘upcycling’ would become a big part of the luxury fashion vocabulary? Not us but it did. Today, brands like Miu Miu and Balenciaga are dressing their catwalk models in clothing crafted from old materials. Upcycling is hot as the fashion world embraces sustainability, and it’s a great way to style your classic black dress. If you’re feeling crafty, you could weave or sew an old gold necklace into the neckline of your dress (or if you’re not, you could ask an alterations expert for help).

7. Take a Risk

One of the best fashion trends to make its way out of Japan is definitely Wabi-Sabi fashion. It’s a trend based on the idea that there’s beauty in simplicity and authenticity in imperfection. So, there’s really no right or wrong way to style your classic black dress. Don’t be afraid to take risks and try something new, or venture into styling techniques that you’ve never dared to attempt before. If it all goes right, then great! And if not, you can always inform naysayers that your look is classic Wabi-Sabi.

At the end of the day, there’s absolutely no denying that the classic black dress is possibly the most valuable wardrobe essential of all time. But even the classics can benefit from a new lease of life every now and then. By styling your dress differently, you can easily incorporate modern trends and features into your look, without compromising the longstanding and beloved tradition of the stunning LBD.

Guest Post:

Tony Kantzavelos is the owner of LoveYourDress and Love Your Tailor Toronto. Specializing in dress cleaning, clothing alterations and tailoring since 1986. Tony loves sharing tips and trade secrets for customizing and taking care of almost any kind of dress, and especially helping women look their best no matter the occasion.

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