Tis the Season to be Sparkly

One of the best things about the holiday season is that it’s also the holiday party season. But each cocktail party comes with a dilemma: what to wear? The answer is simple, my friends! If you’re going to a cocktail party, then the simple answer is a cocktail dress! I’m partial to the classic Little Black Dress (LBD).

They're simple, easy and indisputably chic, and they'll take you through the holiday season and beyond.

Wear the LBD with a blazer and a pair of sleek booties and head to the office in style.

After-work cocktails? No problem. Park that blazer and layer on a few oversized baubles.

It's no wonder that eight decades after fashion icon Coco Chanel turned the once-funereal garment into a fashion statement, the LBD endures.

In fact, fashion-savvy Cristell Basmaji, spokeswoman for Jacob, says this fall she spotted the LBD more than ever on runways.

"It's just one of those really easy pieces that you can find in any style," she says. "There's a little black dress for everybody."

The fact that it is so versatile makes good financial sense too, Basmaji says, "given the economic situation, and that people are really looking for those investment pieces."

"Make sure the dress is not too busy," Basmaji says, of the criteria for finding the right LBD. "It has to be of a solid fabric. It's got to be a relatively simple cut."

Don't get swept away by a flashy print or detail, she says.

"Keeping it simple and classic keeps it to what it was when it was first created in the 1920s," Basmaji says, adding there are plenty of inexpensive options to choose from.

"You don't have to necessarily break the bank to buy the little black dress."

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pam@dressraleigh.com

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