the little black dress.

I’m not even going to apologise for yet another Audrey Hepburn related segue into a post. We all know how fabulous she was and it’s certainly no secret that Marie and I adore her. Classy, girly, talented, successful, cute, kind, beautiful, intelligent, warm, funny, strong… I could go on and on listing the many reasons why I find her so brilliant. She was a style icon of her time and to this day her elegant presentation is being emulated the world over. Audrey is the queen of the LBD or little black dress.

I don’t believe Audrey would have been very materialistic and although I enjoy a shopping spree as much as the next girl, I’m no fashionista. I did however, want to take a moment to pay tribute to the always in style, can-dress-it-up-or-dress-it-down LBD. Thank you little black dress, you have saved me from many nothing-to-wear meltdowns over the years.

I first considered how much of a staple the black dress was for me after we themed Marie’s hen’s night around it. I bought a new dress for that occasion but also realised how many black dresses were already in my wardrobe. I packed a couple of backups just in case. That night, there was a LBD to suit every girl’s unique style and everyone looked gorgeous. If you love to accessorise, then there’s no easier outfit to adorn with pops of colour on lips or in shoes and jewellery or to team with a bold coloured eyeshadow. If you’re like me and don’t really wear jewellery or tend not to experiment too much with colour, then the perfect LBD will make a statement on its own leaving you only to have to find some comfortable footwear to go with it. Currently hanging in my closet, my favourite black dress would have to be my Wayne Cooper one…

I stand by the fact that 2011 was a pretty horrendous year in the life of Frannie so finding this Wayne Cooper dress to wear while ringing in 2012, was the best way to confidently kick off what has been a wonderful year so far. It was the first dress I tried on, was comfortable and flattered all of my not-so favourite features. It’s also the dress that first caught CB’s eye that New Year’s Eve making it one of my most successful investments.

So the next time you’re struggling to find something to wear to an important event or are looking for the perfect wardrobe staple, my advice is always to head straight for the hanger with the black dress! Never underestimate the little black dress.