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Aaaah, the little black dress, or LBD as it's known to savvy fashionistas. The picture of sophistication, the perfect garment for just about any situation. Need a last minute get-up for your dinner meeting? LBD to the rescue. Got a date with that new guy in accounting? Go to the trusty LBD. However, perfection isn't found or maintained easily, so consider a few tips to find -- and keep -- the most fabulous LBD for your shape and style.
Shop for Fit
The beauty of the little black dress is that the right one doesn't require a lot of bells and whistles; the very point of the garment is that it is simple and sophisticated to work for any situation. Therefore, when you are shopping for a LBD, focus more on fit than the frilliness of the dress. It should skim nicely just above the contours of your body; it shouldn't fit like a glove nor should it swim around you. The key to versatility here is the proper fit; that's what going to carry you through various situations with this garment.
Consider Fabrics
Fabric is an important consideration, since you never know where you will need to wear your LBD. If you purchase a spandex garment that is so tight, you can see your ... everything, you might be in a world of trouble if you need to wear the dress to a black tie event. Alternatively, if you purchase a cotton LBD that is extra simple, you may find yourself in quite the predicament for a formal situation as well. You can never go wrong with silk, satin or a jersey knit fabric.
Keep It Clean
The worst case scenario? Your boss sprang a client meeting on you, you rush home to change into your LBD (the perfect garment for the swanky environment in which you are meeting the client) and find that it's dirty from the last time you wore it. Or, it's not even in your closet, it's at the cleaners where its been for days now. Avoid this panic-inducing situation by keeping it clean and on stand-by at all times.
Entire Outfit on the Ready
More than just your LBD, you need an entire arsenal that you know goes perfectly with it. The idea is to slip it all on when you need to head out somewhere, not sit in front of your closet for hours trying to figure out what shoes go with the dress or how to accessorize it. Put together the perfect ensemble that you can put on anytime you wear your dress, so you know just which pair of earrings to reach for and what shoes work well with the garment.
