The number one search term cluster leading googlers to this site is indicated by the title above. And the number one choice of most American women for the evening holiday party is the LBD, aka Little Boring Dress. So I challenged myself to produce a list of color alternatives. If I were Great, Grand Fashionplate, the gathering would look like a Christmas tree; each woman would be an ornament.
Color possibilities:
- white
- metallic
- one of many reds
- purple
- midnight blue
- forest green
- teal
- royal blue
- cobalt
On a scale of one to ten, identify your preference: blending in or standing out?
If your preference is strongly “blending in” AND you look good in black, by all means wear it. PLEASE — no cleavage and no thighs! Oh, and strapless only works if it stays solidly in place.
Click on picture for more info about any of the dresses pictured. The first one is only plus size. Most of them are on sale!
Btw, the hero caught me building this post and offered to buy the paisley one for me for Christmas. 🙂
hmm, I would probably wear one of the dark blues but since it’s Christmas, I’d want less somberness/seriousness and would have worn – if I still had it – a faux slk damask dress in golden yellow. I definitely want to stand out.
Strapless for a business social event -even if you’re the spouse? Ohh noooo.
Maybe a spouse is not judged in the same way as formerly but still, what else
do people have to do? 🙂 Very nice selection of dresses you turned up. All ladylike
and that’s definitely an asset for a business social occasion in my view. Old fashioned, but I’m sticking to it. I was questioning the puffed sleeves for you, but you look so young, what the heck.
The hero also spotted some really beautiful gold/yellow ones at the Rack this year; he wanted to buy me one of those too. 🙂 I’m thinking I should let him buy me something pretty, even though I have several nice options.
I also prefer standing out. But not extreme.
Hey, I completely agree with you on the strapless thing, but I have to start somewhere. lol And, honestly, although I am one, it wasn’t spouses I was thinking of.
I hope I am never too old for puffed sleeves. I’ll need to consider it, but it may be one of those “idiomatic” things that is just me even if most people would let them go after about age 14. 😉
re LBD: it’s about quality and fit. There are black dresses and black dresses.The LBD from Target is not going to look like a Narcisco Rodriguez LBD no matter how much some writers try to convince women that you cannot tell them apart.
I’d rather wear a sublime black cocktail dress than a so-so red one, as I never want the dress to wear me. I like your paisley very much!
That is a very good point. I can’t think of much that would look worse than a not-fabulous red dress. OTOH, some reds are just too aggressive for me, and I wouldn’t like them no matter what.
I can imagine each of the dresses pictured here becoming tacky if they didn’t fit right, even though I can also imagine them looking very ladylike on the right wearer.
And, even though I think black is boring, there is certainly nothing wrong with it, for the right person. 🙂
“I’m thinking I should let him buy me something pretty, even though I have several nice options. ”
oh my gosh, yes. What’s money for if not for your sweetheart to buy you something out of love, whether a pretty dress or a bottle of sinus medicine or extra insulation. 🙂
I didn’t mean you were too old for puffed sleeves – though I did squeeze in that you
looked so young – but most of the clothes you show photographed on you seem
more straight and tailored. But if you say they’re you, then they defiinitely are!
I am beginning to think “round and tailored” is most me. 😉
“I am beginning to think “round and tailored” is most me.”
ohh yesss. I can’t find it anymore, but I saw a brilliant couture
detail that was a silk shaped short sleeve that was quilted,
probably diagonally. It didn’t go in to be banded and stood away
just a little. Very much rounded and tailored, though!