1 Dress 3 Ways

Making the most out of my closet

Frustrated by the mountains of clutter that had amassed in my room over the past four years, I took it upon myself to clean out my entire room. I was ruthless towards the objects that I had dumped in my room between years of college, objects that I kept because I thought just maybe I would need them at some point. But no, as much as I might like the design of my Intro to Anthropology (not Anthropologie, which would make for an even cooler class, to be honest) I will never read it again, and I might as well donate it.



I applied the same ruthlessness to my closet, too. If I couldn't remember the last time I had worn an item, it was into either the donation or Tradesy pile (btw, I have lots of new listings, including a Dolce & Gabbana dress and a pair of gorgeous Prada heels!). I was shocked at how much room I had freed up in my closet, and by the amount of things that I never wear. The truth is, I really wear a select few things on repeat; my uniforms, if you will. I might as well discard the clothes that I never wear and hope that someone else puts them to good use.

Now that my closet is purged of extraneous pieces, I'm excited to reinvent the ways I wear the pieces I already own. It's so easy in the Instagram Age to always want something new, lust after what your favorite blogger is wearing, and be tempted to spend way too much money on pieces that you may not really need. Don't get me wrong, I love adding new pieces to my closet each season, but after I saw how many clothes I no longer wear, I'm more determined to purchase only things I know I will wear time and time again.

So I decided to do a little project, both for your style inspiration and my own benefit, so I could encourage myself to rethink the pieces I own and challenge myself to style them in new and exciting ways. I took a beloved wardrobe essential—the Little Black Dress—and styled it for three different occasions: day, office, and night.

The Dress:

Madewell floral lace dress

If you don't own an LBD, well, get on it! There's a reason why they're a closet staple, and I'm going to show you why!

Here's how I styled my Little Black Dress 3 different ways:

Daytime

worn with:  Genie by Eugenia Kim hat, Madewell sunglasses, jacket, and bracelet

Forever 21 necklace, Kate Spade purse, Steve Madden boots, and Urban Outfitters socks

One of the easiest ways to dress down a more formal dress is to throw a jean jacket over it. I swapped out my usual black purse and shoes for brown leather to lighten up the look, and topped the outfit off with a cute felt fedora that always makes me feel like a cool, trendy person (jury's still out on whether or not I actually am cool and trendy, lol).

This is an outfit formula I turn to quite often. Brunch, shopping, movie with friends, etc. All great occasions to wear this look!

Office

worn with: Madewell sweater, Ann Taylor belt, Kelsi Dagger tote, and Via Spiga mules

To make an LBD work appropriate, I swapped out ankle boots for professional-looking mules and a crossbody for a chic tote bag. I threw on a cozy Kelly green cardigan (to combat the intense office AC) and tied a leopard print belt around my waist to add some definition and some personal flair to an otherwise straightforward outfit.

Depending on your office environment, maybe you'd opt for a blazer over a cardigan. The great thing about a Little Black Dress is that it's really a blank canvas upon which you can add basically anything.

Night Out

worn with: Francesca's necklace, Rebecca Minkoff purse (as a clutch), and C. Wonder heels and rings

This dress is marketed as a cocktail dress, so dressing it up as a party dress didn't take a whole lot of effort. I simply added a pretty Tiffany blue (but not from Tiffany's) statement necklace, turned my purse into a clutch, and threw on a pair of strappy sandals.

You'll notice that I switched up my makeup a bit, opting for a bright pink lip and a little bit of eyeliner to make this look pop. I also put my hair in a high ponytail, because I think it's a really fun style for a party and also super low-maintenance.

So there you have it: the LBD is the chameleon of clothes. I showed you three different ways to style one dress, but the possibilities are simply endless!

Shop Versatile Little Black Dresses:

How do you style your LBD for different occasions?