PERSONAL STYLIST ADVICE - THE PERFECT LITTLE BLACK DRESS FOR EVERY BODY SHAPE

An Autumn/Winter 2019 style update to help you find the perfect Little Black Dress for the new season.

Chanel said that a woman must have at least one little black dress in her wardrobe, and I completely agree. I truly believe that a little black dress is, indeed, a staple piece in every woman’s wardrobe.

As the cooler weather sets in, new fashion trends are displayed into the stores! Now we have so many new designs and fabrics to choose from, you may feel a little overwhelmed with the choices you can make for this staple piece. Also, for so many of us, we believe that dresses are for evenings and special occasions only, but what if I tell you that this Autumn you can find the perfect Little Black Dress to suit your lifestyle and your body shape?

If you are looking to find some inspiration for a special event coming up, looking for a stunning piece to wear for date night, or need some inspiration for how to make your Little Black Dress work for more than just special events, then read on for some go-to looks. I’ve been inspired myself by the recent Venice Film Festival and the looks of the stars.

Take the LBD to a whole new level

Hourglass shapes

I love the idea of adding a little toughness to your dress, so this beautiful leather dress from Yves Salomon is a fantastic option for a more casual look for hourglass body shapes. Style it with biker boots and a jacket for a true biker-chic look, and then dress it up with long earrings, stilettos and tights to suit a special occasion. It works perfectly for hourglasses as it accentuates your beautiful small waist and shows off your balanced curves in a great way.

For a more evening-wear ready piece, we can take inspiration by Lady Kitty Spencer, who shows off her curves at the Venice Film Festivals in an elegant yet totally sexy dress – the body-con style mixed with the beautiful overlapping of the fabrics truly draws the eye into her waist with the skirt just becoming a-line after skimming her hips. She has paired it with stunning emerald jewellery, but you can add a statement necklace or earrings to show off your shoulders and bring the eyes to your face.

Triangles (more often known as Pear Shapes)

This beautiful one-shoulder black dress by REISS is perfect for special events, or go all-out, like Barbara Palvin at the Venice Film Festival in this strapless full-length gown– it draws her in at the waist and enhances her natural curves perfectly. You can add a pop of colour with a clutch bag, matching stilettos and, why not a colourful belt to accentuate your waistline even more? You can also turn this into a more casual style with your hair up and flats, pairing it with a pair of jeans or leather jacket. This dress is great for pear shaped women also because the one-shoulder design will add some extra detail to their shoulders and skims across the hips.

Rectangular shapes

The shift dress is taking on a whole new style and this beautiful Ponte dress by John Lewis & Partners is an excellent choice for ladies with a more rectangular (straight waist) shape as it skims the body beautifully. With its little panel details that you can just see in the image below, it adds some definition to your body shape, creating an almost hourglass with the eye. This piece is a great staple as you can dress it up with the right accessories such as gold or silver statement earrings and a clutch; or dress it down with beautiful on-trend trainers and a denim jacket to take it to a more casual style. Its boat-shaped neckline will also pair magnificently with a long detailed (and why not colourful?!) necklace.

For a more demure look, this dress worn by Kate Upton is a great classic style, and one I often recommend. With its wrap-style it accentuates the waist, and has a very sexy slit at the legs!

For oval bodies

If you are looking for a great casual looking black dress for your wardrobe, as an oval shape, this stunning piece from AllSaints, is a great go-to style as it’s added layers skim across your tummy and add a little definition to your top and lower halves. I love the addition of extra detailing on the arms which creates a more casual styling. With this LBD you can style it up with high heels and statement necklace; whilst you can rock it up with leather boots and a classic leather jacket.

To truly stand out, take a leaf from Eliza Scanlen and her beaded dress by Prada, that creates waist definition and complements the body’s natural curves, giving an overall look of class and elegance.

Inverted Triangles

A great day-to-day dress for those of us with an inverted triangle shape is this multiway dress by Boden, particularly in a halter style, as they have styled it on the website, is great. The halterneck style is a go-to for inverted triangles as this particular neckline creates the optical illusion of smaller shoulders, that are typically wider than the hips.

With this dress it would be perfect for date night with the right accessories of high heeled boots or stilettos (whichever you prefer!) all the way to casual days out with trainers and a brightly coloured belt to really cinch in your waist!

If you are looking for more impact and in search of a real occasion dress, this dress worn by Chiara Ferragni is wonderful for inverted triangles as it adds volume to the bottom, balancing the body, it also elongates the top and define the waist. With this dress I’d let it speak for itself with its sparkle and wonderful design, add a pair of black heels and, if you want to truly shine, a statement pair of earrings and your hair up (or on the side as the beautiful Chiara did) to show off your shoulders.

Adding some colour

If black just isn’t your thing, and that’s totally fine – many of us do not actually have the skintone for black – then finding a dress in a colour that suits you is the right way to boost your confidence and have a dress you’ll never want to slip out of! You can also do this with your accessories to brighten up the look, you can never go wrong with a colourful scarf, especially as the weather is cooling down, or create some colour blocking with colourful necklaces, shoes and bags.

If you’re inspired to try out a new LBD for your wardrobe, and would love some help to tackling this staple item, I’d love to help. I offer personal stylist services such as personal shopping, and wardrobe edits to help you take on your day to day activities with confidence.