Need not be going to a cocktail party to wear a little black dress, aka ‘LBD’!

Maybe you have one or more LBDs that you save for evenings, or date night. Sometimes by adding a jacket or a different shoe the LBD becomes work appropriate and you have increased its value by wearing it more often. Case in point is this body conscious wool knit dress by Red Valentino, which is the lower priced line of Valentino. Can’t remember where I found it, but I do remember it was a bargain!  After wearing it out in the evening with layers of pearl necklaces, I was ready to style it for the work setting. ‘Message‘ of the look: simple, strong, and sweet as sugar!

The short puffed sleeves and ruffled bodice are subtle feminine details; to complement that style I chose pearl drop earrings and skipped any necklace.  Weather permitted bare legs which meant no annoying clinging of knit dress to tights…

The best detail of all – these shoes! So damn adorable.  Bought at Bloomingdales last year, not on sale, and yes, I splurged. Let me add that I don’t always splurge just because I love something. I will take into consideration the ‘price per wear’ – if it is something I expect to wear more than just for a special occasion, it makes way more sense that spending a lot on something you will only wear a handful of times at most. These ‘statement shoes’ – that are super comfortable –  will look great with many skirts, cropped flared pants, even certain jeans.

Added a tailored Theory blazer with leather sleeves and I am now ready for any business meeting of the day. (Did not choose a cardigan for two reasons: not formal enough to contrast the dress, and it’s never a good look to wear knit with knit, better to mix fabrics.) Heading out the door with a lightweight Kate Spade scarf, BCBG coat, and my favorite Sermoneta gloves.

Who says a smart business woman can’t be sweet too? 😉