The LBD Workhorse - 4 Basic Rules

 

It’s a frightening world out there right now so I’ve been attempting to create some respite for myself with whatever tools I have to hand.  I’m finding that my blog is a source of succour for me; I hope you do too and then it has served some purpose. 

My head and heart are in turmoil and my blood pressure is all over the place.  So please don’t think me shallow if I now go to a quiet place here today. 

Let’s talk about the LBD.

When reflecting on what I’ve worn these past few months I realize that I’ve been smitten with the simple LBD.  What a workhorse!

Simply adding a cardi to an LBD sort of casualises it. 

The simple combo of dress opaques and boots is a winter winner, and adding a cardi makes this an easy-wear alternative to jumper and thick jeans.  

TBH I find winter jeans quite claustrophobic.   So thick and unpliable.  Jeans in winter are overrated IMHO. 

Have you tried wearing dresses in winter as an alternative to jeans?

Here’s the deets on this first outfit:

Dress @marksandspencer 

Khaki cardi @zara 

Boots @gaborshoesuk 

Scarf #charityshopfind 

Stripped of scarf and cardi, this dress still stand a up on its own for a posher look with a simple switch to necklace and heels. 

Adding a longer cardi to the dress, the length of the dress or longer, refreshes the LBD for 2022 to give it a current look, as seen when worn with this long brown cardis and the khaki style earlier. 

Long chocolate brown merino cardi, East

Chocolate brown boots, @gaboruk

Now I would advise to keep your LBD simple.  An LBD workhorse should stand up to dressing up or down for limitless looks. 

 Here’s an example of an LBD with limitations.  

With embellished detail along the neckline and sleeves it isn’t possible to dress this one down, so it’s a go-to reserved for special occasions only.  

But I still adore this Minsoon dress despite its limitations for a girl needs a special occasion easy go-to in the colder months eh.  

So what I would say here is to watch out for any sort of trim on an LBD, winter or summer.  

Which leads me neatly on to my 4 rules for a LBD:

- simple line

- easy care fabric that washes and doesn’t crease

- absolutely no trim or embellishment 

And in winter,

- long sleeves!

The jersey long sleeved T dress worn in most of these pics ticks all those boxes. 

The Monsoon dress fails on one (embellishment), so it’s use is limited and thus doesn’t quite meet the LBD workhorse criteria. 

Footwear is an easy switch to take the LBD from smart to casual. 

Here’s my jersey dress again but worn with flat boots.  

 

Wearing a pair of flat chunky boots (all the rage this year!) instantly brings the LBD down a notch or two. 

Here worn with a fur collar and fur trimmed leather hat.

Tractor tread boots, @eccouk

So those are a few examples of what I’ve been doing with my LBD these past few months.  

Following simple rules when buying an LBD means you’ll have an easy-wear workhorse in your wardrobe that takes you through the whole season.

My black jersey T dress has certainly taken me through the autumn and winter season. 

My challenge to self is now to see if I can make this dress work through spring as well.  I’m sort of doubting it , but no worries, for I have it’s spring/summer sister waiting in the wings - a short sleeved back up, and you’ll be seeing that one on repeat too very soon!

Praying that the world comes to its senses and chooses to save the planet and its people, 

rather than continue on a path of destruction,

a la perchoine,

Mary xxx.