Midlife Loves

"Timeless everyday style"

Midlife Loves

The Perfect Little Black Dress


So after the last week spent celebrating hubbys big Four-0 Im continuing with the theme of celebrations seeing as this year we seem to have a whole round up of special birthdays including a 21st, two 40ths, two 50ths, a 60th & an 80th!

Now I don't know if you're like me but when you first have children the need & occasion for dressing up seems to go right out the window & most days getting out of your dressing gown is a real achievement (although of course this might just be me!). However, several years down the line & after most days of just being grateful to have some form of clean clothing on as opposed to sleepwear or sick/food splattered clothes, a miracle happens (which I believe goes by the name of pre-school/reception class) & you suddenly have a little 'me' time to be able to think about what you want to wear as opposed to just grabbing the first clean & not necessarily ironed (again may just be me) item of clothing that comes to hand!

Whilst the need for full on glam & glitz is generally not an everyday requirement (well not for me at least) when you do get a reason to dig out your special little number there is nothing quite like the feeling dressing up brings. Of course in my case it might originate from far too many hours spent playing with the clothes in the 'dressing up' box & wearing my Grandma's best hats, shawls & jewellery as a child but I think most people enjoy having a special occasion to dress up for.

Of course finding the PERFECT little black dress or outfit is another thing all together. Is it just me but generally when you have an idea in mind of the kind of dress/colour etc you want you can't find anything like it despite walking past hundreds exactly like the one you have in mind just a few weeks before you knew you'd have the reason (excuse - in my case) & occasion to wear one?!!!

For me when looking for a special outfit not only do I want it to make me feel special, it also needs to not be too far out of my comfort zone, have a classic edge so as not to go out of style by next season & also be something that I can dress up or down & wear at other times than just for special occasions. So as you can see I'm not asking for too much, just the perfect outfit!

So with an impending 60th birthday bash fast approaching & the dress code listed as 'dress to impress' I set out on a mission to find my perfect LBD.  Now it seems that now isnt the best time to probably start a search for a LBD as it appears that a lot of the dresses out there are in lovely bright colours for summer (if it arrives!) but I have decided to stick to my guns & get a black dress as I feel Ill get more use out of it all year round & with different accessories Ill be able to wear it for all the special celebrations weve got this year.  So after some online browsing these are some of the dresses that made it onto my shortlist.






I love the lace & three quarter sleeves of this dress, very pretty.






A true classic dress which could be worn with pearls to continue the classic theme or bling to add some glamour.






A great dress for dressing up with heels or dressing down for daywear with some fab sandals.


And here's the one I finally decided on.






Now I'm sure most of you won't be surprised that my purchase was from Zara, as I have said in the past I really should have shares in the company. However, even I will admit that the picture on their website really doesn't do it justice, although I have noted that they've now changed the shoes the model is wearing as the previous ones were absolutely hideous & totally wrong for the dress.  In fact as I'm typing this I'm realising just how much of a Zara addict I am that I've noticed this :S

In my mind this dress ticks all the boxes plus it wasn't a fortune to purchase (£39.99) & for me has the added advantage that it will look great with heels but can also be worn with my new Zara Studded Leopard Print Sandals & some chunky jewellery in the summer to wear in the daytime & also on holiday.

So just to give you a glimpse of how I would accessorise the dress here's a few pictures of me wearing it, which hopefully look a little better than the Zara photo!




Necklace - Zara
Belt - Zara
Shoes - Zara





Necklace - Zara
Bracelets - Handmade
Shoes - Zara





Necklace - Massimo Dutti
Bangles - Banana Republic & Mango
Sandals - Zara


Finally pictures of what I've been wearing over the last couple of days including casual outfits & layers for walking at the Malvern Hills & a very early & cold start this morning for our hot air balloon ride, which was stunning, amazing & tranquil.  


Outfit One




Necklace - Zara
Top - Zara
T-shirt - Zara
Jeans - Massimo Dutti
Studded Belt (not shown) - Massimo Dutti
Boots - Zara


Outfit Two




Jumper - Zara
Bangle - Mango
Jeans - Zara
Studded Belt (not shown) - Zara
Shoes - Zara


Outfit Three




Striped Jumper - M&S
Long Sleeved T-Shirt - H&M
Scarf - M&S
Jeans - French Connection
Animal Print Pumps - Boden (not worn for walking but thought I'd spare you the glamour of my hiking boots!)


Outfit Four




Fur Stole - H&M
Jacket - Barbour
Jeans - French Connection
Boots - M&S


So what do you think? Have you got a LBD that you always wear for special occasions or do you like to wear something more colourful? As always I love to hear your thoughts & comments x

18 comments

  1. The Zara one looks great and you can dress it up or down for any occasion. I love the Hobbs one too,I am totally the wrong shape as have tree trunk waist and big shoulders, but you are so petite you would look like the model. It strikes me as one of those 'proper' dresses in which there would always be just a little misbehaviour!

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    1. I'm hoping I'll get a lot of use out of the dress but love your description of the Hobbs dress being a dress that's associated with misbehaviour :) x

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    2. I LOVE the Hobbs one so much too - I do not love the price so much!

      Fiona

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    3. Yes it's a lot more than the Zara one but a real classic that would no doubt be worn many times over the years.

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  2. Do you realise that you went TWO WHOLE DAYS when you weren't wearing something from Zara, lol!!!! I'm not an LBD person myself (bloody psoriasis put paid to that) but am sure that you'll get lots of wear out of the one you bought!

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    1. Lol Helen, I nearly got the shakes from withdrawal symptoms!!!!! x

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  3. right that's it - I'm buying it - I have seen this on someone else and they looked amazing too
    DONE BOUGHT THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

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  4. That's the Zara dress which I keep putting in the bag and taking out again. You make it look awesome. It is one of those under the radar dresses and that's why I love it. Could I ask how tall you are by the way? One of the reasons I hadn't purchased yet was it looked quite long online but not so much on you?

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    1. Thanks Sue. I just love the simplicity of this dress and the way it hangs, very understated but perfect for dressing up or down. I'm 5'7" to give you an idea on the length of the dress x

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  5. Love the Zara dress on you. You always need a LBD in your wardrobe.i also love the mango dress.

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    1. Thanks Jo. Have to admit to having several little black dresses! In fact I go one similar to the Mango dress last year and wore it loads as again it looks great dressed down with sandals x

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  6. Love the Zara dress & I love the 3 ways you have styled it! The Hobbs one is a total classic & very Audrey Hepburn but I think you defo made the right choice! Andrea x

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    1. Thanks Andrea, yes the Hobbs one is a definite Audrey Hepburn dress, would look stunning with loads of pearls x

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  7. Love the Zara dress (number 4) on you with flats - tres chic!

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  8. Aw thank you :) Just need the hotter weather to start wearing it in the daytime x

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  9. I think it time to the woman enjoying having an special occasion to wearing a black gown dress.Thank to your post.

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    1. You can't beat a little black dress to make you feel special! x

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