Just Add This

I have been touting the virtues of the little black dress for as long as I can remember. It is practical, flattering, and chic. Yet sometimes, it can also be dull and boring. This past spring, I attended a dinner for an organization that was honoring a friend of mine. The invitation called for business attire, which usually signals an onslaught of black dresses and pantsuits for most of the attendees. I pulled out my tried and true Yigal Azrouel black, short-sleeved, below the knee, ultra-conservative dress. But when I looked in the mirror, my reflection yawned in a big way.

I had about twenty minutes left to get ready, which, for me, is an eternity. I started playing with belts to add a little pizzazz around my waist, but “no, you are ruining my beautiful lines!” the dress screamed back at me. Then I examined the high neckline and played with some necklaces, all of which were either too long or too quiet. Running out of time, I decided that what it needed was a little something that would fall exactly around the neckline of the dress; a statement piece that would bring the eye up toward the face.

I perused my collection of costume jewelry and settled on this colorful necklace that I purchased at a store in New York years ago. When I arrived at the table, people asked me if it was part of the dress, and if not, where could they get something like it. Having seen many of these pieces at J. Crew and The Bauble Bar, I quickly went to their website and searched for decorative chokers. There was an array of them, and I forwarded them to my friends. The moral of this story is that when a dress feels a little tired or boring, it pays to go the extra distance to elevate it with one simple accessory. Just add this: