A Tale of a LBD

Twelve years ago, when I was in high school, I was a bridesmaid in the winter wedding of my cousin. The dress was a fabulous black floor-length number with a short black jacket atop it. The ensemble was lovely, but I had no idea what I would do with it post-wedding. It was so fantastic that, even though I had nowhere to wear it, it sat in the back of my closet for four years. Then, when I joined a sorority in college, I needed a black shift dress for preference round. Enter the bridesmaids dress. Our family tailor is amazing and with a few snips and trims, the fabulous floor-length evening gown had become a knee-skimming shift. In the last eight years, it has been worn with cardigans of all colors and sans cardigan as well. But always, I repeat always, with pearls (Wouldn't want to let Mama down, now would we?). The dress has seen parties, funerals, dinners, benefits and, most recently, a memorial service. I was honored by a request to do a reading at the service and I accepted, but immediately became riddled with nerves. When the big day rolled around, the dress that had been through so much with me was suddenly calming. So thanks to the dress, and almost an hour of pre-service rehearsal with V who made sure I could get through it without falling apart, I did. And so did the dress.

But there is an eco-spin to all of this. Instead of buying something new, look into your closet and see what can be modified to meet your needs. You never know...your new little black shift dress may be disguised as a formal gown.