dress

The Best Bags for the Little Black Dress (every girl’s staple)
Every girl, every woman, everywhere, has at least one little black dress. You know the one: the closet staple. The dress that can be pulled out each and every time you fear you have ‘nothing to wear’. The little black dress (or “LBD” as it is often fondly nicknamed) is all-important and no fashion-conscious woman in her right mind would have a closet without at least one.

Just because you have the little black dress, however, does not mean you are ready to go out on the town and be seen. Even if you do decide to wear the LBD instead of something more daring, more trendy, more of-the-now, you will still need to complement that dress with a bag that is exactly that, “of the now”. The little black dress is fashion at its most simple, and while this classic piece never goes out of style, the bags that accompany it certainly do. Certainly your dress can be varied in its cut, length, hem, stitching and fabric; but this does not mean it is any less basic than anyone else’s little black dress, it’s just different!

What will set you apart is the proper bag on your arm for the proper occasion, and can in fact make your LBD appear even more timeless and classic. One of the first concerns should be your color choice. Many women feel the need to match the color of their bag with the color of their shoes. This is a fine idea when paired with black, because the otherwise monochromatic look is offset by a simple splash of color which is hopefully highlighted by a woman’s two best accessories: her bag and her shoes. It should go without saying that if ever you are to choose what to spend money on when dressing up an outfit, your bag and your shoes are where to put the cash! There is nothing worse than a beautiful dress or suit marred by cheap shoes and a bag that is either outdated or worn out.

Some great bags are making an appearance for the 2009 season in the way of small clutch purses and evening bags that go perfectly with the little black dress. One such item is the crystal evening bag. As you can well imagine, crystals are a great accent to black and can really make a dress stand out from the crowd. Many of the bags we are seeing this season are adorned with Swarovski crystals and black, which matches beautifully. Another option is crystal with a metal, either gold or silver which again makes for a beautiful accent against black. Some crystal bags are more ornate in their pattern and color scheme, including various colored crystals and swirls and geometric shapes.

Because you are working with basic black, any of these options will be a great idea. Combine bold shapes and bold colors together for a really fun bag if you are doing the geometric pattern, or stay with a simple pattern in the black and silver/black and gold for something less daring but sharp.

Metal purses are very popular with black as well, and in particular the little black dress. A chrome bag or even one with a bronze finish makes for a unique look that will not readily be mimicked at a party or event you attend. Everyone in the ‘LBD’ wants to stand out from the crowd, and with a metallic bag you will. Many of the metallic bags offered this season are really shapely as well. The typical, cylinder style bag is not seen as much on the arms of those who are hot and in-the-know. Rather, we are finding rounder and more oval styles more popular this year.

Sequins can also be a good choice for the little black dress; they are very eye-catching and may also come in a multitude of shades, hues and colors. Available in everything from clear to aqua, you can really make your color choice matter and you can match your shoes perfectly or select a fun, off-the-wall color just because you can! These bags also work well with the shift dress, and can create quite a fun and flirty appearance.

All of these bags work well and are usually accompanied by a chain or metal rope strap. This can create a more casual look if the links in the rope are large or a really elegant look if the strap is more tightly woven in the metal and smaller. Any combination of metal, crystals and sequins can work well as a whole also. You can’t go wrong with these adornments on the arm of a woman wearing a little black dress. So long as the bag glitters like gold, shimmers with silver and sequins or cascades with crystals you will be good to go!