My Looks

The New LBD

{ Union Square, NYC }

Nicholas Dress | Louboutin Heels

It’s the holiday season!

Well, not quite. But it’s certainly start-the-search-for-your-holiday-cocktail-dress season! So let’s talk party attire.

When I was in New York a few weeks ago, my mother and I stopped into Saks because I wanted to hunt down a new cocktail dress. The few that I own are a solid five-to-ten years old (or more: there are still a couple hanging out in the furthest reaches of my closet that were purchased for college formals); I still like them well enough, but the idea of putting one of the same four cocktail-appropriate dresses on again makes me want to fall asleep.

Cocktail dresses are one of those things that, when you find just the right one, you need to buy it. Even if you have no event on the immediate horizon, everyone needs a drop-dead gorgeous dress (or two) at the ready. But a really beautiful piece can get expensive, so I like the idea of finding one that you can style a bunch of different ways, so you can get plenty of wear out of it without growing bored.

Enter: the offbeat LBD. No sheaths, please – not during the holidays. We need sparkles. Dramatic necklines. Cutout panels. Tulle. And then the fun part: accessorizing. Here, I’m wearing this Nicholas window-lace dress (a.k.a. possibly the most beautiful LBD I’ve ever seen) with my mom’s gold necklace and bright-yellow pumps, but imagine it with a big white faux-fur jacket and a pair of strappy red heels? Or with tons of bangles, booties, and a jean jacket? All amazing.

Below, a whole bunch of totally un-boring LBDs I found for your own holiday shopping consideration.

Jordan Reid wearing a little black dress from Saks Fifth Avenue and yellow Christian Louboutin heelschristian louboutin yellowJordan Reid wearing a little black dress from Saks Fifth Avenue and yellow Christian Louboutin heels

This post was created in collaboration with ShopStyle and Saks Fifth Avenue. Photos by Lydia Hudgens.

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