ONE dress TEN ways

It is very important for every woman to have a little black dress. Putting that in mind, I have about 6 of them. But I'm not satisfied. The dresses that I already owned were only suitable for dressier, more formal occasions.  So I was out on the hunt for a casual black dress that was a little on the conservative side....

So I recently purchased this dress from H&M when it was on sale and I absolutely love it. When I first tried this on, I actually wanted to get another dress, but this one looks so great on that I just had to get it.

It's costs I believe BD7 on sale. I actually bought this in a UK size 12, which would normally be MASSIVE on me (I'm a little over 5ft, so I'm pretty petite). But it was the only piece left and I was willing to alter it. HOWEVER! The size fits very well! It is the right length too!

Put in mind that I'm working with one dress, no makeup, and the natural texture of my hair, and that any outfit can be completely transformed with the choice of makeup or a hair do.

So, let's get started then...

Running errands and/or going to class:

In this outfit, I paired the black dress with a skinny belt from New Look, a seashells cuff bracelet from Mango and a 'shopping tote' by Kathy Van Zealand.
As you can see I'm wearing two shoes. The one on my right foot is a peep-toed bootie from H&M. It gives me some extra height, and elongates my leg. On my left foot is a sandal from Alcott and it's flat, comfortable and great for running around. Both are great with this outfit and it really depends on what you would prefer.

Quick lunch with the girls:

This is one of the easiest outfits and yet it looks so put together! Here, I paired the black dress with black suede pumps from New Look, a leopard-print scarf from H&M and a black and brown bag by Pierre Cardin. The sunglasses are Aldo. I'm also wearing gold stud earring from Forever 21 I think. A reddish lip will look great with this, but a nude one will look nice too.

Boho-chic:

 In this pairing, I put in mind the cooler weather. So this outfit will be great for Fall/Winter. I paired the black dress with a patent leather jacket from Forever 21. The contrast of the matte dress and the shininess of the jacket create a cool effect without adding much color. I added a long 2-tier silver necklace from Forever 21 and a headband from Aldo (I think). The boots are also from Aldo (For more detail check out the Boots I love! post). To finish off this look, I added a silver ring and a grey studded bag (nine west)


Here's another boho-chic look more suitable for the transition between spring and fall:

This look uses those same boots, but I added a denim vest, and a floral head band from Topshop. The silver cuff on my left arm is vintage, but I have seen similar styles in Forever 21. You may not be able to see this, but I also layered a silver chain necklace on this dress, also from Forever 21. Go with a rosy pink lip and cheek color, and a couple of coats of mascara.

Effortless:

 For those days when you literally roll out of bed 10 minutes before class. I paired the dress with a denim jacket from Zara and comfortable studded gladiator sandals from Primavera. The blue ring is from H&M? Not really sure, but any chunky ring will do, really.

That bracelet is made by a family member and they are actually for sale! She has quite a collection and I personally bought quite a few. They are great pieces to just stack on and go. They're great quality too!

Casual smart:

 Paired with closed-toe suede pumps (New look), a vintage-feel jacket (Marks & Spenser's) and a black and white clutch (ALDO), this dress transforms into a classy smart piece to wear for a business lunch, or any other occasion that requires a casual-smart look. A pearl necklace and pearl stud earrings add an extra level of sophistication to this look. Don't forget your red lipstick and wing out your eyeliner a little bit for this one ;)

Evening Glam:

Same shoes. Just add a shawl, a statement necklace and a little bag and you're good to go! The shawl adds a blue pop of color against the black. The necklace I'm wearing I recently got from H&M, and the bag is by Julien Macdonald. I would suggest going with a smokey eye and glossy lips to amp up this look even more.

Fashionista:

A dramatic, edgy look. Combines soft pinks and neutrals with basic black. The shoes are ruffly H&M booties, the headband is Topshop, the bag is a Daydreamer Tote from Juicy Couture and the sunglasses are ALDO. Go with a pale pink lip and neutral eye for this one.

Office appropriate:

 Here, I layered the dress with a pale blue shirt and a navy blue vest. Both are from H&M. I'm wearing stud earrings from Pierre Cardin and my (most-worn) swan necklace from Swarovski. I'm also wearing my glasses here, because I think glasses are just soo cute for work. I'm wearing those same close-toe pump I'm wearing in half of these outfits because it's just an absolute necessity for any woman.

Another office-appropriate look:

I paired the dress with a tan blazer that I bought from Zara. I like it with this dress because it has some black detail with the buttons. I'm wearing the same shoes and glasses, but added sheer black tights, a statement gold necklace (H&M) and a black patent leather clutch.

So those are some of the outfits that I came up with for this dress! The possibilities really are limitless with a basic black dress such as this one. All you need is some accessories and a little bit of creativity!

Thank you for visiting cosmeticcraving and hope this helped you all! If there are any questions or requests, do not hesitate to ask! Hope to see you here again and don’t forget to follow if you haven’t already!

xx

Please note that these products were bought by me using my own money and were not sent to me by anyone for review. I am not affiliated with this brand in any way. All opinions are genuinely mine and 100% honest.