Lizzie Loves...Little Black Dresses

DELIBERATING over what to wear to my first winter wedding on Saturday has once again left me weighing up the pros and cons of the little black dress.

It is a subject that has been debated by fashion journalists, designers and style savvy friends the world over.

A subject that has perhaps been done to death.

Yet while I don't pretend my own observations are particularly groundbreaking I am intrigued by the LBD and often find myself returning to it when planning outfits.

Last year's Gazette Christmas party saw me sporting a pretty black prom dress adorned with black sequins.

Similarly, for my interview with CancerCare I wore a fitted black dress over a white shirt.

Looking back, my relationship with the LBD started when I was 16 and I first started clubbing.

My favourite outfit was a tight black dress I bagged for £15 in a Warehouse sale and believe me I got my money's worth.

I wore it until it could be worn no more and I always felt amazing.

Slimming, sophisticated, smart and safe -the LBD has solved many a last minute clothing crisis.

But as I have got older I have found myself questioning its suitability.

Is it really a simple solution or has the quest to stand out in black turned the LBD into a minefield of fashion faux pas'?

After all, the starlet who sweeps down the red carpet in a stunning emerald green gown can rest assured her image will be splashed over next week's Best Dressed pages; the celeb who opts for black is taking a gamble.

Will she be labelled drab and criticised for playing it safe or will she be hailed as the vision of elegance -a modern day Audrey Hepburn in an era of footballer's wives and glamour girls?


In 2003, the decision to give Nicole Kidman an Academy Award for her performance in The Hours was welcomed by film fans.

However, her choice of dress divided opinion and set tongues wagging.

There is no denying she looked fantastic in her beautiful black Jean Paul Gaultier number and many journalists applauded her decision.

They claimed it reflected the subdued atmosphere at the time caused by the outbreak of war in Iraq.

Others, however, criticised Nicole for a lack of imagination and for looking drab at the biggest bash of the year.

It seems that for many style observers, when it comes to the red carpet, black just doesn't cut it.


Yet, for one British beauty, it was the appropriate airing of a Versace LBD in 1994 that catapulted her from a film star's girlfriend into a celebrity in her own right.

I am of course talking about Elizabeth Hurley and the infamous safety pin dress.
Yes, anyone chronicling the lovely Liz's rise to fame could be at no doubt as to where to start.

Daring and different, this was high impact dressing at its greatest and fourteen years later a survey by Debenhams voted it the greatest red carpet moment of all time.


So what makes a black dress hit the right chords? Surely in something so simple it is hard to go wrong?

In Things I Wish My Mother Had Told Me, journalist Lucia Van Der Post has this to say on the subject:

"The little black dress is but a chic, anonymous vehicle for drama elsewhere. With Audrey it was the hat, the shades, the long gloves, the umbrella, the shoes. Could you honestly describe the dress?......If we're going to wear black -and we surely will because black is the new black more often than it isn't and it certainly won't be going anywhere for long -we've got to learn how to wear it. It needs drama."

And how do we create this drama.. well Lucia suggests sexy shoes, amazing jewellery, great hair and makeup, a statement handbag, a colourful scarf and just the right amount of bare skin.

Do you see what I mean? With so much to think about, is an LBD really such a stress free choice?

At least when you wear a vibrant colour such as red or fuchsia your dress does all the talking; wear black and it's the cut and the accessories that make or break the outfit.

Get it right and you can cause a sensation; get it wrong and you can end up feeling like wallpaper.

Yet, the versatility of the LBD is great news for those on a budget as -while there are only so many times you can get away with wearing a scarlet gown - a black dress can be transformed for weddings, birthday bashes, Christmas parties and even funerals.

You see ...the LBD is a complex beast and with designers reinventing it in collection after collection I am sure the debate will continue for years.


So what about me and my search for the perfect wedding outfit?

In a bid to save money I had been contemplating pulling out an LBD of my own and jazzing it up with some coloured tights and a matching fascinator but now I am not so sure.

Is black appropriate for such a joyful occasion? Will I feel dowdy around girls in more colourful attire?

Hmmm ....I think it's time to call my friends for help!