The little black dress is a staple in every woman’s wardrobe. Because of its versatility, it can be worn in any occasion. With different accessories, it can produce different looks. It can be worn by every woman of any shape or size. The black dress is also available everywhere, no matter how high or low the budget is. A woman can surely find the black dress that will fit her to a T.

                The little black dress, for it to be timeless and long lasting, must be made of fabrics like cashmere, linen, silk, or wool. Spandex or Lycra and knit fabrics are only appropriate in some occasions and they don’t last very long. The most flattering and enduring hemlines are those that fall right below or right above the knee. Very short or very long just follow the trend of the season and must be avoided. The 3:1 rule is a very good rule of thumb when selecting the black dress. A woman must cover three parts of her body while revealing only one part. Thus, if she wants a plunging neckline then she has to sacrifice the very high skirt’s slit.

For those women who have a full bust, wrap, v-neck, square necklines are appropriate. However, plunging necklines must be avoided as they can attract attention to one’s upper body. Puffy sleeves and the likes also add volume and must be avoided. One must refrain from choosing fabrics which cling tightly. Women with small chest can opt for extra material or ruffles to establish an illusion of larger chest.  Those with wide shoulders can opt for an asymmetrical neckline. Those dresses with a fitted bottom and a full top will accentuate the shoulders more and must therefore be avoided. Those with large waists can hide them by choosing an empire cut, a drop-waist or a shift dress. Bottom heavy figures can disguise the hips by opting for an A-line dress or empire waist. Even plus size women can opt for plus size cocktail dresses in black.