Little Black Dress Experiment

28 days of The Little Black Dress... in pictures

2010-05-14T16:16:00.000-07:00

Act Like Summer

2010-02-26T08:36:00.000-08:00

I paired the Little Black Dress with a scarf and a pair of 70's inspired brown-weave-wedge sandals; the look begs for summer! I've been thinking of how to sum up the experiment and I am having so many thoughts, so much has happened in the month of February and I can't wait to write a summary of my adventures in my Little Black Dress! I've done LOTS in it... I shot a gun, went on planes, lassoed a fake bull, sang my heart out on stage, and so much more!

Sum up of my adventures in my Little Black Dress coming 1 March!

You Give Me Fever!

2010-02-25T15:35:00.000-08:00

The sickness is creeping back! Went to Dimples Karaoke bar last night and I think I should have sung, "You Give Me Fever" instead of "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" with Ursula! Oh well... you only live once! I'm confident the Little Black Dress and I will bounce back rather quickly!
I paired the Little Black Dress with jeans and a red sweater (on loan from a friend) and classic black heels. The look was casual, yet subtly sophisticated.

I'm excited for tomorrow's look... check back to see what the excitement is all about! (Hint: Yeee-hawwww!)

Early Thank Yous!

2010-02-24T08:39:00.000-08:00

Since I am running out of things to pair with the Little Black Dress, my friends are continuing to lend me stuff and give me ideas! Ursula lent me a long dark Grey sweater cardigan and I paired it with the Little Black Dress this morning. The sweater cardigan is a little hard to see in the picture, but here's hoping that you get the idea!

Only 4 more days to go! I can hardly believe it!

Early Thank Yous to everyone who has religiously followed my blog and cheered me along the way!

P.S.- I'm feeling MUCH better today!

Feeling Blue

2010-02-23T10:58:00.000-08:00

Still feeling blue so I paired the Little Black Dress with a blue cashmere-argyle-patterned-cardigan with flip flops and a canvas bag. Not much to say today, but hopefully tomorrow I will ge feeling 110%... right now I'm at a 60% operating rate!

Grandma's 80th

2010-02-23T08:37:00.000-08:00

For my Grandma's 80th Birthday celebration I paired the Little Black Dress with a blue cardigan and black boots. I took the wrong freeway and missed the surprise entrance, but I strutted in to my family all clapping for me finally getting there. No greater feeling than having almost all of your family together- at one table!

Me and Grandma! Happy Birthday!!!!!!!

Me and all of my cousins.

Sick Day

2010-02-22T08:21:00.000-08:00

I spent the entirety of today in sweats. No Little Black Dress.

Black is Back

2010-02-20T12:27:00.000-08:00

To start the weekend off I wore the Little Black Dress with another dress over it to give the illusion that I had a skirt and blouse on. I pulled it off. I went with a black purse and wore black flip-flops to complete the new 'Black is Back' look. It started out as a beautiful, sunny, southern California day out and then the clouds came in so I switched to boots later in the day. Sometimes the rain is nice, so it is moderatley welcome, but it should be warned not to get too comfortable... or else.

Red Hot Mess!

2010-02-19T08:39:00.000-08:00

This morning I was a hot mess!

I woke up late, decided I had NOTHING to wear (a complete fabrication of the truth), and my hair was being anything but cooperative. After many failed attempts at piecing together an outfit, I went with leggings on loan from Mya and a red peacoat inspired jacket- which, by the way, is arguably the best thing to come out of Old Navy since Bermuda shorts and 2 for $5 sandals. I topped the look of with my $5 clearance-rack pin-up inspired shoes from Target. The look is flirty, fun... and fabulous. For being such a hopeless hot mess this morning, I think I pulled this one off; now I'm a red hot mess.

In other news...
Less than 10 days to go! Let the countdown begin!!!

Beautiful World

2010-02-18T08:51:00.000-08:00

First and foremost... this morning was beautiful.

Thick fog blanketed the roads and mist settled on my windshield as the streetlights danced to the hum of the morning. I woke up this morning with such an appreciation for life and every small detail it has to offer; my heels sinking into the wet grass as I tried to take today's Little Black Dress picture, the race the water took to get off my windshield as I accelerated... life is truly beautiful and wonderful and amazing. Although things are hectic in my life right now and I'm still trying to fit in and "find my place", I'm glad I still have the desire and the ability to appreciate the little things in life- getting flowers from and "unknown" person on Valentine's Day just because (Thank You Mom- I have decided it was you), birds chirping as I fall asleep in the afternoon, the old man walking on the same stretch of road as I drive to work (no matter how late I am)... there is so much life has to offer and this morning I, for some reason, was reminded to look for the small things in life.

Thank you morning fog for reminding me to slowdown, for reminding me to appreciate, for reminding me to be thankful, and for reminding me to, as Rob Thomas sings, 'shine a little light on everything around me'

On an completely unrelated note and to break the rhythmic writing... today I paired the Little Black Dress with heels, that sank in the wet grass with a vengeance, a purse that my sister got me when she was last in Spain, a sweater inspired cardigan on loan from Mya, and a belt to dress it all up a bit more for the simple fact of it being Thursday. I would describe the look as being... surprisingly sophisticated.

On a roll!

2010-02-17T08:27:00.000-08:00

Day 17! Only 11 more days to go... less than 2 weeks! I can do it! I can do it... I think. Some thoughts that have gone through my head during the experiment are a) no one has really noticed, b) i have done a lot less laundry, c) the dress is forcing me to be creative, and d) it takes a lot less time to get ready in the morning. All in all, the experience has been positive and I seem to be flying past the halfway point.

But... (there's always a but)

I'm sick of having to worry about being lady like in a Little Black Dress...

so I decided to go with pants today. I lassoed the dress up with a belt and wore my big jewel flip flops; the look is casual comfort.

We're Half Way There!

2010-02-16T19:55:00.000-08:00

Which Look Has Been Your Favorite?

Paris je t'aime

2010-02-16T08:47:00.000-08:00

Today I paired the Little Black Dress with red flip-flops, a red leather bracelet and a scarf on loan from Ursula, by way of Paris.

I am pretty sure Paris is my soul mate- even though we've never met. Everything about Paris appeals to me; the history, the food, the parks... everything! I know when we meet we may become inseparable. I'm supposed to go to Europe in late June and France is a stop along the way in my travels. I cannot wait to eat a fresh croissant and drink tea early in the morning and take a stroll near the Champs Elysée and drink wine on the grass in front of La Tour Eiffel. I know my love of everything French will only be amplified to the 10th degree. Until then, I will live vicariously through Ursula's scarves.

Merci beaucoup Ursula! Paris je t'aime, Paris vous aime et je t'aime trop!

President's Day

2010-02-15T19:57:00.000-08:00

I went for a hike and spent the day milling around the house... the Little Black Dress stayed on the hanger for today in celebration of President's Day.

Drag Queens and Lassoing

2010-02-15T11:47:00.000-08:00

I spent my day Valentine's Day with my closest girl friends, drag queens and cowboys. We started the day off at Hamburger Mary's... a gay establishment that features an all you can eat brunch buffet, bottomless mimosas and a 2 hour long drag show. To be a little romantic, I borrowed a sweater from my friend Mya that was embellished with crystals and was a pretty turquoise color. It was suitable for all occasions of my day.

After the drag show we went to the LA Times Travel Expo and I learned to lasso. After 3 failed attempts, I was able to lasso the fake bull... such excitement! So I have now A) shot a gun and B) lassoed in my Little Black Dress... pretty impressive if you ask me!

The day was a success and I hope to win a trip from the Travel Expo somewhere cool... or a Volvo. Keep your fingers crossed for both!

Jägermeister Anyone?

2010-02-13T12:22:00.000-08:00

To start the weekend off I A) slept it and B) went as casual as could be with my Little Black Dress. I paired the dress with a pair of black canvas flats, a tan canvas purse (that is at least 10 years old) and top the look of, literally, I wore a Jägermeister news boy cap. I definitely wanted to be as casual as could be and I think I was successful. I'm so excited the weekend is here because that means sleeping in, but sometimes I feel like i'm not productive... at all on the weekend, so wish me the best of both worlds!

Falling Whistles

2010-02-12T08:40:00.000-08:00

I wanted to keep today's look simple. I wore the Little Black Dress with a blue cardigan, carried a canvas bad and wore flip-flops. I also decided to wear my Falling Whistle.

One of my closest friends, Matt, came to visit earlier this week and as always was wearing his Falling Whistle. Matt is one of those people who probably knows at least 2 people you know; he is definitely a people person. He is one of the funniest people I have ever met and also one of the most caring and compassionate people I will probably ever have the pleasure of knowing. Matt was involved with Invisible Children and got involved with the Falling Whistles organization last year. The organization...

"gives a small window into our world’s largest war. Originally just a journal written about boys sent to the frontlines of war armed with only a whistle, readers forwarded it with the same kind of urgency in which it was written and demanded to know – what can we do? The Falling Whistles campaign launched with a simple response - make their weapon your voice and be a whistleblower for peace in Congo."

It's humbling; knowing that while I am wearing the whistle as an accessory, there are young boys that wear it as their only amour. If you have a few minutes today, take some time to look at both the Invisible Children and Falling Whistles organizations. Learn how you can make a difference in someone's life.

Matt and I

On an unrelated note... here is my list for today

"Things I Want to Learn"

• Learn how to deal with difficult people
• Never lose my sense of wonder
• Learn to whistle with my fingers
• Learn from my mistakes
• Learn French
• Learn to bartend
• Learn to be a storyteller
• Learn some smooth, cool dance moves
• Learn how to invest in stocks
• Learn to ride a horse
• Learn how to rappel down a mountain
• Learn how to make tamales

Grunge-Indie-LA-Journalist meets Orange-County-Girl-Next-Door

2010-02-11T08:26:00.000-08:00

I've never worn a keffiyeh scarf... until today. It looked fantastic with my Little Black Dress and was very grunge meets girl next door. My dearest friend, Ursula, lent me the scarf because at Day 11 of the experiment- I'm running low on both ideas and clothes. I like the look of the scarf and the fact that it was bought at a train station in Paris; It's sure to me cozy which is great and I think the green purse acts as a fantastic splash of color. My bracelet was handmade in Angola, Africa and was given to me by my Aunt and Uncle who lived there for 3 years.

I feel like I've been too focused on the fashion side of this blog so I'm going to try to talk more life, etc. That being said, I've been working on a list of things to do and ways to continually improve myself. I've completed my "Understand Myself" section; things I will do in an effort to become a better me, while still looking fabulous in my Little Black Dress... and beyond;

"Understand Myself"

   • Love myself
   • Be proud of myself
   • Figure out what makes me truly happy
   • Write down my thoughts
   • Redefine, reconnect, and embrace the person I am becoming
   • Choose a theme song for myself
   • Understand what I am looking for in a mate
   • Know when to stand my ground, when to let things slide, and when to meet halfway
   • Write a "This I Believe" essay
   • Complete a list of 100 facts about myself
   • Come to terms with my past

Rather than just focusing on what color cardigan I'm wearing, I hope that my new 'lists-for-the-day' will make the blog a little more entertaining. Tomorrow's list will be "Things I Want to Learn".

I really look forward to hearing comments on both my lists and outfits. Hope that you enjoy the new'ish format of my blog; today's quote is FANTASTIC!!! Be sure to check it out!

Bring it on El Niño!

2010-02-10T08:31:00.000-08:00

Today I matched the Little Black Dress with a dark purple cami underneath and a faded purple long sleeve cropped sweater and stepped out with my boots on. I decided in an effort to mix things up a little that I would try the look with a belt... surprisingly, it worked (or at least I think it did). I also wore a heart necklace and slung a black purse over my shoulder. I would describe today's look as "winter ready"; I'm definitely ready for some CA winter and rain- bring it on El Niño!

I'm going out with my pants on!

2010-02-09T08:58:00.000-08:00

I decided to pair the Little Black Dress with pants today. I wore a belt mid way up my torso and pulled the dress through it and ended up with a short'ish peasant-type top. My new "top" was a little too mid-drift for my taste so I put a dark gray cami underneath. The cami went nicely with my shorter classic hounds tooth jacket pattern jacket that is infused with yellow threads. To top the look off, I wore plain black heels and carried a black purse, all together I think the look was classy casual with a hint of personality. I feel great about the look and am looking forward to pairing the dress with pants more in the future.
Did I succesfully pull off the dress-pant combo? I want to hear your feedback!

** The title for this blog is inspired by Randy Houser's song, "Boots On"

Heather Gray

2010-02-08T08:17:00.000-08:00

I started the Little Black Dress experiment week 2 off with a Heather Gray cardigan and cami-combo. I wore the cami under the dress and the cardigan over the dress; the result was a subtle match that (I hope) resulted in a polished look. I wore flats with a buckle on the toe for a little extra class and to top the look off, I dressed it all down with a canvas bag. My glasses are proving to be an enormous help in daily life and I feel like I can FINALLY see again! They are always a welcome addition to my look.

My Sunday best

2010-02-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

Today's look is by FAR my favorite in the Little Black Dress experiment. I paired the dress with an old leather jacket, a fleur-de-lis inspired silk scarf from Spain that was splashed with ornate gold and royal blue designs, brown buckle boots and, once again, my Hermes bag. I went to church sporting the look and the greeter at the door, who was an older woman pulled me aside and said, "You look great this morning!" Her sincerity amazed me; it reinforced that even though I've been wearing the same dress (for 7 days now) that I can still look and feel great in it.

Don't be shy!!!! Give my your feedback!
What look do you think has been the best? Any looks you think I should try?

When it rains, we accessorize!

2010-02-06T15:28:00.000-08:00

California has, once again, been drenched with precipitation. Rain, rain… go AWAY! I, for the most part, dislike the rain; it messes with my hair, wreacks havoc on the roads, but it does allow us to accessorize like never before!!!

I’ve always been a fan of bright colored ‘gloomy weather’ wardrobe pieces. If it’s raining out I, a) want to make sure I can be seen through the fog, and b) want to be a ray of sunshine among the clouds when looked at. That being said, I paired the dress with a double-breasted light blue peacoat… one of my favorite jackets. In case of rain puddles, I stepped into a pair of my favorite black-buckle boots. Lastly, I topped the look off with a hot pink umbrella adorned with slight stripes of white, green and peach.
I stayed inside most of the day, but when I ventured out… I did so in style and was a ray of sunshine for the rest of the world bundled up in black and brown.

*Please excuse my lack of "semi-glamorous appearance" today... today my motto is "Saturday's were made to stroll around looking like a bum."

Scarf Rose Knot

2010-02-05T13:38:00.000-08:00

It's National Wear Red Day so I wanted to do my part in raising awareness about heart disease among women. I decided to wear a scarf that had a touch of red in it, great idea. I learned how to tie a rose knot with the silk scarf and was very excited to greet the day with my new "fashion statement"; It's the boldest move in the experiment yet! I felt such a sense of sophistication and poise all day; I'm sure my posture has greatly improved! I paired the dress with knee high black boots which was good move on my part since I was greeted with rain drops the moment I stepped out of my house to face the world. Tonight, if I go out I will match the look with a pair of black fishnets for an extra edge.

Check back this weekend and see if I'll need boots to keep me out of the rain!

NEW eyes!

2010-02-04T10:56:00.000-08:00

I have EXCITING news!!!!! I can seeeeeeeeeee again!

I picked up my NEW spectacles yesterday on my way home from work and can actually see now! I obviously had to wear them today.

I paired my classy Little Black Dress with flip-flops (as predicted) and wore a long'ish marble-blue cardigan. To mix things up a little more I wore a v-neck sequin lined cami underneath the Little Black Dress; I didn't have time to change purses, but I think I managed to pull off the oversized Hermes bag with this look, despite it being the only brown think in a sea of black and blue. Early on in the morning I added another accessory by wrapping a bright blue Sponge Bob Band-Aid on my left thumb to protect a cut that has been bugging since last Friday!

On an unrelated note... I found out that newsman Anderson Copper's Mom is none other than fashion designer Gloria Vanderbilt. Who knew?!?!?!

Hobo meets Casual

2010-02-03T17:33:00.000-08:00

Today's look was very classy-casual, one may even say hobo'esque with a little touch of class. I paired the Little Black Dress with my friend Ursula's camel brown buckle boots, my old tweed-herringbone jacket (whose buttons have all fallen off) and topped it all off with a simple necklace and carried my dark brown Hermes bag; the look was a success.

I let a another person, from work, in on the Little Black Dress experiment. Now I have 2 people to relay any office folk reactions and/or comments about the fact that I've been wearing the same Little Black Dress... everyday since I've started working... stay tuned!

I think tomorrow I'll go with another classy-casual look... I may even wear flip-flops!!!

Check back tomorrow for Audrey's quote of the day AND my latest look!

New Job... Same Dress

2010-02-02T16:20:00.000-08:00

I started a new job today as a copywriter for an advertising company; I wasn't sure how dressy to be. I decided to wear the Little Black Dress (obviously) with a dark gray cami underneath and black heels. I dressed it down a bit by wearing a jean jacket and I carried a canvas bag, in place of a purse. I left the house like a top-notch classy writer... carrying my Google mug full of caffeine and some papers. I'm proud to report that the outfit AND the first day were both a success.

PS- I let one person at work in on the experiment, but everyone else has NO idea!

The Little Black Dress and a Shotgun

2010-02-01T11:20:00.000-08:00

Day 1 of The Little Black Dress experiment was a SUCCESS! I have been in Colorado since Saturday and I really wanted to shoot a gun before I left... and I did; in my Little Black Dress. It was amazing! The Little Black Dress proved to be just fine for shooting a gun... who would have thought?!?!?

I start a new job tomorrow so check back and see what I decided to wear!

A few ground rules

2010-01-31T20:05:00.000-08:00

First... a little bit of history:

A round of applause goes to Coco Chanel whose visionary work in 1926 brought women the Little Black Dress. Vogue predicted that it would "become a sort of uniform for all women of taste"; it's safe to say Vogue was right!

The Little Black Dress is considered an essential to complete a wardrobe by many women and fashion observers, who believe it a "rule of fashion" that every woman should own a simple, elegant black dress that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion: for example, worn with a jacket and pumps for daytime business wear or with more ornate jewelry and accessories for evening. Because it is meant to be a staple of the wardrobe for a number of years, the style of the Little Black Dress ideally should be as simple as possible: a short black dress that is too clearly part of a trend would not qualify because it would soon appear dated.

Now some rules for the Little Black Dress Experiment:

The Dress must be worn at all times* during the month of February.
The Dress will be washed every other day to maintain a clean appearance and feel.
If, and only if, The Dress should become damaged, lost or stolen... a similar one will be purchased the same day.

* Except when sleeping or working out.

Inspiration for The Little Black Dress experiment

2010-01-26T14:30:00.000-08:00

My inspiration for this came from Society Stylist, Elizabeth Hearst.

Would I be able to wear the same Little Black Dress for 30 days?? I doubt it, so that's why I've challenged myself to 28 days... the entire month of February.

I will, for 1 month, 30 days, less than 9% of an entire year... wear the same thing. In fashion focuses Orange County, CA, I will dare to be different and will wear the same thing every day, only accessorizing with cardigans, belts, scarves, tights, etc.

Thoughts are running through my head and I'm beginning to wonder... will people notice that I'm wearing the same dress everyday? Do people REALLY care? Will it be easier to "decide what to wear in the morning?

So many questions and the month of February holds the answers. Check back to see pictures of each day's look and my thoughts and experiences.

Wish me and my Little Black Dress lots of luck!

Because Audrey is the classiest lady I wish I knew

2010-01-24T07:30:00.000-08:00

For the duration of my experiment, 28 days, I will be posting an Audrey Hepburn Quote of the Day in the side bar. Check back to see what she's got to say.

Here's a little teaser:

“I believe laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing; kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles.” --Audrey Hebpurn