Friday, October 07, 2005

A Night on the Town

"How about tips on how to dress up?"

Sounds like Bunny's got a hot date! She said she'd like some tips, especially about the right dresses for the right shape, so here's what we'll do. The staple of any going out wardrobe is the little black dress, so we'll look at some options for this classic for the pear-shaped, hourglass-shaped and straight-shaped. The LBD can come in many cuts and styles, but it follows a couple of rules - it should be appropriate for a fancy dinner, meaning both style and fabric choices. And rule #2 - show a little leg. Other than that, you have carte blanche.

If you have a heavier bottom than top, you are pear-shaped. In order to give yourself some balance, you'll want to draw more attention to the bust area. It's a common mistake to try to hide big hips under extra fabric, but this is a mistake for two reasons. Firstly, more fabric means you'll look heavier. Secondly, bootylicious is in! Take advantage of the opportunity and show them off whenever you get the opportunity to do so. This halter dress at left, by XOXO, is a pretty good choice. I've always noticed that when someone has a halter on, they look - let's say better endowed, so this will give you the balance I mentioned before. Not to mention that the hem is asymmetrical, which started as a trend and became a signature of this decade. It's incredibly sexy when it sways back and forth as you walk. Accessorize this with a colorful scarf or some rhinestone jewelry and you've got yourself a winner.

If you have a well-defined waist, and your top and bottom halves are pretty well balanced, you have an hourglass shape. This has for a long time been considered one of the hottest body shapes, so there is no reason to not flaunt it! Let me take a minute to advocate something we've said before - a full-body girdle, or what I call a foundation, is essential to getting dressed up. You can find such things in fancier lingerie stores, such as Victoria's Secret. It will not be cheap, I'll warn you, but it will last you a lifetime and you will not be sorry you bought it. Get a nude-colored foundation so you never have to worry about it showing through what you're wearing, and make sure the top is appropriate for the kind of dress you're wearing (strapless, halter, etc). Now, for the hourglass's LBD, I found this hot little number at right, available at Nordstrom. Yowza! This will give you that "all those curves and me with no brakes" look that we've touted before. The additional benefit of this dress is that it's revealing without making you look trampy. We really hate that.

Let's say you've got the straight sides body. I'm a bit jealous, because you can wear some of the slinkiest dresses and look fabulous, but the right dress can also add a little dimension to your body. Take our example at left - the well-defined empire waist will accentuate your top half, and the wispy bottom hem is feminine and alluring. What you need now is some sky-high stilettos and stunning gold jewelry, and you've got yourself a winner. No matter what dress you choose, though, the most essential accessory for the LBD is the chutzpah to pull it off. You need to strut like you're on the runway, and let your mantra be, "I don't look fat or slutty, I don't look fat or slutty..." The dress will catch his eye, but the confidence that pulls it off will be what keeps him staring all night long.