Cheers Darling: It's Cocktail Hour...What Will You Wear?

"Five out of five men are said to look twice at any girl in a black dress."

-Elizabeth Hawes, Anything But Love

Recently, the nonprofit organization I am a member of, The Women's 20/30 Club, had an event called Cocktailing for a Cause...For the life of me, I couldn't decide what to wear...I combed my closet...flipped through all of my magazines...but, I really didn't want to buy something new...I knew I had something appropriate...but, I just wanted to ensure that no one else would be wearing what I had on...(bad, I know...)

I fortunately looked to the book, "The Cocktail Dress," which had exactly the inspiration I needed! Although people are always giving us new items to go for at cocktail parties...the signature item will always be the LBD. The dress that ladies like Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor and many others wore for an evening out. This book gives historic background on the fashionable cocktail dress which varies in styling through the decades...and, also has imagery for people like me that need a quick inspiration shot:)

I realize that a pair of shoes can dress up any plain jane look...or you can get a LBD with a little more pizazz like Marilyn Monroe with her style off the shoulder for a little sex appeal or Ann Milling in Christian Dior London's feather-trimmed organza dress which say anything but, basic. I went for the cut out on the back and a fabric that resembles leather but is actually linen with some type of sheen finish with a statement pair of shoes by Stuart Weitzman. Thoughts???:) What do you wear for cocktails???