Loving This Outfit: My Perfect Little Black Dress

Fashion magazines, stylists and bloggers all tout that every girl needs to own a LBD. Or, little black dress. Based on the versatile personal styles of girls everywhere, the only clothing item that I think every girl needs to own is underwear. But for the girly girls among us, a little black dress is definitely a good item to have in your closet.

A classic black dress works as a neutral base for the rest of your outfit. You can dress it up or down, and make it your own by pairing it with accessories that fit your style. Finding one that works for your body shape, one that makes you look and feel darn good every time you put it on, makes it a true, LBD. From there it’s up to you to add your own flair.

I scored this BCBG Max Azria dress at a garage sale for $2. Yes, a garage sale. (It was a lucky fashion day.) So far, I’ve worn it out for drinks and recently to a summer wedding.

[I’m all about girly dresses and this one has an added layer underneath the skirt that gives it a fun little poof. I also love the length of this dress. It hits just slightly below the knee, which makes it perfect for more formal occasions.]

[This locket (also featured in a previous post) adds a touch of vintage style to my outfit.]

[I’ve been looking for an excuse to wear these probably-impractical-but too-cute-to-pass-up sunshine yellow heels.]

[Big smile. It’s a good fashion day when I get to wear three of my favorite items in my wardrobe.]

For more fashion inspiration, follow me on Twitter @kirsten_hudson

Want to see more favorite outfits from everyday threads? Then check these out:

• This floral summer dress can transition easily between a summer and fall wardrobe.

Loving This Outfit: Floral Summer Dress

During the sticky summer months, when donning a pair of jeans almost certainly means fashion-induced heat exhaustion, I live in light, airy dresses. The almost-not-there feeling of flimsy dresses gets me through those days when even air conditioning can’t stop you from sweating.

Now that the season is shifting to fall (thank goodness!), you don’t have to pack away your lightweight dresses. They make great transitional pieces between summer and fall—for those odd days when Mother Nature can’t seem to make up her mind on the weather. Take the dress and add a pair of tights, fall boots, maybe a tank top underneath for added warmth and a cardigan, and you’re set for that cool-ish, but not chilly autumn weather.

During the summer, I paired this soft floral-patterned dress from PacSun with a brown woven belt found at a thrift store, a vintage golden necklace and cutout white flats from Target. Stay tuned for my autumn-inspired outfit using the same dress.

[Short, lightweight dresses are my summer favorites.]

[The rustic quality of this woven belt complements the delicate floral pattern of the dress.]

[Fueling my vintage-everything obsession, I bought this vintage necklace at a flea market for $4!]

[Take that 100 degree-plus temperatures. This outfit shows you can look cute and stay cool during the dog days of summer.]

[Speaking of dogs…my dog, Andi, wanted to take part in the “photo shoot.” She’s wearing a lovely light pink harness that complements her tan undertones.]

What do you think of my outfit? What’s your favorite summer attire? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section.

For more fashion inspiration, follow me on Twitter @kirsten_hudson

Want to see more favorite outfits from everyday threads? Then check these out:

• Find out why this dress is everyday threads’ perfect little black dress.

What I’m Obsessing Over Right Now: Braided Woven Belts

Woven belts aren’t exactly a new fashion phenomenon, but for some reason I keep wanting to add them to every outfit I pull on.

I didn’t have any in my wardrobe until recently. During a browse through American Eagle, I spotted several brown woven belts that were in exactly the style I had been dreaming about. The store also displayed an adorable super skinny white one that I loved. Despite intricate plans in my mind about everything I could wear them with, my budget-conscious just wouldn’t allow me to spend $20-$30 on one belt.

But I had to fuel my bordering-on-crazy belt obsession. After perusing two thrift stores, I came home with three braided woven belts—all for less than $5. Fashion score!

[So far I’ve worn that skinny red number to liven up a simple black dress. I also belted it around a blue tunic shirt to add a pop of unexpected color.]

[Cinch a woven belt around a flowy shirt to define your waist.]

[My new collection of braided woven belts includes a skinny bright red belt, a distressed braided brown belt and a medium-sized hunter green linked belt.]

[I love the rustic quality of these belts, especially the brown one. Buying vintage means items will already look worn in and distressed—qualities that clothing companies often attempt to mimic.]

Photos by Kirsten Hudson

For more fashion inspiration, follow me on Twitter @kirsten_hudson

Do you love vintage? Then check out other vintage fashion finds from everyday threads:

• Learn how to combine vintage and modern pieces in your wardrobe.
• These menswear-inspired tuxedo pumps were found at a local Salvation Army. Guess how much they cost?
• Discover how vintage scarves can look oh-so modern.

Update: Thrift Store Find: Vintage Selby Tuxedo Pumps

In January I wrote a post in my thrift store find series about scoring vintage tuxedo pumps at the Salvation Army for the budget-friendly price of $1.

I wanted to wear the vintage shoes immediately, but didn’t have the chance. As classic menswear-inspired shoes I wanted to wear them with business casual clothes, not my everyday jeans.

After receiving an internship opportunity in February, I finally got the chance to wear them in an office setting. Here’s my look from today:

[I finally wore my vintage Selby tuxedo pumps to the office. Photo by Kara Hudson.]

My outfit isn’t particularly exciting for a fashion blogger, but I love to pair simple clothes with statement shoes. The stretchy top and basic dress pants were super comfy and the two inch heels on these shoes were perfectly manageable at the office.

For more fashion inspiration, follow me on Twitter @kirsten_hudson

Do you love vintage? Then check out other vintage finds from everyday threads:

• Learn how to combine vintage and modern pieces in your wardrobe.
• These ’80s suede and leather ankle boots look adorable with skinny jeans.
• Discover how vintage scarves can look oh-so modern.