No matter your age, no matter your shape…a little black dress (LBD) is a great investment. And while I own several that were an investment, one of my favorites is this very simple, very plain one I picked up at Goodwill for $1.99. One of the reasons I like a plain dress is because you can do so many things with it and by accessorizing it in different ways, it doesn’t look the same. And people won’t remember quite as much when you wear it more than once. I went to Goodwill last week and was able to find over 20 (for under $10) dresses in sizes 2 to 22 that had a similar cut and style as the one I found a couple of years ago. And while spending a $1.99 for a dress I can and have worn to black-tie events is fabulous, look at all the other ways you can wear a style like this.
I wore this to the Black & White Ball at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center….this could be worn to any cocktail type event.
I have two pearl necklaces on with this dress. Once strand was a gift from my husband and the longer one that I looped twice was a gift from my girlfriend Sarah. I found this pearl bracelet at Target for $7.00 (they had a really pretty long pearl necklace too for $9.00). My shoes are from White House Black Market that I bought about 8 years ago and my earrings were found at a garage sale for $1.00.
This is perfect for dinner downtown on a date night. And you can mix prints and colors when you have something basic like this. My fabulous belt was a gift from my sister-in-law Christine (it came from White House Black Market) and I wear it all the time! My shoes are Steve Madden that my husband bought for me 4 years ago (he plays Fantasy Football every year and buys me a pair of shoes with his winnings for being a “football widow”). I bought this necklace about 15 years ago at a store my mom and I use to shop at for $10 and my earrings were part of a gift Sarah gave me when I was her matron of honor—by the way, I did introduce her to her husband! (You’re welcome). And my purse was found at Hobby Lobby about 8 years ago on clearance for $1.99…
This would look great on any sunny day picnic, beach, or shopping and lunch with your friends. I love this! I bought the hat and sandals at K-Mart back in the summer when I did a post on K-Mart accessories. My purse, bracelets and one of the necklaces (the one with pink beads) were all bought at Goodwill for $2.99 each. The longer blue and brown necklace was bought at Gordman’s on clearance and my sunglasses….found at the Dollar Tree for $1.00…..this entire look is relaxed but stylish and still very cheap.
From the beach to winter! I like to put sweaters over sleeveless summer dresses to make them wearable year-long. This sweater was 99 cents at Goodwill…I also got my earrings and bracelet there (both $2.99). I paid $29.99 for these boots a couple of years ago at Gordman’s and I wear them pretty much all winter long. They are super comfy and can be worn with jeans, skirts or a LBD! My scarf was a birthday gift from and old neighbor/friend many years ago and the hat….I simply can’t remember the name of the store but I found it in Manitou Springs last year.
This look is professional enough for any office…I found this blazer at Target a couple of years ago on clearance for less than $10 and I got my belt at Goodwill for $1.99. A skinny belt (or wide) is a great way to emphasize your waist. I’ve had my boots for about 15 years and my necklace was won at a silent auction from a wine festival a couple of years ago. My watch actually was bought at Walgreens for $7.99 and my splurge was the purse….Beijo (more than $50 but less than $75)…and still looks as good as the day I bought it (about 4 years ago).
I actually wore this to the Broadmoor’s Escoffier dinner a couple of years ago and have repeated this same look on a couple of other occasions. This is perfect for any black-tie event and it’s a $1.99 dress! The shoes and pin came from White House Black Market (I use to shop there when I wasn’t thinking budget but it’s all still in style and both of these items were purchased around 8 years ago so they were worth the investment). The earrings were worn during my friend’s wedding (they were another gift Sarah gave me) and my bracelet was found at a garage sale for $5.00 and my beaded bag came from Goodwill for a whopping $2.99 (I got it half off the day I shopped).
A $1.99 dress bought at Goodwill that can be worn at the beach or a black-tie event with a few changes of accessories. What a deal! Now I know that you can’t find the exact items I used in the pictures because a lot of them are older but you can use the ideas to create something you like and would wear. Look around you closet and see what you already own and then see how you can use your accessories to change up something you already own. You might be surprised.
I have to thank my hubby for taking these pictures on his birthday while football was on! I was in a time crunch for this post and he accommodated me without any grumbling! Thanks honey!
Fabulous!
Thanks Teresa…Love being able to stretch a wardrobe…and everyone can do this.
Love all the looks. Yes, everybody needs an LBD (or 2, 3,4,5). Precious blessings!
Thanks for the encouragement. I do shop at Goodwill or other thrift stores, but your webpage helped me say I need to pull some things together with accessories to mix and match. I was just in Chicago and the weather got colder than the coat I had planned to wear, so I went to a thrift store and found a nice 3/4 length winter coat for $8. I chose to get different buttons and actually my daughter had 4, just what I needed in her sewing box. I sewed them on along with both pockets that had one side ripped away from the inside of the coat. That in itself is the miracle. I felt so proud of my sewing and my nice warm bargain. Plus I had left a red coat in a movie theater a few years ago, and this one will replace it perfectly!
Love the idea of changing out the buttons! AND the fact you found a winter coat for $8.00….Thanks!
I love this article! I never realized I could do so many things with my LBD. Here in Dallas we have many places to go to shop for thrift store bargains however I find that a majority of the ones I am going to do not have a great selection of clothes and accessories. Should I be hitting thrift stores in upscale neighborhoods? Have you found a trend of clothing styles based on the location of the store?
Hey Rikki…thanks! I do find different looks at the different stores. One of our Goodwill locations seems to carry more “party” dresses, and another one seems to have more denim. I have a friend who visited one of the Denver locations (in an upscale neighborhood) and she found lots of designer labels, all in excellent condition. I do have to say, I love a dress that can be worn to a party or the beach!