So, you say, I never go to parties or have formal events...so why on earth would I want to spend the money on a LBD? (A valid question, by the way.)

It's all in the application.
A girl could have a closet chock-full of the most trendy clothes, but it wouldn't do a bit of good unless you know when to wear what, and what to wear when.

a black dress has countless applications, even if there's no Prince around to take you to parties. It can be dressed up with heels or down with flats or flat sandals, worn with a casual sweater and belt to make it a little less formal, or go all out with a sequined shrug for a fancy occasion.

Scenario #1:
Christmas Eve service at church.
Wear with opaque (solid colored) black tights, heels, and a red cardigain.

Scenario #2:
A summer wedding
Wear with either flat sandals or heels, (depending on the formality and timing of the wedding) and sparkly earrings.

Scenario#3:
Great Aunt Hilda's funeral
wear your LBD with sheer skin-colored hose, heels, and a string of pearls--in the winter, wear a gray cardigan so you don't freeze to death.

Scenario #4:
A Birthday dinner
Wear some fun jewelry--something sparkly that will catch the soft lighting in a restraunt. Put your hair up so it dosen't fall in your food (an embarrassing predicament, trust me) and the pretty earrings can be seen.

Be creative and don't be afraid to try things!!

10 top wardrobe essentials. Gathered from various books, experts, and mothers.

1. LBD. a timeless, knee length Little Black Dress (not too little) always looks classy with a wide--not deep--neckline.

2. Denim: dark washed bootcut jeans. Rule: they need to hit 1/2" from the floor. Any higher, and you're looking like a sailor out of place. Any lower, and you'll look like you're wearing mops on your feet.

OR, if you're an ultra girly girl, a slim skirt. I must issue a caution: be careful when choosing a skirt. When I was 15 and 16 I had this skirt that my parents hated. They called it my Bathroom Cleaning skirt. But I loved it. I was so proud of my new floor length denim Gap skirt with a distressed hem, the fruit of one of my first forays into the world of fashion. I must say, I did get tons of compliments. But one day, after about two years of constant wear, I looked at the tattered hemline and decided it was time to say goodbye. It was rather sloppy looking, I told myself. Now I shudder at the thought of that bell shaped piece of dowdiness. Ugh!

Floor length skirts like this one can tend to look sloppy on us girls who are not endowed with the proportions of a goddess.

a slim skirt, either knee length or calf length, as shown below, is flattering to almost any figure...and work well with almost any type of shoe, whether it be a summery sandal, a stiletto heel (be careful with the length, though, ladies...keep those pearls!) or ballet flats.

www.bodenusa.com

3. Crisp white shirt. Button downs, short or long-sleeve, always look so sharp and hide multitudes of figure sins.

4. Trench coat. So classy, so Audrey Hepburn! This should be considered an investment.

5. Ballet flats. Pointy-toed are my favorite this fall because they give the illusion of a heel and they go with absolutely everything. Payless sells something similar to this look:

Unless, like a friend of mine, (you know who you are!) you can't stand pointy toes. Then, go for a pair with jewels or flowers or some embellishment on the toe.

6. Black heels to wear with your LBD, or dress up your slim denim skirt or jeans. No more than 3" tall...sometimes it's just not worth entertaining the passerby on the street with your, um, undignified decent to the ground.

7. A soft, pretty, button-down cardigan in your favorite color. that is, as long as your favorite color isn't bright orange or lime green. Pick classic colors, like charcoal gray, black, burgundy, or

8. Black or Gray pencil skirt. Goes with everything, look so feminine, can wear for almost any occasion.

9. My mom's favorite--red lipstick. I find red intimidating, actually, so I like a tinted gloss I bought from Bath & Body works on sale for $2.

10. A string of pearls. Fake, if you happen to have younger sisters or, like me, you tend to lose your bling.

If you, like most girls under 40, happen to have limited funds, take heart! Well-fitting denim can be bought at Old Navy for $20, a white shirt for $10 at Target, and Payless has lots of cute shoe and bag styles for $15 and under. Target even sometimes carries adorable dresses...and they almost always go on sale because nobody buys dresses anymore. Last fall I bought a knee length black dress for $10. Happy shopping!