How to Choose an Evening Dress That Will Last a Decade

Just received an invite to a cocktail party next month What is a good dress style for me that would be timeless and look gorgeous? I need an idea on the best style that will last a decade but I could dress down for dinner too. Otherwise, I just won’t get the wear out of it! Karyn

Many of us don’t have a ‘cocktail dress lifestyle’ one where we’re always out in the evening and need to dress up to the nines, so for us, a cocktail dress is a big investment without great cost-per-wear. Ideally, if it can last 10 years, we’ll get value from it so how do you choose such a dress?

Choosing a Cocktail Dress by imogenl featuring body con dresses

1. Make it simple in construction, the more detail the harder it is to change the look of the dress
2. Avoid trend based looks such as peplums which will date the dress
3. Keep it in a great dark colour, black will limit you from weddings, ideally a dark color that suits your complexion and brings out the color of your eyes will take you anywhere
4. Make sure it suits your body shape and proportions
5. Avoid fabrics that are super shiny or sparkly if you want to be able to dress it down
6. Make sure it’s well constructed and looks expensive (even if it isn’t)

Styling Your Cocktail Dress by imogenl featuring skimmer shoes

You can see by changing the color of your shoes, the style from flat to heels, the sheen of your accessories and the fabrics, from a knit cardigan to a structured jacket to a silk wrap you can change a simple dress and adapt it easily to many different occasions.