Black Velvet

I wore my little knitted dress to a party last night with black opaque tights – an item in a girl’s closet that is as simple as it is essential. The great thing about opaque tights in general is that, even when you wear them with a mini-dress or skirt, the tights complete the outfit in a way that visually neutralizes the impression produced by the “oh-so-short” mini. By covering the flesh of the legs, they produce the aesthetic effect of reducing vulnerability created by their exposure. The skin-tight fit complements the shape of the legs without giving everything away. However, when buying tights, it is very important that they fit you properly because the feeling of them constantly sliding down is not just annoying but incredibly unsexy. It makes you feel like a seven-year-old girl with a puffy jacket hanging over on one side, backpack on the other, and chocolate ice-cream on your face.

As we were driving to the party last night, I say a girl standing at the bus-stop in a short skirt with bare legs. Considering that it felt like -10, not only did this unnecessary sacrifice look unappealing but thoroughly disturbing. I mean, I understand that it’s Friday night and of course you want to look nice, but you wouldn’t want to evoke pity as the dominant emotion from those looking at you. It’s not healthy or attractive to be putting that much on the line – it’s sort of a lose-lose.

For comparison. I’ve included pictures of me wearing the same dress (about a year ago) with a different necklace – the Swarovski long Chill Scarf necklace (as seen in Opera).

What I’m wearing:

• Knitted dress by “Marciano”
• Velvet jacket by “Marciano” (comes with a velvet belt with a gold snake buckle that I removed for this look)
• Necklace from the South of France Collection by “Karen McClintock” (3 Strand Green Chalcedony, Abalone, Pearl, Swarovski Crystal Sterling Necklace)
• Chunky blue crystal ring (as seen in Opera)
• Tights by “Holt Renfrew” (as seen in Cashmere Dresses, Dec. 3, Nov. 26, Sequin Dresses )
• Boots by “Sergio Rossi” (alternating diamond-shaped pieces in suede, velvet, and fur, which are outlined in breads)