There is a popularly held belief that if a lady wants to stand out at a formal event, she shouldn’t wear a black dress.
But truly, it doesn’t have to be that way. Black can be a girl’s best friend when it comes to any event, formal or otherwise.

Often when we wear a brightly colored or highly patterned dress to an event, especially red, we not only stand out, but it can look as if the dress is wearing us rather than the other way around. In addition, tailoring a dress that is bold enough to stand out is extremely important. There is very little wiggle room for error.

Admittedly, it is tempting to wear a colorful dress that will have maximum stand out effect, and if you have the style to pull it off, by all means do. Color can be very refreshing in the midst of a sea of black. But before you forego that sleek darker dress for a brighter more eye catching number, consider a black dress an opportunity to play up your best features and look slimmer while doing it.

At a recent formal event, I chose to wear a simple two-piece black formal skirt and blouse, very elegant and admittedly very understated.
But I also took the opportunity to play up my hair and on the suggestion of a friend, add a really bold piece of jewelry that ultimately called attention to my face.

Even I was not prepared for the number of compliments I received on what I believed to be a very simple ensemble, but actually ended up being at total, pulled together look.

There is no doubt, that worn right, color can be a wonderful thing, but sometimes, basic black can be even better.