Black Dress With the Tights Underneath
The breath of a last cigarette on your teeth? In this economy?
Random thought: Carrie was always snuffing her cigarettes half-smoked on SATC, which I used to think was so extravagant of her, then I realized that a pack was like $5 max in the 90s. Anyway, as a lifelong vegetarian, this song deeply impacted my elementary school experience (I’m sure I dropped my first f-bomb singing along). I’m trying to borrow clothes to wear for NYFW, but my fallback is simply always going to black dress (like the Yang Li one I got for minor ducats) + colorful tights. The combination is easy but not lazy, sophisticated but not dour, and elegant without being fussy.
To put a finer point on it, friend of Esque Emma Connelly noted: “I think we are going to see tons of tights and funky leggings / leg warmers / socks especially in combos because EVERYONE IS BROKE and that’s the cheapest way to look fresh and creative.” I know that’s right, though tights are usually deployed in a more luxurious domain—see the cover of Vogue Netherlands I was lucky to get to work on as Dione Davis’ assistant:
I’m sure every Amsterdamian has been raiding the hosiery section this week—the stirrups over stockings look is a phenomenon. The way it looks slotted under the heel almost makes me want to try high heels again (If I did, they’d be extremely low—I tried these on at DSW and they were comfortable, though maybe look a little 8th grade geography teacher—like that’s ever stopped me before). Tucked under the folds of a black dress, it’s a failure-proof formula for a fall/winter outfit, especially if you stick to red, white, and black for a tinge of Twin Peaks. Below are some black dresses—both great deals and far-off dreams—that I’d wear this winter, with some tights/leggings below to boot. I’d wear all of these, ideally, with an aggro kitten heel, but as you all know, my feet are in a heinous no man’s land of my body that I try my best not to disturb.
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For dresses with fairly conservative cuts that get their bizarro factor from intense graphics, Moschino is the brand. I don’t know what all these buzzwords mean as a series—I feel like
But I like the investigation and storytelling they might provoke in a viewer, plus it looks really comfortable (all stretchy).
This intarsia knit is really crisp and cool-looking—I love when an outfit entails one single piece, plus shoes. It feels so developed and complex on its own (or with tights, of course!).
I feel like I’ve seen this weird sleeve thing before, maybe in current-day Helmut stock? It kind of makes me sick but I also kind of love it, and that’s always the sign of a good piece. Plus, it’s sub-$40.
You know I love Yang Li, and for people who want a statement dress that’s at the other end of the aesthetic spectrum countering Moschino, this dress’ simple triangle shape cut in sheer paneling does a surprising amount of work while remaining minimalist and could pass as both elevated and low-key.
This is one of the few dresses I’ve ever seen where the nude illusion panels don’t piss me off—maybe it’s just how the dress is photographed? I hate that they seem to have styled it with leggings—I know the whole point of this post is black dress + tights, but I need to see how this looks with briefs only because I’m a fashion pervert and I love weird lines.