A Tale Of Two Dresses

Posted Nov 20, 2006 by Sandy Hughes

Updated Nov 20, 2006 at 09:34 PM

We’ve all been there:  We need an outfit for a couple of special occasions, and have managed to find, not just The Perfect Dress, which is a miracle in itself, but two Perfect Dresses.  In the same day.

This was the situation with a young professional who had enlisted our help in shopping for the upcoming holiday season. 

A recent college graduate now living in Manhattan, our shopper still has one foot—and most of her heart—back at her Alma Mater, where she’s returning for a Fraternity/Sorority Holiday formal next month.  The other foot is planted firmly in the future and her new advertising job in The Big Apple, where she’ll be attending her first Office Christmas Party.  She needed something to wear for both events, and since her wallet is still more like a college student’s than a grownup’s, she wanted to be sure she was making a wise investment. 

Always willing to pitch in when shopping is involved, we agreed to look at the options and render our humble opinion.

The first finalist was this gorgeous Theory “Sanoma” silk dress.  It’s perfect for a formal dance, and tasteful enough for the dressy office party.  Its classic cut will stay current for years, it fits beautifully, and the claret-colored silk is to die for.  It’s the kind of princessy, She’s All That , slow-motion-with-soundtrack dress that no girl—regardless of her age—can easily resist.

But then we found this sassy Diane Von Furstenberg knit.  It, too, could work for a black tie event, as well as the office party.  It’s a little less proper than the Theory dress—the red is brighter and the drape is sexier—but it looks fabulous on, and it’s so comfortable you could sleep in it, not to mention dance until dawn.

So which did we choose? 

In the end, we both agreed that the Diane Von Furstenberg made the most sense, even though it was the more expensive of the two.  It’s still conservative enough for the office party, yet it can be dressed up or down so many ways that the CPW (cost per wear) would actually be much lower than the Theory dress.  We predicted that it would look as good with black boots and a fluffy cardigan (for a more casual night out) as it would with silver strappy heels and a fur stole.  (Note to future Sugar Daddies:  She needs a fur stole).  The sleeves can be gathered at the shoulders for a barer look, and the neckline is just made for a great piece of jewelry.  And because the dress is so simple, so many different kinds of jewelry would work—from a choker, to a pendant, to a brooch nestled right in the center of the bodice.  Even the candy-apple-red color is bright enough to go beyond the holidays, through Valentine’s Day, and, with the right shoes—maybe, say, some espadrille wedges—into the spring/resort season.  (By the way, did you notice the dress also comes in black?)
The Theory dress, on the other hand, was more Holiday-looking and limited to dressier events, and accessorizing it would have been much trickier.  Still, (sigh), we do love that Theory dress.  (Cue the “Kiss Me” song...)

Our shopper dreams of the day when she can just say “the heck with it” buy both.  But then, don’t we all?