#HERSSENTIALS: The Basic Black Dress

American Apparel U-Neck dress |Vintage Moto jacket| Stuart Weitzman sandals | Chanel backpack | Wendy Brandes stud 

It’s Happy Hump Day Round 2! Look what I found in my closet: a basic black dress!! If I don’t have one, it’s because I was dumb not to invest in one. Everyone else, you and your mother says that you need to have a black dress. Yeah, so do I. I have to admit that I may sound kinda basic when I say this, but honestly, I have to come clean at the fact that I got 5% of basic in me. Speaking of basic, I have more than one white tee in different cuts along with some naked sandals in black and nude. Chokers and skinny jeans count, too. But when it comes to black dresses, there are endless options. If there is one black dress I am willing to pull out, it’s American Apparel’s U-Neck dress.

As the king of thotty casual/Instagram girl chic, American Apparel started the trend by putting out basics in the sexiest silhouettes that you could never imagine. You named it: disco leggings, micromini tube dresses, nipple-baring mesh bodysuits, etc. How in the world could I not let *that* Lauren Phoenix ad pass me!? If you were wondering why all the clothes at American Apparel were basic, yet slutty, you needed to ask Dov Charney.

Speaking of this dress, it wasn’t just something that I simply stumbled upon an American Apparel store in NYC 6 years ago. Seven summers ago, I was doing summer courses at FIT and a classmate, who was a model, wore a black cotton minidress. Although she was tall, the dress literally stopped in the middle of her thighs. A year later, I decided to buy the EXACT same dress at American Apparel. Now I saw why she bought it: it stopped at the right length, the material was comfortable and on the days when I needed to put away my bra, there was excellent ventilation at the back. Should I not forget to mention that it gave me a BUTT?! Six years later, I still have the dress and thankfully, I never donated it to a Goodwill near me.

Here are some ways you can rock the basic black dress:

A) All Black Leather

Who else cannot resist the idea of wearing black leather from head to toe?! For me, I dig a good black cropped leather jacket, quilted backpack and suede naked sandals. It’s so classy, but it’s got that GNO feel to it. It will also fly well for that post-work cocktail, too. Cheers, girl!

B) The Kimono

Vintage kimono | Catbird stud 

It’s official: I literally cannot part myself away from wearing a kimono. Turn up your hump day by rocking that flowy robe. When you get that pre-period bloat, the kimono hides your belly from popping up. Even if you are currently pregnant with your food baby, it also covers you up nicely without feeling terribly self-conscious.

C) The Denim Jacket

Nobody asked me if this jacket was really mine. A friend lent her jacket to me and I have to say that it looked fantastic! Simply put, you CANNOT refuse a denim jacket when you’re feeling cold – especially in those cold NYC summer nights. Regardless of whether you have a work day, you can crunch in your favorite denim jacket and rock it with flats! Then, switch it up to your favorite naked heels.

Varinaders, how do you style a basic black dress? I cannot wait to hear your thoughts!