The perfect holiday party dress

Being a college student is kind of like being a rich poor person. Let me elaborate. We live under the expanding arm of our parents' money: they pay for school (usually), they pay for the apartment (usually), they pay sorority/fraternity dues (usually) and they send care packages. But to be honest, aside from that, most college students have little more than a positive balance. So when it comes time for the holidays, the only cash in our wallets comes from what we make in text book buy backs and it goes to buying gifts for friends in family, leaving us more strapped for cash than we could have ever imagined. This financial stitch makes it increasingly hard to find that perfect little ensemble for the many holiday parties that we may find ourselves invited to.

Enter the perfect holiday party dress:


It has an exciting silhouette, is black, has a jeweled neckline and is a family-friendly length hitting six inches or less above the knee (ok, so maybe more than six inches on me, being almost 6' and all). Plus a simple black cardigan pairs perfectly to keep you warm and cozy. This Shoshanna embellished dress can be found at Neiman's for $495. If I lived in Highland Park I would certainly snatch this up in an instant and insist that "with a dress like this all of the season's holiday parties would find me." I'd take it out with this Judith Leiber heart-shaped gold clutch, also found at Neiman's for $255 jsut for a little added zing.


In the spirit of reminiscing and updating my blog more often I plan on adding my take on the "editor's picks" I worked on everyday last summer at BlackBook. I will muse on things I love, can't afford, but wouldn't mind if they could grace my closet - even if for just a day.