The End-All Little Black Dress

One of my favorite items in my closetis a banded gunmetal silk shift with an exposed zipper on the back byBebe. It looks very fancy and French, and I love the look of surpriseon people's faces when I tell them it's quite the opposite. Just now onBebe's site I spotted this black silk dress, which might be my nextpurchase. It's as sleek and versatile as the one I've got, with cooldetails—the criss-cross layered panel on the front, fluttery bits onthe shoulders—that set it apart from the sea of black cocktail dressesout there. I also think it looks way more expensive than its $139price tag. I even like what the model has going on in this photo, accentuatinghers with smudgy eyeliner, tousled hair, and a simple gold cuff.