essential piece

tim gunn lists the basic black dress as one of his 10 essential elements in any wardrobe, and i trust tim gunn on anything fashion.

my basic black dress is this A.L.C turtleneck dress in black which i found at the barney's warehouse sale:

it is slinky for sure, but still demure courtesy of the high neck and extra long sleeves.  this dress works like a dream for my work social events, and it is pajama comfortable!  i usually top it off with bold statement necklace and/or a blazer.  i wore the dress with a very old dolce and gabbana wool blazer for an event this past sunday.  the combination of sleeves and wool kept me warm enough to forgo tights.

ALC pricing is pretty steep, and most pieces cost around $300-400 retail.  but if you dig around, you can usually find quite a few items on sale at shopbop and barneys.