Black Dresses for the Office With a Twist and Colourful Accessories

A little black dress will always be a classic corporate style outfit option. It gives you the opportunity to experiment with bright and colourful accessories without worrying about clashing with colours in your outfit.

While they are a classic, you can always pick a little black dress with a twist for something different from the standard black. Both of the dresses I'm wearing below have just a little bit extra. They are still as easy to wear as a plain black dress, but they each have a little extra.



First, what I bought in October. It's 'buy nothing new month' here but as per usual I didn't quite stick to it. I bought a heap of Christmas presents in the Shopbop sale, and was on track to buy nothing other than a $2 bag at the local opshop "fill a bag for $2" sale. Then I saw this dress on a blog and just had to buy it. It arrived at the end of last week so I've only worn it once, not quite meeting my 'wear it twice in the month you buy it' rule. I then bought a blazer second hand off facebook which only arrived today, so that's not even been worn once this month.

I did well in the fill a bag for $2 sale, buying a couple bags with clothes for me and for the boys. Most of what I bought needs tailored though, with the exception of the black tee I bought to replace the one I had to retire recently. Hoping everything I bought turns out to be a keeper, especially the pieces I haven't been able to wear yet.


What I bought In October:

• Zaful floral print ruffle hem dress in ginger (worn here)
• Jeanswest grey jersey 3/4 sleeve blazer
• Thrifted pastel pink cotton shorts
• Thrifted tribal print maxi skirt
• Thrifted mix apparel black space dye tee

What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 
Necklace: Starfish Project Hannah turquoise bead necklace
Dress: Jeanswest 'Gisele' contrast lace dress
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs black logo plaque ballet flats
Bag: Balenciaga raisin purple 2009 giant silver G21 hardware work bag

Why I wore it:

This little black lace dress is one of the oldies in my wardrobe! I've worn it for nights out but it works perfectly for the office too with the modest neckline and just above the knee length. I even wore it while pregnant with both my boys, the elastic empire waist was very flattering over a baby bump. Made it the perfect outfit for another #motherhoodAndPregnancyStyle side by side photo.

I knew that the purple bag would work brilliantly with the black dress, but I also wanted to wear the colourful turquoise necklace. I'd usually try to coordinate or match my accessories, but I've been having a bit of fun trying different colours together and the turquoise necklace and purple Balenciaga bag worked nicely last time I wore them together too. I really liked this outfit. Perfect for a busy day at work.

The trench coat was probably a bit much though - it was a really warm morning and I regretted not picking a lighter jacket!


Last worn: camel trench, black lace dress, Marc Jacobs ballet flats, purple Balenciaga work bag.

Other ways to wear: camel trench and burgundy pants, black lace dress for a night out, Marc Jacobs ballet flats and skinny jeans, purple Balenciaga work bag and pink pencil skirt.

Perfect for pregnancy: camel trench and first trimester, lace dress in third trimester.

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Statement Beaded Necklaces from Starfish Project Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Monica Mac coat in Indigo
Necklace: Starfish Project Veronica short yellow multi strand necklace
Dress: black and white knit dress from my Grandma's wardrobe
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Balenciaga raisin purple 2009 giant silver G21 hardware work bag

Why I wore it:

First time I wore this dress I tried a bit of print mixing with a leopard print scarf and wasn't quite sure on the outfit so this time around I went with a simple statement necklace again. The same outfit formula as the outfit above, but it looks different as instead of a lace dress, it's a black knit one with a print on the skirt.

This is one of those outfits where how I felt turned out to be different from how the outfit looked. I loved the dress and ankle boots together. I'm petite so midi lengths like this are usually more flattering with a heel, but I decided to try with these flat boots anyway. I thought it was definitely a winner, then I added my navy MAC jacket for the cooler morning commute to work and I wasn't sure if it was the right length with the dress. I figured it didn't look that bad. Looking at the photos afterwards I realised it really doesn't look the best. While I was comfortable and happy in this with the jacket hanging on my chair at work, I think this all together would have looked better if I'd picked a different jacket that morning.


Last worn: navy macintosh, black knit dress, black ankle boots, Balenciaga work bag (above).

Other ways to wear: navy macintosh and pencil skirt, black knit dress and leopard print scarf, black ankle boots and maxi dress, purple Balenciaga work bag and blue dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: ankle boots and pregnancy announcement.

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Little Black Dresses for the Office Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

A little black dress for the office is a corporate wardrobe staple. You can get so many cute ones with different textures like lace, or even a bit of a print. A black dress is a great outfit base to allow you to add on some brightly coloured accessories.

Accessories are also a good way to change up the look or your favourite little black dress and make it feel new each time with different colours or accessory styles.


Linking up with On Monday We Link Up, Turning Heads, Confident Twosday, Wardrobe Wednesday.

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