The Black Wrap Dress

Diane von Furstenburg is said to have invented the wrap dress for a less than virginal motives: to get dressed the morning after without noisy zippers waking your lover. Despite its scandalous roots, the wrap dress is lovely – an investment piece every woman should have in her wardrobe, especially in classic black.

You can wear a black wrap dress around the house, to the office, or for a date night out; adjust for a few pounds gained or lost; and for all the breastfeeding  mamas out there, it’s nursing-friendly too.  But thankfully, this timeless black wrap dress will only cost as much as you’re willing to pay.  You can choose an original DVF for $325 (upper left). But you could also select a more moderately priced option, like the Gemma Wrap Dress from Banana Republic for $98 (upper right) or the Simply Vera by Vera Wang wrap dress at Kohl’s for $68 (lower right). Then again, you could choose the bargain option from Old Navy for only $35 (bottom left).

Upon first glance, the four dresses don’t look very different. It’s also interesting to note that the fabric in three of the four options above are quite similar – rayon. The Vera Wang at Kohl’s is the only polyester fabric in the mix. Whether rayon or polyester, make sure to pair this dress with a simple nylon slip to camouflage any little imperfections.