Tobi slip dress (also love this option), Everlane black leather pointed slide*, The Daily Edited leather pouch, Byredo Eau de Parfum in Mojave Ghost, Glossier Haloscope in Quartz, Chanel Rouge Allure in Coromandel (98), Essie Nail Polish in Good as Gold
When it comes to date night dressing, I like to take the same approach as I do for picking my outfits for the rest of the week; a signature look, which I’ll reach for, nine times out of ten. Because I try to put a huge emphasis on effortless (read: easy) dressing, I like to keep things easy with just a few key pieces that I know will work together and that I don’t have to think too much about. Given we’re planning to head out for drinks and dinner this Saturday night, I thought I would share my go-to essentials for an easy date night look.
A LITTLE BLACK DRESS
There’s nothing more timeless than a little black dress, and given my predisposition towards all things classic, it should come as no surprise that it’s typically my first pick for any special occasion – date night included. I have a few that I’ll reach for, like this relaxed backless version from Karen Walker which is still a favourite after more than three years, this sexy buckled beauty from Bec & Bridge which I wore while I was in Dallas, and I’m also drawn to anything slinky which skims over my figure in a really flattering way, like the above dress from Tobi. It’s one of those blank canvas pieces which you can build on, and I’ve found them to be one of the few dresses in my wardrobe which doesn’t have an expiry date. I especially love the sheer panel of chiffon which adds an unexpected twist, making what is an otherwise minimal slip dress, more of a statement piece.
A STRAPPY SANDAL OR A CHIC POINTED TOE FLAT
While I’ll usually reach for a simple black suede court shoe if I’m doing any kind of dressing up, I find that nothing quite complements an LBD like a black strappy sandal – I have a pair from Isabel Marant which I love because the ankle strap has a metal bar that wraps around the front of the foot. If I’m not up for wearing heels, I’ll opt for a dressy pair of flats, and my current pair of choice are these black leather pointed toe slides from Everlane. Like most of their leather shoes, these take a little bit of breaking in, but I think that they’re a really elegant take on the slide, and transition pretty well from day to night (I also love the ‘bone’ version!). If you’re planning on picking up a pair, go up half a size as I found that these fit on the smaller side (for reference I’m typically an EU40 and went for a US9.5).
A LEATHER POUCH
By day, I’m a crossbody girl through-and-through, but by night, I don’t think there’s anything more chic than a sleek leather clutch. I’ve been reaching a lot for this burgundy leather zip-up pouch from The Daily Edited – an incredibly thoughtful gift, monogrammed with my initials – which holds just the right amount; not too much and not too little. I love that in addition to an inner zip up compartment it has some card slots to pop your credit cards, which helps me to streamline the contents to my absolute essentials for a night out.
A RED LIP
The perfect accompaniment to any date night is undoubtedly a red lip – it’s bold, sexy, and just a little bit daring. I have a couple favourites that I tend to rely on; for an orange based red I’ll reach for either Tom Ford’s ‘wild ginger’ or ‘lady danger’ from MAC, and for a blue-based or more neutral red, I adore ‘love bite’ from Charlotte Tilbury or Chanel’s Rouge Allure Lipstick in ‘coromandel’. I’ve put quite a few red lipsticks to the test – from budget beauty to high end – and these four for me, are comfortable on the lips, have a creamy texture, and I know I can rely on them to last me through the night.
GET THAT GLOW
There’s no such thing as too much highlighter, especially when it comes to date night. I’ve been absolutely loving Glossier’s Haloscope (I picked mine up in ‘quartz’); it’s a little more subtle that my HG Tom Ford Shade & Illuminate, but it gives you a really fresh and dewy looking glow. I’m quite liberal with this as the result is always really natural – you don’t have to worry about going overboard with this one!
