Red Cocktail Dress

"The LRD - How to Wear a Red Dress"

Another essential for any woman is the red cocktail dress. It's not as important as the must-have LBD (little black dress), but it's nonetheless an indispensable piece. With a red evening dress, you'll feel sassy, bold, alive, beautiful and little bit of naughty ;-)

Red Cocktail Dress via Prom Girl

It gives you almost everything you need to feel and look right for the occasion. And did you also know that the color red has been scientifically proven to elevate your self-confidence? Yup, it's definitely a must-own look-effortlessly-hot item!

Unlike most dresses, the red evening dress with high heel black pumps is the ultimate show-stoppers for any occasion. So if you're bored with the black cocktail dress, then go for red!

How to Buy a Red Cocktail Dress

Select a dress style that flatters your body figure

The best length for a red dress is at the knee or shorter. It shows more of your legs and make you look taller and leaner. Calf-lengths are a bit tricky because they tend to overpower most body figures - not to mention that it tends to make petites look frumpy.

Unless you have an Apple body shape or an average-to-tall height, go for a shorter hem.

Also know what type of necklines and cuts will suit your body shape and select details that accentuate your best assets and conceal the ones you're self-conscious about. A V-neck is universally flattering - even on Pear body shapes.

Click here for tips on what fashion dresses flatter your body shape

Choose the right red color for your coloring

The right shade of red is crucial to looking your best in a red cocktail dress.

Blueish-red flatter cool skin tones (Winter and Summer, while yellow/orange colored reds suit warm skin tones (Autumn and Spring).

From left: Blue red, burgundy, clear red, true red

Warm reds on peach and yellow skin tones
From left: Tomato red, deep red, clear red (on light peachy skin tones)

Click here to discover your best colors

Opt for a versatile dress style

If you're on a budget and want to be able to wear the same dress multiple times for various occasions - then buy a red dress in a timeless style. Like for example a basic knee-length V-neck dress with short or three-quarter sleeves.

Securing a simple dress makes it easier for you to create various fashion looks with it! Use scarves, jewelry and shoes to reflect your personal style.

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How to Wear a Red Cocktail Dress

Cindy Crawford via wireimage

There are also several ways to accessorize this red-hot piece. However, I recommend you to go light on the extras as the color is already eye catching enough.

If you decide to go for the whole fashion look charade, try to imagine an outfit theme that you want to create with the dress. For example: Do you want to look glamorous? Classy? Bohemian?

Accessorize it for the occasion:

Fashion tip For example if you're attending a semi-formal event - go classy and minimal on the accessories. But you can turn up the heat when you're out clubbing by adding the extra sparkles and trendy shoes.

Complementary colors that go with red are:

Fashion tip Gold, black and silver. And they're excellent for adding interest and highlight the dress. With me, I always make sure that my jewelry is in solid metal. I might also throw in pearls or clear crystals to achieve a high-glam look.

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