How To Use 1 Black Dress In 4 Ways

NEW YORK (CBS 2) – With the holiday season comes great holiday parties. But many are left wondering what to wear.

The answer, though, can be a lot simpler than many imagine, CBS 2's Kristine Johnson reports. It can be as easy as just one little black dress that can take you from party to party.

"Nobody has the time or the money to shop for a variety of different dresses for a variety of different occasions and we came up with the perfect solution at Life and Style Weekly," said Dawn Yanek.

For example, take a simple black dress. The classic can be worn four different ways.

"You do not need to be a stylist to pull this off. This is so incredibly simple," Yanek said.

If you're headed to a casual family gathering, you can try a classic cowl sweater over the dress and pull it together with a belt and some embellished flats.

"The great thing about all these pieces is that they have life beyond this outfit. These are things that you can wear again and again," Yanek said.

For a second option, you can add glittery accessories that can make a great new look for a New Year's celebration.

"One of the best ways to glam up a basic black dress is to add sparkle. New Year's Eve is the most glam night of the year and you have free rein to go over the top with lux pieces whether you're celebrating the holidays at the Chandelier Room or at some swanky party with your friends," Yanek said.

You can find a sparkly jacket for less than a $100 and the shoes for less than $70.

For a third option, you can dress for the office party.

"The office party is always the tricky party because you want to look fabulous, but you also still have to be appropriate," Yanek said.

At the office party, you can pair a basic black dress with a more conservative but still sparkling cardigan. You can also keep the holiday glamour going with a glittery bag and shoes.

If you want to take center stage at the cocktail party, let a black dress become a festive backdrop. For the fourth option, all you need is the dress.

"It morphs into a variety of different looks and really people will just think that you're wearing a super flattering dress, not that you also wore it to that other party last week," Yanek said.