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A LITTLE BLACK DRESS WORN FIVE DIFFERENT WAYS

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Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress with gold jewelry and tan Tory Burch flats

Way back in 2015, I decided to start this blog. It was a crazy idea, especially since I wasn’t sure what a blog was. But, with the encouragement of my sister, I just in with both left feet. My mission then is the same as it is today, to help women feel better about themselves through fashion, beauty, and faith. I wanted everyone to understand that age is an attitude, so we need to keep ours young.

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is standing in an office wearing a little black dress with gold jewelry and tan Tory Burch flats

But, I also wanted to show you that you can look beautiful, stylish, and modern, no matter your budget. I shop at a wide variety of retailers with lots of different price points. Heck, I’ve even shopped at a gas station, so never judge a store by their storefront. So, today’s post is like the one I did on Saturday. Saturday I showed you how to style one pair of pants 5 ways, and, today I am doing the same with one little black dress.

Little Black Dress

So, let’s start with the dress. This little black dress is a simple sheath dress that can be worn all year round. I wanted to pick something very versatile, lightweight enough for summer, but that could be worn under a jacket for fall and winter. Plus, I also wanted something budget-friendly, and this dress knocked it out of the ballpark.

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is showing the back of a little black dress and tan Tory Burch flats

The dress features a deep scoop neckline and flattering cap sleeves. This is a pullover dress, so no fiddling with zippers which can be an enormous pain if you don’t have someone to help you zip it up. I usually wear a size 12 in dresses, so I ordered a large, which is perfect, just a tad roomy, which is fine.

I forgot to mention my Tory Burch flats, which I’ve had for years, and my jewelry. I’ll link all of those below.

Tima Stud Earrings // Fallyn Cuff Bracelet // Natalie Hinged Bracelet // Jack Multi-Strand Necklace // 18Kt Gold Vermeil Cross Necklace // Tory Burch Flats //

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress, a palm print scarf, a Tory Burch handbag, and black pumps

Casual Look

Taking the black dress and adding a few accessories can change the whole look of the dress. I wanted to go with a casual look for the first outfit, and I wanted to make it easy and simple to replicate.

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress, a palm print scarf, and black pumps

Accessories are the easiest way to change the look of an outfit. I added this large palm leaf scarf that I bought from JJill several months ago (no longer available), a Tory Burch crossbody bag (no longer available), and a pair of black pumps. All of these items are things that I already owned, so they are not available online. But, I have found some similar items for you that would work just as well.

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress, a palm print scarf, a Tory Burch handbag, black sunglasses, and black pumps

The other thing that I added was a pair of sunglasses. These black sunglasses add some glam, but they aren’t expensive. I love it when you get the look, but not the expense.

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress, a double-breasted jacket, and black pumps

Work Outfit

Once again, simple changes are all it takes to change the look of your outfit. If it takes too many hoops to jump through, you won’t do it. So, I like to take a look you have already worn and know that it works and then change one or two little things.

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress, gold jewelry, and a double breasted blazer

I took the scarf off from the last look and added a double-breasted blazer to make this more of a business or work outfit. Even if you don’t work anymore, there is always a reason to have a nice polished-looking blazer for appointments and meetings. I hate when I have to go somewhere, and I need to look professional, and I struggle to find something to wear.

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is showing the back of a little black dress, a checked blazer, and black pumps

I chose a longer blazer for this look, and I like how it looks from the back. Later in this post, I’ll be sharing a short jacket, and I like that look also. So, you just need to choose what suits you and your personality. I’ll link to some blazers below.

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress, a animal print ruana, gold jewelry, black sunglasses,, and black pumps

Date Night

How many of us have a date night each week? Your date night might be a movie and popcorn on the couch, or it could be a date night with dinner eaten at the dining table. For Joe and I, we have started going out one night a week for dinner, usually Saturday night.

I look forward to that dinner so much, and we even share a dessert. I try to watch what I eat all week long to have a splurge meal and a glass of wine, at least one night a week.

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress, a animal print ruana, gold jewelry, and black pumps

Joe has said that he also looks forward to the night, even though he doesn’t like going out to eat. In the past, our date nights would look like me calling in food, him going and picking it up, and then we would eat at home. However, I told him that I wanted to go out so that I could dress up occasionally. I don’t know about you, but every once in a while, I like looking fancy! Lol!

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress, a animal print ruana, and gold jewelry

To go from a work outfit to a date outfit, I simply changed the completer piece. The blazer is beautiful, but it is way more polished and professional than I want to look on a date. If you work and plan on going out to eat later, all you have to do is throw a ruana/shawl/poncho into your bag and then do a quick change before you head out of the door.

The animal print ruana that I have on was a free with purchase from Chicos back last year. I didn’t even have to buy this, and it looks fantastic.

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Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress, an animal print ruana and gold jewelry,

Here is a close-up of the jewelry that I’ve been wearing.

Tima Stud Earrings // Fallyn Cuff Bracelet // Natalie Hinged Bracelet // Jack Multi-Strand Necklace // 18Kt Gold Vermeil Cross Necklace //

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress, a long gray cardigan, gold jewelry, and black suede ankle boots

Fall Outfit

I changed things up a little more with the fall outfit. I switched up the jewelry, added ankle boots, and threw on a long cardigan. Whew, I am exhausted! Lol! My point is, these were still simple changes that changed the entire look of the outfit.

The jewelry that I was previously wearing would have worked fine for this outfit, but I thought you might like to see something different. So, below is the links to all of the jewelry for this outfit.

18Kt Gold Vermeil Cross Necklace // AVI Large Hoop Earrings // Ryder Multi-Chain Necklace // David Yurman Loop Bracelet

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress, a long gray cardigan, and black suede ankle boots

I figured that you would want to see the length of the cardigan compared to the black dress. The cardigan is about 4 or 5 inches longer than the dress, which looks great to me. I have also worn a cardigan that is 4 or 5 inches shorter, and that looks great also, so don’t think that you have to have one or the other. Use what you’ve got and make it work for you.

Since it is fall, you know that it is time to bring out the ankle boots. There are times when I struggle to wear ankle boots with dresses, but I think that it looks good with this dress. I love this black suede pair with the cap toe in leather material. The contrast in materials adds a lot of interest, and that is a good thing. I first ordered this boot in tan suede, and I loved it so much that I also ordered it in black. The boots run TTS, and I am wearing my usual size 9.

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress, a long gray cardigan, and gold jewelry

The open-front cardigan is a great neutral gray. The material is soft and sleek, so it feels good against your skin. I want you to know that I ordered two other long cardigans, but they were scratchy, so even though I loved their color, they went back. If I showcase something on the blog, then you can believe that I liked the item. Otherwise, I never bothered to take photos of the item. I am wearing a large, but a medium would have worked also. I will usually size up if I am unsure because I would rather something be big on me instead of too tight.

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress, a black leather moto jacket, gold jewelry, black sunglasses, and black faux pearl studded ankle boots

Edgy Look

It is time for the last outfit, and it is an edgy look. Did you know that I was a Motorcycle Mamma? I have been riding motorcycles (trail bikes) since I was young, and Joe has had a motorcycle almost since we got married. He laughs that I will crawl on the back of a motorcycle, but I balk when he mentions flying. Lol!

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress, a black leather moto jacket, gold jewelry, sunglasses, and black faux pearl studded ankle boots

He says, “a motorcycle is only 5 feet away from a car/truck moving at 55+ miles an hour, so that is way more dangerous than being in an airplane.” I get his logic, and it is probably true, but I can’t shake the fear of airplanes. I will fly in them because they are a necessary evil in my book, but I don’t have to like them.

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress, a black leather moto jacket, gold jewelry from Kendra Scott, black sunglasses, and black faux pearl studded ankle boots

The first thing that I will talk about in this outfit is these CUTE, CUTE, CUTE embellished faux pearl Chelsea boots. I can’t wait to hear from those of you who LOVE these boots! These boots are cute, fashionable, comfortable, trending, and very modern looking. If you want to be any of those things, then these are the boots for you.

My granddaughter, Emersyn, has a faux leather jacket and a pair of very similar boots, except hers has rhinestones. We are going to do a photo shoot soon so that we can show our twinning style! I am wearing my usual size 9, so these run true to size. I’ll link to a couple more styles similar to the ones that I have on.


Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress, a black leather moto jacket, and gold jewelry

Look at how cute this leather biker jacket is! I missed out on a leather jacket last year because I kept ordering the wrong size, and then the jacket would be sold out before I could get a different size ordered. This year, I ordered THREE black leather jackets. One was more budget-friendly, one was slightly dressier, and one was more vintage and more like a motorcycle jacket.

I tried on all three jackets for Joe and then asked him which one he liked. This one was his choice because it looked more like a motorcycle jacket is supposed to look. He wasn’t worried about the fashion aspect; he wanted the vintage, authentic moto jacket look. I am wearing a large, so I can wear a sweater or turtleneck underneath it without feeling squeezed.

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress and showing the lining of a black leather moto jacket

This is what the lining looked like in the jacket. Doesn’t this look more vintage-inspired?

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress, a black leather moto jacket, black sunglasses, and black faux pearl studded ankle boots

The last thing that I added was the black sunglasses again. You know that you need dark shades if you wear a moto jacket and studded boots. Lol!!!

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress with cap sleeves, gold jewelry, and tan Tory Burch flats

So, now comes the decision time. Which is your favorite look? The plain Little Black Dress, or…..

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress, a scarf, and black high heels

The Casual Style for running around town and going to lunch, or….

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress, a double breasted checked blazer, and black high heels

The Work Outfit for times when you need to look polished and professional, or…

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress, a leopard print Ruana, and black high heels

The Date Night look for a reason to dress up and go out on the town, or…

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress, a long gray cardigan, and black ankle boots

The fall outfit for a casual, cool fall afternoon, or….

Over 40 Fashion Blogger, Tania Stephens, is wearing a little black dress, a black leather moto jacket, gold jewelry, black sunglasses, and black pearl studded ankle boots

The edgy motorcycle mamma look??? Whew, are you as tired as I am?

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37 Comments

  1. the high pump are rocking you to the roof what a great outfit darling mmm
    it’s fits you pretty perfectly well xoxo

  2. I love all these looks. I know you’ve probably mentioned in previous blogs but how tall are you? I’m fairly tall and I’m worried my height might make this super cute dress look too short on me. Tania, you truly inspire and give me some much needed confidence with your fashion and I’m so thankful I’ve found your blog.

    1. Jillian, I need to add my height and weight to my about me description. I am 5’6″ tall, and I weigh between 155-165 at any given time.

  3. All the looks are great but I like the polished professional look of the dress with the jacket. I love the Jack multi strand necklace also. I’ve been debating about getting that for a long time. Do the separate strands get tangled? I thought I read some reviews that it did. I like the fact you can reverse it.

    1. I love the Jack necklace. The only time that the streams get tangled is when I don’t hand it up. Even if that happens, I un clasp it and shake it out. It usually rights itself easily.

  4. Very nice! I like the casual look best.

  5. Where did you get the grey cardigan? I’m not good at all the computer direction

    1. Beth, it is from Nordstrom. Any time that you want to get the link for the item that I am wearing, you just click on the highlighted BOLD printed words. That will take you straight to the store.

  6. I love this kind of post! I like all the different looks… but the plain black dress is my favorite. I would wear silver jewery to match my silver hair. : )

  7. Awesome post! So helpful to visualize a basic being used in so many outfits. Thank you again for helping me consider things I wouldn’t have thought I would be interested in wearing. You help me not feel so boring.

  8. I can’t believe I’m saying this but I like the work look. That jacket just hangs so well on you. All the looks are great though.

  9. Ina Homer says:

    Hi Tania!
    I love all of them. But I think the best is the motorcycle jacket. I love that one… And I do ride a motorcycle myself at age 66. I love your posts. And I especially enjoy Sunday ones.

  10. Gina Luebke says:

    Love all of these looks and I actually have the pieces to put most of these looks together so yaaa:) what would you recommend for keeping your legs warm in the very cold months? Are tights still a thing? What about footless?
    Thanks 😊

  11. all great ways to get good use with styling a black dress. One item every woman needs to have hanging in her closet.

  12. I like all the looks, it is hard for me to pick. I was surprised how easy that seems to be to change up it up, yet I don’t do that. I feel inspired, thanks! As I think about it the look I like best is the one I think I would do and that is the cardigan one.

  13. I’m so glad you posted this here. The story reel went so fast I couldn’t get a good look. I don’t wear dresses, but I am thinking of ways to do this with a column of black using pants. Getting several looks from one base outfit is perfect for traveling.

  14. I like all the looks but my favorite is the casual look with the scarf simply because it looks great and so easy to style.

  15. krista rogers says:

    My version of a LBD is a LONG black dress. Can you do a post with a long one?

  16. I love them all but I’m partial to the date night look because I have an obsession with animal prints!

  17. I LOVE all the looks! The edgy biker look looks great on you! You look so confident. I would be out of my comfort zone. I would definitely wear the date night look.

  18. My favorite is the date night look

  19. I love all 5 of the looks but the Date Night, Fall & Work looks are the most my style😁 Love your daily posts & all your great tips… Thank you, Tania

  20. Love them all, but I think the Date Night outfit is my favorite!

  21. Great post and I can’t decide which look I prefer. Love, love, love those pearl studded boots!!!!

  22. There isn’t a look I don’t like but if I’d have to choose I’d pick the edgy look followed by the fall look.

    Thanks for providing options to a closet staple.

  23. Tania, I love ALL the looks.💚So inspiring!!

  24. I loved the date night look the best but they were all great!!! Thanks for showing us all the options!

    1. I’m glad that you enjoyed the post, even if it was really long!

  25. All the looks are super cute and functional. Please send the link for the gray sweater!

  26. Love all the looks,Tania!
    My favorite is the biker look. They all look great on you!

    1. Pat, I really liked that look too.

  27. Tania I think all 5 looks are great!!! I really like the leather jacket. The Date night look I think is my favorite though. You rock!!!

    1. Debrah, it is funny how much I liked the edgy/biker look.

  28. Susan McCannell says:

    The work outfit is my favorite look but I would add a red necklace and red shoes for a pop of color.

    1. Susan, I normally choose bright red heels with an outfit like this, but I wanted to repeat the jewelry and shoes as much as possible. I wanted to show that small changes, such as just a completer piece, can make a difference even if everything else is the same.