Shawl or clutch : adding style to your evening dress

What could be more feminine, elegant and stylish than a beautiful evening dress ?

You’ve managed to find the ideal dress, whether for formal events (weddings, christenings…) or more casual evenings (cocktails, restaurants…). It’s tailored to your body shape, and you’ll look radiant when you slip it on.

It’s perfect, and self-sufficient… in theory! But in practice, a few well-chosen accessories will help you add style to your evening dress, depending on your mood and the circumstances.

The clutch bag

This is an essential accessory, if only for its practicality (for storing your smartphone, keys, make-up, etc.). But it’s all about style, and if you want to be the most elegant dresser of the evening, you’ll need a clutch:

• Matches your dress
• Small in size
• Made from quality materials

Forget that big tote handbag you picked up at a market in Lisbon: it’s cute, it’s practical, but it doesn’t match your evening dress at all!

The shawl

A silk scarf or shawl for an evening dress is an accessory that can make all the difference. Not only does it add a touch of elegance and refinement to your evening dress, but it’s also very useful for covering your shoulders in case of a chilly breeze.

As with the clutch, your silk shawl should be elegant and of excellent quality. But you can give yourself a little more freedom in the choice of colours, to refine your style.

From Ingrid Bergman and Liz Taylor to Jennifer Lawrence and Scarlett Johansson, the most beautiful women in the world accessorise their evening dresses with a silk scarf. Do the same!

elizabetta chale soie pochette bag kodd magazine mode fashion

The coat

An evening dress is not designed to be worn with a coat, but a coat is often necessary to get to and from the reception venue.

There’s no need to attach too much importance to your coat, but to avoid ruining all your efforts because of a bad first impression, here are a few mistakes to avoid:

• No down jackets or other ski jackets, even in winter. They’re warm and comfortable, but not at all suitable for such an occasion.
• Don’t wear a coat shorter than your dress. It makes your dress look bad, and your legs will get cold.

In the end, a long, simple and elegant trench coat is probably your best ally.

The shoes

Of course, we haven’t forgotten shoes! But can we still talk about accessories when it comes to something as important as evening shoes?

Flat sandals are rarely a good idea for an evening dress, except in the case of an informal cocktail party at the beach bar during your holidays, or a simple aperitif on the terrace with your friends… In fact, with an evening dress, shoes with heels are recommended!

However, there’s no need to break out your 10 cm stilettos, especially if you’re not necessarily used to wearing them for hours on end… Chunky heels, just a few centimetres high, are usually more than enough for you to radiate elegance and comfort!

Now you can go and rummage through your wardrobe to find those perfect accessories to add style to your dress. There’s no doubt that you’ll be the most elegant tonight!