Daisy Dumas July 30, 2012
Red alert ... Kate Bosworth shows the LBD who's boss.
Could the little red dress be showing the little black dress a thing or two about flirtiness?
There's a time and a place for a red dress and, at the moment, that seems to be all the time, everywhere.
From the red carpet and catwalks to every date known to mankind, a killer dress is every girl's best friend - and as we keep spotting, what could be better than a flattering cut, high hemline and a blast of red-hot colour?
Red dresses need to be worn rather than wearing you - look no further than French actress Clemence Poesy who hardens her girly take on the trend by combining it with a studded black clutch, or English actress Catherine Tyldesley who counteracts her exposed décolletage and curves with a sober knee-length hem and black accessories.
Little black dresses will never die, but little red dresses up the ante on the wardrobe classic - sexier, flirtier and heavy on statement, a little red dress is the mischievous younger sister of the chic LBD.
As with most flammable objects, approach with caution - low cleavage, high hemline and vertiginous heels can be too, too much of a good thing. Enter exhibit A, Britney Spears who misses her target by dismissing the 'less is more' adage.
Instead, choose a demure neckline if opting for a more revealing minidress style and pick an understated shoe, à la Michelle Williams, who nails the LRD as well as her on-trend pixie haircut.
Go easy on accessories and make-up - the LRD has glamour all wrapped up.
And, as Chris de Burgh well knows, sizzling comes as standard.