How Tory Styles the Narie Dress for Work, Weekend & Night

February 24, 2014

Today’s installment of our 1 Dress, 3 Ways series features Tory Hoen, MM.LaFleur’s Editor-in-Chief. Here’s how she styles the Narie Dress for work, weekend, and night at her favorite Brooklyn hangouts.

So Tory, how would you describe your style?

I guess I’m a minimalist. I like to look streamlined and not overdone, but occasionally I’ll add some flair, like my ridiculous Russian trapper hat.

What do you love about the Narie?

For me, this dress is all about the neckline. I think collarbones are an oft-overlooked asset, so I love that the notched boatneck here really plays them up in a way that’s subtle and elegant. Whenever I put this on, I feel totally transformed and very ladylike. And beyond the shape, the material is super comfortable and quite warm, so this is a good dress for winter.

1. At Work

On any given day, I might be working at a cafe or running between meetings, so I need an outfit that’s easy and versatile. And in general, I think an all-black look makes you seem like you know what you’re doing—even when you actually have no idea what you’re doing.

Here, I’m wearing the Narie with the black Greenwich Avenue belt, which creates waist definition and somehow makes the dress look more “business-like.” I generally keep my accessories pretty minimal, but once in a while, I’ll wear my “power cuff” from Kora, which was founded by a friend.

I love wearing heels, but I also love being able to walk. These patent-leather, pointed-toe Marc Jacobs pumps are chic but still maneuverable, which is probably why they’ve been in my closet for years. And I carry my whole life around in my black Cuyana tote.

Writing at Kinfolk Studios.

2. Out on the Town

Cocktails at Cafe Colette.

This dress has a formal air about it, so it’s easy to dress up for dinner, drinks, or whatever I’m up to after work. For me, “dressing up” means putting on red lipstick. I usually do some combination of NARS Velvet Matte lip pencil in Cruella and Chanel gloss in #75 (Dragon), which a friend turned me on to when I lived in Paris.

I punch things up with my Charles Jourdan unidentifiable-animal-print heels, and if I’m getting super fancy, with my grandmother’s watch and these diamond costume earrings that I got at Brooks Brothers, of all places.

3. On the Weekend

On any given weekend, I’m usually wearing a hodgepodge of whatever I wore the night before and a few things I’ve pilfered from my boyfriend’s closet. So this is a pretty typical outfit for me: black dress, men’s shirt, comfy sneakers, scarf I got years ago in Rome, sunglasses from a vintage shop on the LES, hat from American Apparel, and leather bomber jacket from Madewell.

I love browsing for books at Spoonbill & Sugartown. Their resident cat is always curled up on a shelf and seems to have the best life ever. Sometimes I stop in just to hang out with him.