As you know, I’m a big fan of the website Rent the Runway.  Being able to rent cocktail and formal attire is so much more fiscally responsible for me than buying a new dress every time.  And I love the large selection of stylish dresses and the great accessories.  (If you’d like to join RTR, click here.) 

I almost never wear black dresses to D.C. parties because Washingtonian women ALL wear black dresses, and I hate to fade into the sea of black.  If you’re going to wear black, you should at least wear something interesting.  And this dress, by Moschino, is definitely interesting.

Lacey Cowl Dress (Rental Fee, $150)

I love the different textures in the fabric and the dramatic cowl neck.  This dress will look great in photos, and it certainly makes a good impression.  And if you need a chic cocktail to go with your chic LBD, I have just the thing, a berry-citrus recipe altered to my exact specifications.

Photo Courtesy Junior Merino

The Blackened Berry

2 oz Vodka
2 sage leaves
1/4 oz fresh lime juice
3/4 oz black elderberry concentrate
1 oz pomegranate juice

Put all the ingredients in a shaker and, after shaking, strain into a cocktail glass.

It’s dark.  It’s chic.  And it’s perfectly delicious.