Super Sheath: Made in the USA dresses for fall weddings, galas, and work events

It may be unseasonably hot now, but before you know it, it will be time for fall weddings, winter galas, and myriad other events that require The Perfect Dress.

Enter the sheath. A sheath silhouette dress is one of the most important articles of clothing any woman can own. I've written here a few times about the importance of investing in well-made clothing that will last you for decades as opposed to something that might fall apart (or out of fashion) after only a season, but the point bears repeating. From lacy to strapless to color-blocked, when you find a sheath dress that fits you well and makes you feel confident when you put it on, buy it. Owning a few for day and for night makes getting dressed in a hurry 10000% easier, and the shape is timeless.

Months ago, I very happily invested in the gold Vera Wang sheath dress I'm wearing above, and I'm still so pleased with my purchase, as well as the fact that the dress is made in the USA.  I know that I can give it some edge and a more casual vibe with black ankle boots and a sleek ponytail, or glam it up with heels and loose waves.

That said, I don't want you to think I'm advocating that everyone run out and buy a sheath dress right this second. It could take some time to find your perfect investment piece, and there is an easy, eco-friendly way to experiment without committing called Rent the Runway. And it just so happens that my Vera Wang dress is available to rent right now, should you like to try it out for yourself.

In fact, there are so may great options available to rent or to own right now, so I've put together a few of my latest faves.




If you have several evening events ahead of you, I think something with lace or a little shine will always hit the right note. The smokey grey lace dress on the left comes in several colors and is made in the USA by Diane von Furstenburg , and the strapless navy number is available from Rent the Runway. I also like that the arms are long on the shorter dress, and the length just touches the knees on the strapless dress. I'm a big believer in choosing one area to expose and covering the rest, although all of that gets thrown out the window if you're planning to be all up in da club. ;)



These three sheath dresses are perfect for work events, galas or dinners, and any other occasions for which you need to be professional, polished and (of course) stylish. Each dress above is conservatively cut with a teensy bit of edge, whether it's the sharp shoulders, the graphic color-blocking, or the leather piping, and each one is made here in the USA:

1. Black Halo 'Raschel' dress
2. St. John Collection Colorblock Milano knit dress

3. Milly piped sheath dress

For me, one of the hardest things to find is eco-friendly eveningwear and workwear.While there is nothing better than buying clothes that not only have a light carbon footprint, but also support American jobs and craftsmanship, it would be great to see stateside manufacturers pay more careful attention to the materials they import, for example. But until all of my eco-dreams come true, my go-to brands for made in the USA super sheaths are Milly, St. Johns, Diane von Furstenburg, Nicole Miller, and Vera Wang. What are yours?

Shop the post (all dresses below are made in the USA):

Rent the Runway Pop-up Showroom: Love at First Sight

My friend Alex and I checked out the Rent the Runway pop-up shop last Sunday at the Living Social event space and...I fell in love.

It was beyond my control. When I saw that gold brocade shift dress by Vera Wang I knew it would fit. But I didn't know how well it would fit, and that I would later be scouring the interwebs to find this beautiful, made in the USA, Frank Lloyd Wright-esque dress. Don't even try, it's sold out everywhere. I love it so much that I was terrified to post it here and share its existence with the world.  I promise that if you find it somewhere in size 0, I will pay you a finder's fee, and I will wear it everywhere-- brunch, dinner, work events, shopping...EVERYWHERE.  But I digress...

Obsessively chasing after a dress is not exactly the point of Rent the Runway, which is an amazing company that empowers us all to be fair and kind in the way we shop. How lovely is the idea of so many girls sharing one dress? Talk about recycling and reusing, right? And yes, they dry clean and mend small imperfections between rentings. You don't have to worry about any of that.

How many times have you bought a dress for a wedding or special event, only to wear it mayyyybe once more to a similar event, but otherwise have it hanging in your closet in a zipper bag? Many, I'm betting. Rent the Runway makes it simple to wear the dress you want for way under the retail price, then pass it along to the next girl who needs it.

And, as you can see, they carry a wide variety of silhouettes, styles, lengths, brands, and colors. Alex looked stunning in the few dresses she tried on, don't you think? The navy is Shoshanna and the striped one is Kate Spade. This girl knows what she likes, and exactly what colors flatter her porcelain skin. That is her natural hair color, btw. Dutch girls are so lucky...

So, ladies, if you are still searching for an inauguration dress, get thee to RTR!

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