The Most Versatile Dress in Your Closet

Esther Adams, Vogue

Brit Marling's closet may skew masculine-meets-glam (vintage Christian Lacroix wide-leg pants, Alexander McQueen harems, and dandy slippers), but zipping into Tory Burch's taut, ladylike sheath dress had her rethinking her look. "I was like, Whoa why don't I do this?" says the Chicago-born, L.A.-based actress-screenwriter-producer. "It's sexy without revealing much." Perhaps that's why, after a season of youthfully appreciated shorts, several generations of designers are revamping the ageless classic for fall-from Peter Pilotto's laser prints to Oscar de la Renta's gilded optical patterns. See the slideshow above for our favorite sheath dresses and accessories to pair them with, all under $500.

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