One Editor’s Trick to Holiday Dressing: Dolce & Gabbana–Inspired Red Lace

If I believed in such things as former lives, I might say mine was that of an Italian princess thanks to my lifelong obsession with the country in general and one of its most beloved imports: Dolce & Gabbana. Season after season, I genuinely obsess over everything the label does, and season after season I find myself depressed that I’m not in a palazzo somewhere, prosecco in hand, overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Still, that hasn’t stopped me from stacking my Pinterest board with images from the brand’s various runways. My favorite is the entire Fall 2013 collection, which is over two years old yet still has a very lasting impression.

To me, everything about the show was perfection—it delivered powerful army-like uniformity with each model swathed in red lace dresses and adorned with Byzantine-style statement earrings, gold crowns, matte red lips, and elegant center parts. This is the collection I reference whenever I have to dress up, and I’ve found that red lace is my unequivocal go-to.

Not only is it achingly chic, but it’s beautifully unexpected—especially during the upcoming holiday season that’s packed with predictable metallics and basic black. So what’s the trick to looking like a million bucks in red lace, which—if worn incorrectly—could take a turn for the tawdry? I keep my silhouettes body skimming, rather than bodycon, and I tend to seek out long-sleeve shirts and dresses or off-the-shoulder styles that aren’t the least bit low-cut.

Here, 15 perfect red lace pieces to buy now, D&G budget not required. Oh, and a delicate gold crown is entirely optional but strongly encouraged.