7 LBD Trends You're About to See at Every Cocktail Party

Something unusual happened on the fall/winter 2020 runways: We saw a lot of LBDs reimagined. It's common to see a sleuth of black dresses in any given collection or season, but this time around, it was clear that in 6 months' time, everyone's little black dresses are getting a major makeover. Between cocktail parties and frilly soirees, prepare to feast your eyes on LBDs that have been spliced, draped, and fringed for the wearer's (and the viewer's) enjoyment.

Ahead, we have broken down the seven latest LBD trends to come down the fall/winter 2020 runways complete with the imagery and shopping to back each up. By now, you surely own at least one little black dress that you've worn to death, so do yourself a favor and treat yourself with one of the fresh styles ahead.

Spliced and Diced

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Dion Lee)

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Preen by Thornton Bregazzi)

This season, it wasn't just little black dresses we saw get spliced and diced—it was a major trend we're preparing to see this coming fall. However, seeing the gaping cuts on these frocks felt fresh for an LBD.

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Delicately Draped

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(Image credit: Self-Portrait via Getty Images)

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Monse)

Any LBD with fabric draped in some way around the neck is an LBD worth paying attention to. This subtle detail is giving a sultry and alluring vibe to this otherwise "basic" dress style. 

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Puzzled Pieces

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Preen by Thornton Bregazzi)

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Victoria Beckham)

This season was really all about the neck. Necklines got all kinds of exciting, but this swirly, modern (almost reminiscent of a missing puzzle piece) design was one worth calling out as it relates to the LBD. 

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Noir Boudoir 

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(Image credit: Oscar de la Renta via Getty Images)

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(Image credit: Fendi via Getty Images)

Spring was all about lingerie-inspired detailing, and apparently, so is fall. We saw more sheer, boned, and laced dresses come down the runway than ever before. If you ask us, it's just the upgrade your LBD collection has been in dire need of. 

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On the Fringe

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(Image credit: Prada via Getty Images)

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(Image credit: Salvatore Ferragamo via Getty Images)

Fancy a frivolous trend? Then a fringed LBD is the style for you. Lengthy fringe fell from frocks up and down the runways, and surprisingly, the frilly detail finally felt wearable. Just scroll to the shopping below—you'll see. 

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Opened-Up

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Brandon Maxwell)

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Altuzarra)

Believe it or not, the off-the-shoulder trend is back and feels much more elevated than before. While we definitely saw more traditional off-the-shoulder styles, it was this fold-over detail that we fawned over the most.

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Strapless Silhouettes

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(Image credit: Versace via Getty Images)

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Area)

Strapless styles aren't new by any means, but if there's anything we learned from last season, it's that the '90s influenced many of the spring collections. So naturally, details from the decade percolated into fall 2020 as well. Particularly, the tube top, as it pertains to dresses. We saw both literal iterations of clean tubbed dresses but also the incorporation of festive frills to make them feel more alive. 

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Editorial Director

Lauren Eggertsen is currently the editorial director of Who What Wear and has worked at the company for over eight years, where she started as an associate editor and has since worked her way up. Lauren has over 10 years of experience in the fashion editorial space, starting her career with internships at Marc Jacobs, Marie Claire, and The Zoe Report, where she was later hired as their editorial assistant. Lauren has worked in the Los Angeles and New York Who What Wear offices but currently calls L.A. home. It is here where she leads and manages Who What Wear's fashion team and oversees all day-to-day editorial content and large tentpole moments. This includes all of the runway, trend, and shopping-driven content that ultimately helps to build a strong brand reputation within the industry. Lauren's role also includes helping to set the fashion direction for all original photo shoots and often styles many of the celebrity cover shoots, including big names like Kaia Gerber, Normani, and Kristen Stewart.

She has also attended multiple fashion weeks, including New York, London, Milan, and Paris, where her personal style has been featured on sites such as Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, and Elle. She prides herself on discovering and supporting small brands and on her knack for a good vintage shopping find. When she isn't working, she enjoys researching and dining at reputable restaurants around both her neighborhood and the globe.