I am having a real love affair right now with the label, Nocturne. If you’ve never heard of it, don’t be embarrassed – I hadn’t either until a month or two ago when I saw a few chic pieces pop up in the new arrivals section on Nordstrom.com! Based on the silhouettes I was seeing, the prices seemed too good to be true – bodysuits under $100, pants and most tops under $200, and most dresses under $300? Sign me up. While I’m willing and happy to invest in quality staples, it’s not often you come across cool, fashion forward pieces that look incredibly expensive with a surprisingly approachable price point. With my fancy piqued, I ordered this off-shoulder pinstripe minidress to try! I was really impressed with it, with the exception of one annoying and un-ignorable detail: it features concealed silicone strips that prevent the off-shoulder neckline from slipping. While a seemingly genius idea, it was poorly executed. The dress fit like a glove and was SO flattering, but the silicone strips were much tighter and dug painfully into my skin. I returned the small and tried the medium, only to discover the issue persisted AND the medium was far too large! Such a bummer, because it really is so freaking cute on.

Fool me once, shame on you… fool me twice, shame on me, right? Wrong! I’m so glad that I discovered the new Nocturne boutique in SoHo when my friend Elizabeth was in town a few weeks back, because I’m not sure I would have given the brand another chance otherwise. I was struck mostly by how modern and cool the silhouettes were – the pieces feel more cutting edge than a lot of fast fashion you see, which makes each item look all the more expensive. The quality (aside from that single silicone strip issue) is really solid for the price too – the fabrics, embellishments and other details look super luxe! I had Reeses with me, so I actually didn’t try anything on that day… but I did discover several other amazing pieces that made me eager to make a return trip to the store! This corset-style black minidress is one of them.

The combination of the long sleeves, square neckline, shoulder pads, super cinched waist and slight bubble miniskirt is quite striking, and one of the most flattering silhouettes I’ve ever put on my body. Like the pinstripe dress I tried from Nordstrom, this one fits like a glove! I’m wearing the small here, and would definitely say this brand runs on the smaller side. At 5’9, the hem is a bit shorter than I normally like to wear – but considering I plan to wear it almost exclusively with tights, it doesn’t bother me. One thing to note is it features a hidden tulle-esque “petticoat”, if you will. This adds volume, giving the skirt a bit of a bubble look and helps the skirt hold its shape. I’m wearing it in these photos and think it’s a super cute detail! But it is something you can snap on or off if you find it uncomfortable or annoying.

On the same trip I also found an incredibly chic animal print coat, which sadly is sold out online! Similar to this little black dress, it features an almost sculptural silhouette. This double breasted coat is extra-cinched at the waist and curves out at the hips – it’s such a high-fashion detail that you’re likely only to find at labels like Dries Van Noten, Saint Laurent, etc. I’m obsessed! But back to the topic at hand…

If you’re in the market for a similarly chic little black dress for the holiday and winter season, don’t miss this roundup of stylish picks below! My dress is sadly sold out, but I’ll give you a heads up if I see it get restocked. This A.L.C. dress is very similar though, if you want to recreate the look now!

THIS SEASON’S BEST LITTLE BLACK DRESSES

PS: these heels are SO fab and a great price!