THE FIRST LITTLE black dress I ever owned was an A-line mini with cap sleeves and a cut-out neckline that buttoned just below my collarbone. I remember I could dress it up or down depending on the shoes I wore, the jewellery I paired it with, how I did my hair. I remember also that I’d purchased it from a high-end boutique on a high-end street, and that it cost me much more than what my graduate salary could sensibly afford. 

But there was something about having this dress.