When does a dress feel like more than a dress? Well, in my opinion, when that garment transcends a specific date and time, location, or occasion. The perfect black dress doesn’t scream—it whispers, “I’ve arrived.” Effortless yet intentional, it’s the wardrobe’s secret weapon: sharp at 9 a.m., sultry by the evening. I can add a heel for drama, sneakers for defiance, or the unexpected soft ballet flat for that sought-after Parisian I-just-look-like-this-without-trying energy. But what does that little black dress look like?

Apparently, it features a built-in bodysuit, a sleek mock neck, and an A-line midi skirt—all wrapped in a whisper-light sheer mesh that “glides over your curves.” When I read that last line on the Skims website, my fashion spidey-sense tingled.

I’m pregnant, and previously, my idea of perfection could be found in larger-than-life, oversized silhouettes. That’s shifted a bit. I need support. And that need surpasses family phone calls and sweet cards found floating in my Brooklyn mailbox. The structure is both form-fitting and flattering, modest but striking—balances that are hard to get just right. It can be worn throughout the summer and layered up for the colder months. The best part? It can grow with you! The material is stretchy (a stretch-polyamide, to be exact) that can mold to a changing body. I can wear this now, as my belly grows, and later, when it begins to subside.

At $108 (before tax), the Skims Milky sheer high-neck mididress takes the classic LBD and turns it into a necessity. In this, I’m noticed before my bump is.

Skims

milky sheer high neck midi dress