Dallas, Texas, civic leader and Neiman Marcus customer Myrna Schlegel is no stranger to black-tie galas and high-style soirées. Whether she’s entertaining at home, attending a wedding, or spearheading a fundraiser for a non-profit, you’ll find her dressed to the nines. That’s why we asked her to participate in our occasion wear photo shoot and share her thoughts on dressing for everything from cocktail parties to lavish balls.
Seasonless and forever stylish, a black dress is Myrna’s go-to for a variety of events. Find the perfect LBD for every occasion.
What’s your advice on how to navigate dress codes? For example, what would you wear to a formal event or a wedding versus a fundraiser dinner or cocktail party?
For formal, I always wear long. I prefer not to wear a short dress to anything formal, but for a fundraiser dinner, I’d probably never wear long. Usually I’ll wear a black cocktail dress to a fundraiser dinner. For cocktail attire, I usually overdress more than underdress—sometimes wearing sequins. I love black, I love white, and I like to add some color. For a wedding I would keep it long, but simple and not extravagant. You just always want to be cautious with a wedding—that you don’t take away from the bride or the mother of the bride.
Do you have go-to colors for weddings?
Any color is fine—other than shades of white! One thing I never do is wear the same color as what the theme of the wedding is going to be. I made the mistake once of having the same dress as the mother of the bride, so now I’m sure to check ahead in order to avoid matching.
What do you wear when you entertain in your home?
When I entertain in our home, I like to encourage cocktail or fancy. I really like to do that. If we’re in the wine cellar, it’s a little different, but as far as being around the dining room table, I love when people dress up.
What are some dress code no-no's?
Mini dresses at a gala: they just don't feel formal enough.
How does what you wear influence how you feel?
I definitely feel so much happier and brighter in my favorite colors! Yellow, hot pink—I love vibrant colors like that. When I want to feel powerful, I'll wear black, white, or shades of red.
What are your tips for picking and styling accessories and jewelry? Do you like to wear a full suite of jewelry?
Oh no, I prefer not to having a matching set. I prefer earrings that don't match the necklace—that sort of thing. I think you don't want to overdo it. Diamonds are my favorite, but if I have a blue outfit on, I'll wear a little sapphire to accent the color and pull the color out.
Do you start with the dress or do you prefer to build your look around your jewelry, shoes, or handbag?
I start with my outfit and build from there. It's always easy to put diamonds with anything. I start with my outfit first, then I add jewelry, and then the purse and shoes. It's always better to be overdressed than underdressed.
What sort of shoes do you like to wear?
I always wear heels. You will always see me in heels, even with pants. I love statement shoes. I love a plain black dress with statement shoes.
Your daughters are very stylish like you. Do you raid their closets or do they raid yours?
They usually raid mine! We're all a little different in what we wear and how we like to dress, but they'll say, "Mom, what have you got?"
Do you get nostalgic when your daughters wear some of your pieces?
Absolutely. I always say, "Don't ever sell your diamonds or your Chanel bags." I have so many bags that I bought back in the 1980s and they really don't ever go out of style. My daughters love to come in and grab a bag and accessorize it with their outfit.
Do you have a Neiman's Style Advisor? If so, do they help you pick out looks or offer suggestions?
I love Catherine Bloom from Neiman Marcus in Los Angeles. She is just fabulous to work with and she always has very different things. She goes to Paris herself and picks them out. Catherine knows my size, colors, and everything. When she's shopping in Paris or wherever, she will think of each one of her clients individually and what they might wear. We have a home in Los Angeles, so when I'm out there, I run in and see her. Or I will call her and say, "Catherine, I've got this ball. I think it's going to be pretty formal. What do you have?" She'll send me a lot of pictures and we'll go from there.
Does Catherine suggest accessories, too?
Oh, definitely. She has tons of accessories. Different hats, jewelry, shoes, and purses. She's got everything. She puts the whole entire outfit together for you. She'll grab some things I like and she'll take it back to her room and accessorize it. I like to run around the store myself and pick things out, too. I love to style things.
“I gravitate toward diamonds, both statement and more subtle pieces. It’s easy to put diamonds with anything.”
—Myrna Schlegel
“Some days I like to do a pop of really pretty pink to give my look a little spark.”
—Myrna Schlegel
Sign up for text messages
Download NM App
