Geoffrey Beene had a particular talent for making the simplest clothes feel extraordinary, and this black wool dress is a perfect example. Its sharply tailored bodice features a high band collar, long sleeves, and a row of small, geometric gold-tone buttons that lend just the right amount of ornamentation. The waist is neatly defined before giving way to a softly gathered, A-line skirt that falls below the knee. There's something almost ecclesiastical about its restrained silhouette, though the gold hardware gives it a distinctly modern edge. It's the sort of dress that needs very little styling—equally elegant with ballet flats for daytime or heels and gold jewelry for evening.