When it comes to summertime staples, you can’t go wrong with the little white dress, but leave it to Blake Lively to upgrade the wardrobe basic with an evening—and dare we say, bridal-worthy—twist. When the actress stepped out in New York last night to toast husband Ryan Reynolds’s liquor company, Aviation Gin, she stunned in a clean white Cushnie et Ochs sheath that proved one doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel to make a dramatic statement.

The trick to Lively’s look is in the long sleeves, which showcased a decidedly more sophisticated side to the style while keeping in mind the rising mercury. The off-the-shoulder neckline, too, provided a hint of bare skin that was weather-appropriate and yet subdued enough, so as not to compete with the sparkling earrings grazing her shoulder. Sky-high strappy sandals on the other hand, gave the look a bit of lift—certainly enough to put the 5’10” Lively eye-to-eye with her better half.