Reader Request: One Cocktail Party Dress, Two Ways

My Mission: To help my friend, a young attorney and mother of two boisterous young boys, find cocktail dresses for both evening networking events and for dressier date nights. Like most of us, she's on a budget, so instead of multiple options I looked for one sub-$100 dress that could work for both depending on how she accessorized it.

Her tastes run less sensible Ann Taylor and more Anthropologie, less staid lawyer and more "I live in Austin, yo'" urban cool, so I went with this retro-fab, fall-appropriate, flattering a-line number from ModCloth:

(click on picture or link below for outfit details)

One Cocktail Party Dress, Two Ways by legallyblondemel featuring a tory burch satchel

Mildly Relevant Sidebar: given that my friend is on a budget, I "spent" here where I think it counts most - timeless work accessories that will last beyond a season. The colors make them young enough to suit my friend and appropriate for networking situations without being Boring Lawyer Black.

What do you think - are we pulling off a two-fer here?