I literally gasped the first time I saw a picture of Nina Dobrev rocking her black vintage gown in last night’s episode of The Vampire Diaries. (I’ll be honest, usually such reactions are reserved for the male cast members… and it has nothing to do with their style.)

Costume designer Leigh Leverett really outdid herself across the board on this episode — from Stefan and Damon’s tuxedos (Armani and John Varvatos, respectively) to Caroline’s cobalt Alberto Makali. But, as you might have guessed, looking this good is hard work.

Don’t believe me? Take Dobrev’s word for it as she talks about it below in a PopWatch Style video after the jump.

Watch the video here