Holiday Parties and Stressful Dressing!

How many of you have been having holiday party outfit panic attacks since November?  Your company is having a party, your husband’s company is having a party, your girlfriend’s company is having a party, and everyone in between is having a party that you’re supposed to look fabulous at, just like last year and the one before, and it never gets easier…right?  Sigh, I feel you my friend, I feel you. You don’t know how dressy to go, you hate the way your legs look, you have no idea how to hide your post-baby middle, your husband is wearing a pair of pleated Dockers thinking it’s ok….I’m here!  I’ll help!!  I’m going to make this super easy.  Dressing both women and men for the holiday parties of 2010 stylishly and easily.  After a long year like this one, who has time to make this difficult anyway??  Just follow these steps, and you’re golden.

Step 1:  Pick the base and make it black, red, or white.

I’m serious, this just makes the whole thing easier.  It’s a holiday party, don’t show up in blue, just find something in one of these three colors.

Women:  find a solid colored dress, or monocolor wide-leg-pants-fitted-top combo.  Make it ALL one color. (trust me, everyone can find this and look good)

I do love a holiday dress. It makes me smile and I want to hug every girl at the party in one!

Men:  You’re going to find a suit, black, or if it’s not too dressy, a pair of black dress pants and a long-sleeved button-up shirt in white, red, or black (just make sure your blacks match)

Exclusive tip: these are the Producer Pant from Express. Hands down best men’s pant style around.

Step 2: Add an embellishment in a holiday color

This year, I’m digging gold, but any holiday color is going to work for this.

Women: A wide belt, a snazzy pair of heels, a broach you clip on your hip as a part of your dress, a lacy camisole poking out of your top–you get the idea.  I don’t mean an accessory (not jewelry), I mean an embellishment on your clothing, on the whole look.

Sparkles on your shoes and a broach as a piece of your dress, somewhere fun like the nape of your neck? You’re one hot chick.

Men:  The easiest way for you to do this is your tie, your socks, or being SUPER fab and rockin’ a matching vest under your jacket.  3-piece suits just do something to me, I LOVE them (but black vests are safest…we’re not all Justin Timberlake you know).  I like way funky socks, I like minorly funky ties. If you’re at a law firm, don’t be the dude in the Frosty tie, be the guy in the tie James Bond would wear for Christmas.  Think that way…

Black vest (the kind that buttons up HIGH) and a red tie?  Be still my heart.

Step 3: Accessorize

This is where your little pretty touches make you fancy.

Women: earrings that dangle, a necklace that breaks up your solid color, classy wide-net fishnets, and a purse that is a little bit glitzy.  Small touches go much farther than a jewelry show on your body.

Glitzy glammy girlie fun stuff.  Love.

Men: cuff links, tie clip, belt buckle, and shoes.  Make them all count.

I die for male accessories. Cuff links kill me, a tie clip is almost wholly responsible for my dating my boyfriend after we met!

Step 4: Be warm in style

It’s cold and you’re going to want a coat or wrap at the very least, and you never know when someone might have planned part of the night outside.

Women:  Borrow a great coat from a friend if you don’t have one, there’s no reason to purchase one if you wear it once a year.  If you are going to purchase one, make it fun.  A red coat makes me smile for days, and I always want to be the one woman that walks in wearing a fab white coat.  I love her every time.

Don’t you want to wear all of these, at once?  Hit H&M right now–coats so cute and SO cheap!

Men:  You need a black coat, the manly kind. Pea coat, single breasted trench, suit jacket, whatever, again, think Bond. If he’s cold, what’s he got on? (Pssshhh as if Bond is ever cold!)

Ahem, guy in the middle, I know I have a boyfriend  and you only have half a head, but um, I’m loving your look….

Step 5: A big holiday smile

Shiny, clean hair, makeup that took you more than 4 minutes, and a clean shave go a long way, as does a big, happy smile. Enjoy yourself, this is a PARTY you know!  In the end, the stressing over your outfit never turns out to be such a big deal.  Just don’t be the person that drinks too much and hits on the boss/falls in the punch bowl/dances on a table/tells an annoying coworker just how awful their “phone voice” is/etc. (Yep, been a couple of those……Ahhh capricious youth…)  Just have a great time, it’s always good looking, always in style!

Happy Holiday Partying Loveys!

xoxoxox