It’s party season
Posted on December 4, 2013
December and January tend to be busy months for Christmas parties and year-end celebrations, not to mention New Year’s Eve.
If your social calendar is starting to fill up, you’re probably wondering what to wear. Many party dresses are sleeveless – which is great if you live in Arizona. In the frozen north, however, it’s tough to look dressy and keep warm.
Here are some ideas to sparkle-and-glow your way through party season:
- The Little Black Dress (LBD) is a staple in any wardrobe. If your dress has sequins or other sparkly embellishments, but sure to keep jewelry to a tasteful minimum.
- Colour is a great way to stand out in a sea of LBDs. Jewel tones work especially well at this time of year.
Lacy dress, David’s Bridal
- Look for luxurious fabrics. Silk, cashmere, suede or leather lend an upscale feel to any outfit.
- Hot this year are dresses, blouses and sweaters with built-in embellishments, such as faux necklaces sewn right on the garment. Be sure to strike the appropriate balance with jewelry: mustn’t overdo.
- Make a statement. Choose a focal point for your outfit, such as a statement necklace, chandelier earrings or a sparkly cuff. Choose one only.
- Classic and elegant are always in style. Avoid very trendy or deconstructed pieces that might appear to casual for the occasion.
- Carry a wrap. This is a much more elegant way of keeping bare shoulders warm than a jacket or sweater.
- Heels are always appropriate for dress-up parties. Choose pumps as they are much more in keeping with our winter climate. Slinky sandals can work if you wear boots to the event and change into your shoes. Carry a drawstring bag into which you can put your boots and check the bag with your coat.
- Consider slimming shapewear to ensure a smooth silhouette.
- Mature women should avoid miniskirts. At or just above the knee with a killer pair of heels is very sexy.
- If you’re not comfortable in a dress or skirt, consider loose, wide-legged trousers paired with a tuxedo jacket. Very of-the-moment and perfectly appropriate if styled with a gorgeous piece of jewelry. When wearing trousers, heels are de rigeur in order to maintain the feel of elegance.
If you’re unsure what the dress code means for your next event, check out my previous post on navigating dress requirements: http://styleonpurpose.ca/2013/10/17/what-to-wear-when/
The magic of holiday store windows
Posted on November 24, 2013
Bloomingdale’s 2013 holiday display, New York
When I was a kid, the department stores in Canada used to put out elaborate store window displays. Animated elves and reindeer, trains packed with toys, and merchandise set ‘just-so’ that you were compelled to step inside.
Woodward’s store display (date, location unknown)
Woodward’s – a department store headquartered in Vancouver – even had direct “phone lines” to Santa, Mrs. Claus and Rudolph! As part of the Christmas display, this was 1970s interactive – pick up the phone and Santa would speak to you. When you’re 8 or 10 years old, it’s truly magical.
Display at Eaton’s (date, location unknown)
Sadly, Woodward’s and Eaton’s – two famed Canadian department stores – are no longer in existence.
Most stores in western Canada have abandoned these elaborate (and likely costly) displays in favour of boring mannequins decked out in party attire. Ho hum. It’s the same stuff you can see at any time of the year.
Contrast that with New York, where the major department stores recently held window unveiling events to kick off the holiday shopping season. Bergdorf & Goodman required RSVPs, Bloomingdale’s had Josh Grobin along for some live entertainment – and everywhere there was a sense of holiday magic. These hotly anticipated displays drew huge crowds of shoppers willing to stand outside and wait for the special reveal. The excitement is palpable. (That these events drew such enormous crowds is remarkable when you consider that now you can simply walk by and view the windows anytime…)
Store windows do more than display merchandise. They reflect the special magic of Christmas that we loved as kids. They take us back to a simpler time when a toy train or phone line to Santa was worth a special trip to the store all on its own.
Retailers have to realize that the experience of shopping is paramount. If you can make my day at the store a little more magical, I am more inclined to visit in person than to shop online. It needs to be about more than just selling stuff – it needs to be a memorable experience that I want to repeat, bring friends and family, and making an outing out of it.
Canadian retailers would do well to consider next year’s effort, and consider the interest and crowds they could attract with the right window displays.
After all, who doesn’t want to be “Santa’s Store?”