Party wear, doesn’t matter where
July 3, 2009 by Rachael Shayne
Filed under Fashion
Formal parties are easy to prepare for since you can glean useful cues from the invitation itself as to what to wear. Holiday parties at your friends’ or parents’ houses are a more complicated matter.
But one piece of advice always works: Give it a little effort. Over-dressed is better than under-dressed for two key reasons:
1. It shows your host respect for the time and energy they put into creating the gathering, and
2. It makes you feel better and can leave you prepared for an impromptu stop or multi-party path in one evening.
After planning for weeks and cooking for days, having guests show up looking fresh and a bit festive shows that they were looking forward to the party as much as you were. Plus, with instant-uploads to Facebook and photo albums, it never hurts to look pressed and presentable.
One caveat on festive, however. It does not mean green and red or blue and silver ensembles. It means chic and seasonal. Think: great dress pants and a beautiful, simple sweater with a statement piece of jewelry, or a printed dress with tights and boots or flats. On him: Updated cords with a dress shirt and jacket does the trick.
Classic, comfortable and easy to put together, just reach into your stable of business-casual and put together a new combination. Lay outfit ideas onto the bed and then try on your favorites in advance so you have a few go-to combos. Find pictures of outfits you like in a catalog or magazine, and then create similar looks with pieces you already own.
For a party, you can experiment with fresh color combinations that are less sedate than corporate casual. Then, make them party-worthy by changing your footwear and/or jewelry to set the stage, plus an extra pop of blush and a soft lip gloss that’s easily re-applied.
If you insert jeans into the equation, it just doesn’t send the same polished message of “I care enough and am happy to be here. Thank you.”
Regardless of who’s hosting, show your friends and family equal love and respect by arriving camera-ready and enviably chic.
Plus — a dress or wool pants leave you more wiggle room for dessert.
Shayne is a style coach. Need a fashion fix? Contact Shayne at rachael@rachaelshayne.com or www.rachaelshayne.com.
