Sunday, December 13, 2015

Dressing For Holiday Events

In December, I always get lots of requests for ideas for what to wear to holiday parties and other events.


My formula for getting dressed for these events isn't that different from the rest of the year. The secret is held in how you put your basics together to make them appropriate for the event. I never rush out to buy something for a special occasion.

Look carefully at each of the items I am wearing. The sweater is usually worn with a pair of faded jeans and short black boots. The black pants are ones that I wear when I want to look a little more special. I wear these Covered Perfectly tops all year round with every type of look. They are genuinely the best tops for layering with jackets, sweaters, and ponchos or vests. They don't add bulk to your frame, and they are made with the most luxurious knit fabric ever. 



We met our friends for dinner before we attended the Symphony last evening. I got dressed in five minutes, with virtually no stress. If you have great basics that serve you well, you can always put them together in appropriate ways for any event. Accessories change everything!



I am wearing a vintage Ralph Lauren sweater with a faux fur collar over a Covered Perfectly long sleeve simple comfort top and Lior Paris black pants.



I bookended my look. That means I repeated the coppery brown tones of the faux fur collar in the copper beaded shoes, which are also several years old. The colors near my face are repeated in the colors of my footwear. That is called bookending. It can also mean wearing shoes in the same color as your hair. This trick pulls a look together and balances it so that it always seems to work well.



The reptile texture clutch bag is from S.M. Bradford Co. Hilton Head Island. My hair is almost hiding the silver earrings with small crystal stones. Two blingy crystal rings are the other accessories that make this look special for an evening look.

9 comments:

Jan Maier said...

Aha...once again I learned something new on your bog...BOOKENDING....love it and your blog!

Pam @ over50feeling40 said...

I really like this jacket and I linked back to your Christmas party post today...Jennifer and I are discussing party attire for women over 50....and you do it so well!!

Mom said...

Good advice. Those shoes are fab!

Andrea said...

Beautiful look for a holiday event!

I so agree with you that the best outfits come together with great pieces in your closet, maybe put together slightly differently than you usually wear them. I used to buy "special occasion outfits," but they often didn't go all that well with what was already in my closet, and I ended up not getting all that much use out of them. They also didn't feel like "me," and I think it's so important to feel comfortable at a special event.

oliemommy said...

So you have added some color highlights to your hair!?!
I think you look like you have put some golden-color
in your hair, or is it just the lighting of the room?

Unknown said...

Such a pulled together, classy look! The evening you wore this, did you keep the jacket on? That's where I would be in a tizzy! Because then I would have to think about a necklace or how the top would look just with the slacks. Gosh...if I just lost that last 10 pounds, I wouldn't have to be concerned about that! Time to start the Susan way of eating!

Susan said...

It is just the indoor lighting that gives my hair a golden look. It is still gray with lowlights underneath. No gold for me!

Susan said...

I kept the sweater on all evening but if I had gotten too warm I could have taken it off.

Vanity And Me said...

I totally agree with using acssesories to turn an outfit into a special occasion outfit. Love the shoes! The book ending is a great idea. I will try this.
Laurie x