Cheers everyone and welcome back! Are you lucky enough to have holiday parties to attend, either at work or elsewhere? Not me, at least not this year.  I love a good party though, LOL.  So, let's talk about outfits for holiday events that require you to look a little more dressed up. 

 

 

"This is beautiful...what is that, velvet??" LOL... who else thinks of that scene from Coming to America when they see velvet? Oh, just me?!?  But, believe it or not, velvet is back, and it's back in a big way. Yes, the dress that I am wearing above is black velvet.  It is by H&M, found on Thredup.

This little dress will be coming with me on our anniversary trip at the end of the month (10 years! more on that in another post). Velvet is actually perfect for holiday parties and festive occasions. It's luxiourious looking, and is relatively easy to wear. I found some beautiful ones at Nordstroms. Like this one,  this one, this one, this one, this one, and this one.  Why are they all dark colored? Because, colored velvet, for me, brings back bad memories from a high school dance. I wore a beautiful red velvet dress, but I spilled something on myself right before the dance, and had to go with a stain in the velvet.  So, I like dark velvet because it's better at hiding stains, sort of.  Anyway..make sure to consider accessories too.  I love a sparkly statement necklace with velvet.  The pairing of opposite materials works.  Go for a metallic or glittery clutch too.  

 

If you aren't ready to get on the velvet train, then another consideration is sequins! Sequins make a beautiful statement. Similar to velvet, sequins are perfect for holiday parties. I have yet to add a sequin dress to my collection, but I do have sequin skirts and tops!  

The thing about sequins... if it's a top or a dress without sleeves, they will cut you. I am not joking. I almost always wear a cardigan over mine for these reasons. You could also wear a fitted blazer or faux leather jacket over top. Trust me...your arms will thank you. Here are some of my favorite ways that I have styled my sequin items.  These would be more casual attire, not for really fancy cocktail parties.  

 

 Most of my sequin things have come from Thredup, but I have found similar items for you! A note about the last photo...It is the same sequin top as #5, but I wouldn't wear jeans to a party unless it's kind of casual.  But pair the gold tank with a white blazer or jacket and black pants, even faux leather pants! Always pay attention to the preferred dress code, though.  

• Black and Gold sequin tank- I couldn't find a smilar one to this.  its basically a black tank with gold sequins over top.  
• Burgundy sequin skirt
• Gold Sequin Tank
• Black Sequin Skirt- the first one with the plaid shirt is too big for me, the second one is similar to this one.
• silver sequin skirt- (more like rainbow mermaid-esk)- I couldnt find a similar one, but this is close (except not rainbow).  I might be ordering this in rose gold 

 

Nordstroms has some beautiful sequin dresses, here. They are fancier, and better suited for cocktail dress attire. Those prices are a bit high, I admit. Check out LuLu's, here; they also have some beautiful cocktail dresses, at a lower price point. I kind of want everything there. My husband won't notice, right?!?!? If I buy a ton of these he'd have to take me out to a party right?!?! Come on help me out...my mama always said "buy the dress and the event will come". Soooooo...

 

Then again, you can always shop your closet too. If you have a little black dress, add accessories to it to make it different and fesitve. Try a faux fur wrap, fun colored or glittery heels, or a statement necklace that sparkles. A little black dress is the perfect foundation to really have fun with!  And what's a holiday party without fun?  

 

Whereever you are celebrating, whatever you are doing, be merry and have fun. Think of me and my pile of cocktail dresses that are just waiting to be worn.  LOL.  Or better yet...invite me to your party next year! I will bring wine and good cheer.  

 

Stay tuned next week, I will be sharing with you a personal story about Christmas and what it means to our family.  

 

-xo