Christmas Chic – How To Choose and Wear Party Dresses
October 24th, 2011‘Tis the time of year to dust off your party dresses and get glammed up. If parties make you make your heart sink because you feel you’ve got nothing to wear, fear not. Here’s our guide to the best party frocks and how to wear them to turn heads.
One-shoulder Dresses
These take attention to the shoulder area and away from the hips – “Hooray,” I hear you cry!
As this dress makes a stunning statement, you need very little to dress it up other than a fab pair of earrings.
You can even cheat by wearing something that gives the illusion of a one-shoulder dress such as this Whistles dress.
Long-sleeved Dresses
These are great if you don’t like showing off your arms. There are lots of chiffon-sleeved dresses around.
To stop this type of dress from looking frumpy, wear it as short as you dare. I love the lighter colours teamed with black opaque tights and heels.
If it’s an unfitted style, you could try adding a pretty bow belt to give yourself a defined waist.
And if you are a little on the busty side, a long necklace will break up your top half.
Twenties style Dresses
Go for a metallic dress with an art deco feel, dropped waist or fringing to give your Christmas or party outfit a 1920’s feel.
Team it with a feathered clutch, or diamante hairclips, but be careful not to go overboard – you don’t want to look like you’re in fancy dress.
The straight shapes and dropped waists of this style of dress are great if you have a straighter waist and no hips.
And the bronzes and metallics will make sure you stand out from the sea of black at your party.
Lace Dresses
A classic alternative for your little black dress. It can look quite girly, but you can offset this if you prefer a slightly edgier look, by wearing shoe-boots and an oversized boyfriend blazer or tuxedo jacket.
Beware of shoe boots if you have very chunky ankles – try some chunky heels with hidden platforms instead.
Or stick to a ladylike version like this sexy D&G number – fantastic on an hourglass figure – just add some pointy kitten heels, and you have a beautiful Joan from “Mad Men” inspired look.
Jacquard Dresses
These may remind you of your Granny’s curtains but they are a hot trend right now. A huge benefit is that jacquard is a thick fabric which can be very flattering for “holding it all in”!
If you don’t fancy a whole dress in it, then opt for a pencil skirt and team it with a simple top and a touch of jewellery.
Draped Dresses
Wear this in a strong statement colour, and let the draping and ruching do the work for you. A flattering way to distract attention from any lumps and bumps, or add curves and interest if you’re straight up and down.
If you go for a plain black dress why not add some funky leopard print shoes for a fun and sexy feel! They’ll be more versatile than you think as you can wear them with plain black trousers, and even jeans.
Jumpsuits
The jumpsuit has a gorgeously 70’s feel about it and can look fabulously elegant, tailored and dressy while making a change from the usual black dress.
Wear it in simple black and accessorise with metallic shoes and bangles.
