Night and Day, It’s Understated Glamour
To build a holiday wardrobe effectively, a woman needs a strategy.
The plan is to think of yourself less like a tinsel-laden Christmas tree and more like a flickering candle. Tone down the head-to-toe ornamentation and opt for a twinkling of shine.
Aim to assemble a series of separates that do double duty as daytime and nighttime attire so that you can add or subtract the glitz according to the occasion. (It’s the wardrobe equivalent of a well-stocked pantry for making eight different cheese dips.) Last-minute invitations calling for “denim and diamonds” or “creative black tie” won’t send you into a panic.
Dressing up is easier now that formal attire has changed to reflect more casual attitudes. Elements of sportswear such as flat shoes, trousers, cardigans and turtleneck sweaters have been adopted as legitimate evening wear. Conversely, daytime clothing has adopted dress-up fabrics such as velvet, satin and metallics. The two attitudes blend easily, making formal wear less restrictive and expanding shopping into new departments--sportswear, daytime accessories, juniors and even vintage boutiques.
Four pieces can provide the foundation of an evening wear wardrobe: an embellished sweater set, a black knee-length skirt, fancy sandals and an accent bag. Chosen carefully, each item can blend with your workaday wardrobe too.
The coming days are a great time to shop. In anticipation of what has been hyped to be the biggest New Year’s Eve in 1,000 years, stores have stocked up on evening wear and accessories, but are already offering discounts--some up to 60%.
*
A lightly beaded sweater set can be your most versatile addition. Vintage stores have been selling the cardigans for years. But with cashmere prices at historic lows and every kind of store selling the sets for $50 to $500, the range of choices is now huge: embroidered tank tops with cardigans, beaded camisoles with shrugs or classic cashmere turtlenecks and cardigans.
Mix the pieces throughout your wardrobe. The cardigan can be worn atop a sheath dress; a shrug pairs with a strapless dress; the sweater set partners with a skirt or pants; and the tank or camisole can slide under suit jackets.
Knee-length skirts are a more practical, if less fun, option than this season’s ubiquitous ballgown skirt. You’ll have more opportunities to wear a knee-length skirt and it won’t seem as dated by next New Year’s Eve. Aim for versions in wool crepe, black matte satin or the latest look: layers of black mesh.
Alternatively, die-hard pants-wearers can find black wide-leg or capri pants in matte satin, wool or velvet. Crafty seamstresses can add a layer of short beaded fringe to the skirt or capri pant hems to be in step with the season’s trends. Spotted in a Macy’s juniors department: capri pants with rhinestoned side seams for $60.
*
Dressy sandals can give even a basic black dress or suit an instant evening attitude. Current fashion calls for heels that are high and slim, or ultra-flat. The skinnier the strap, the barer the look, the better. And don’t forget the pedicure. Fora shoes with a closed toe, opt for a matte satin Mary Jane. Chinese Laundry sells versions with chunky heels for about $60. DKNY reinterprets evening footwear with a $65 velvet clog and a $65 silver-metallic slide sandal. Come summer, the dressy sandals can become your out-to-dinner shoes.
Nothing ruins an evening look faster than your beat-up daytime purse. Accessory stores such as the chain Afterthoughts sells beaded bags for as little as $14. Department stores are full of animal-print baguette and croissant bags that sell for $30 and up. (Hint: Leopard is getting overexposed, so look for zebra, or spring’s new trend, python.)
If you still have money, and shopping energy, left over, you might also consider a few fashion perennials now in plentiful supply: embroidered cashmere shawls, kimono jackets, glittery stockings and stretch velvet turtlenecks.
If facing the crowds is just too hideous a thought, head to the beauty parlor for an updo and a manicure. There’s no better gift than an hour of pampering.
And don’t worry. Fashion is in the holiday spirit, even if you’re not.
Valli Herman-Cohen can be reached at valli.herman-cohen@latimes.com.
