Q&A Time!

1. What is your top style advice when it comes to dressing up for holiday parties and events?             

This is the one time of year you can really have fun with your wardrobe, so I say go for it within reason. What I mean is you can ‘sparkle but don’t burst into flames’. Remember ,if it is a holiday event,  plain work clothes won’t cut it when the invite reads festive attire.

2. How do you dress up for the holidays without  looking too much like you’re wearing a costume?

Pick no more than 3 areas in which to dazzle. Let’s say your dress is completely sequined. Go for a evening shoe without lots of embellishments and simpler evening bag, add a sparkle earring and perhaps a bracelet or ring. Avoid at all costs any sweaters/tops with sparkle snowmen,blinking lights and feathers, they scream costume-y.

 3. What are some of the biggest trends in fashion for the upcoming holiday season?

A metallic fabric or velvet piece such as a jacket- a great item for your wardrobe and it can be worn annually if it is a classic style

A sequin top or beaded trimmed top-these are available at every price point and can be worn with a simple pant or jean

Bejeweled jewelry- especially a bold  necklace or a dramatic dangle earring

4.  Are there style rules they should be aware of when they’re wearing such bold, shimmery pieces?

A pretty sequined or beaded top can be paired with a satin or silk  skirt/ pant for a cocktail party and again with a pair a jeans for a less formal get together. The bolder the item of clothing in color and pattern the more it will be remembered, so if you are trying to get a lot of mileage out of your holiday attire stick to darker colors with subdued glitter for your base wardrobe, then add in the vivid colors with your accessories.

5. How can women use fun accessories like Christmas ornaments to add a little extra glam to their look?

I love to be creative with holiday ornaments. Small ornaments can be turned into fab earrings or  become a terrific pendant on a ribbon or chain. If you are handy with a glue gun you can get a small glitter ornament and glue it to a ring base ( available in craft stores such as Michael’s) and it becomes a  fun cocktail ring. Also turn holiday ornaments into interesting hair accessories. Be creative and look at things in a whole new light!

One last thing…

Don’t kill your holiday look- especially if it is a formal affair by wearing your day coat, day shoes or  carrying a day bag. Invest in a versatile evening wrap or cape that you can wear for years, evening bags and evening shoes.

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Calvin Klein 3/4 jacket with sequins from bloomingdales

Classic corduroy blazer

Corduroy has always been very popular during the fall and winter. It often invokes memories of school days.

There are a few tips I want to share with you about wearing this durable fabric.

A ‘wale’ is the width of the cord. The ribs/cords usually run vertical. Wide wale is mostly used in jackets and men’s pants. The finer wale is mostly used in women’s pants/jeans, jackets and shirts.

Corduroy is often a  wardrobe staple. Corduroy guarantees comfort, warmth, style and fun. The fabric is durable and fashionable and is available in all colors and prints.

Wider cord has a very casual look while thinner cord looks dressier and more elegant

Corduroy adds volume to your body. If you are trying to look thinner this may not be the best fabric for you

Corduroy looks great mixed with heavier fabrics such as wool, flannel, cashmere etc.

You can get a great fit on corduroy jeans if they have a bit of stretch

Make sure you get a close fit on corduroy pants. They stretch out as you wear.

Corduroy with pleats is a hard look to carry off unless you are very slim

                                                                        Chic corduroy skirt from J.Crew

Fine wale corduroy skirts – pencil style are chic and dressy
An entire corduroy suit for women can be a bit much. Better to break apart  and pair with wool tweeds.

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