💌 Style Mail: How to sparkle in a sea of fleece

Aka how to feel festive when your holidays are casual

At this point in the season, I start to get holiday FOMO. Are we doing enough? Have I scheduled enough family fun? Should I be seeing more friends?

I actually had a bout of holiday FOMO right before I started writing this post. And I made a dinner reservation, a brunch reservation, texted a friend & then (unsuccessfully) tried to buy tickets to see a holiday lights display.

But then I remembered - we’re pretty low key. And I’m an introvert. And if we go out two nights in a row, I’m socially exhausted. So, while I’ll still go to dinner & brunch - I’ll also spend a good part of the holidays on the couch with my husband & son & dog, watching a movie. And I’m perfectly happy with that.

So, if your holidays are more low key casual than fancy & dressy, read on…

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✍️ Style Scoop

A range of outfits for this client to wear over the holidays & throughout winter. And I’m featuring her look book in the next Style Mail VIP post!

Do you have a lot of dressy holiday events & occasions? Like cocktail parties & a fancy work event & tickets to the symphony? Or are your holidays casual & laid-back (like mine)?

If your December schedule is more visiting friends & nice dinners & kids’ activities than ‘black-tie optional’ – welcome to the club. And welcome to how most of my clients spend the holidays.

But even if you’re going to something pretty relaxed, you still might want to feel festive. And dress up a little more than what you wear to work (and a lot more than what you wear to Costco). But you don’t want to be too dressed up & feel out of place.

So, here’s your holiday style strategy: strike a balance between dressy & casual. So, you still feel like you’re channeling the holiday spirit, but in an easygoing way. Here are a few ways to do it.

Two different chunky sweater/slip skirt/boot outfits for two different clients (that are perfect for the holidays!).

CASUAL SHAPE IN A DRESSY FABRIC

I love dressy fabrics – like silk & satin & velvet & sequins. But when you think of these, you might picture a silky, detailed dress. Or a velvet suit. Or a sequin pencil skirt. But how about a satin bomber jacket? Or velvet pants that fit just like jeans? Or a crewneck sweater with sequin embellishments?

It’s the shape of the garment that keeps it from feeling overdone – but it’s the fabric that makes it feel special. And that’s a great note to hit over the holidays.

Two blazer/jeans/boots outfits that are perfect examples of blending dressy with casual.

BLEND DRESSY WITH CASUAL

This is a strategy that I use all the time to create outfits for clients - for those occasions that fall ‘in the middle’. You know what I mean, right? Date nights, dinner with friends, smart casual office outfits – anything that’s nicer than your athleisure, but not what you’d wear to a wedding (this article is all about dressing for ‘the middle’.).

And it’s the same principle over the holidays. Pair your velvet blazer with jeans. Grab your sequin skirt & put it with a chunky sweater & boots. Flex your style muscles by mixing it up in new & different ways. (Check this out for a few more casual holiday outfit ideas.)

Two looks for one client - the left is a great blend of textures (sequin, leather, corduroy) & all black kicks it up a notch. The right shows the impact of accessories - glitzy jewelry & shoes take this office outfit to most any holiday party.

START SIMPLE, ADD ACCESSORIES

Accessories are powerful (if you don’t believe me, read this). They can totally shift the tone of your outfit. And there’s no better time to play with them than at the holidays. So, start with a relatively basic outfit like a simple dress. Or a pop color top & black pants. And then add sparkly jewelry. Or show-stopping heels. Or a bejeweled bag (or all three!).

I especially love this strategy when you’re going somewhere, but you’re not sure how much everyone else is dressing up. Because it strikes the exact balance I’m talking about.

Do you have a holiday occasion coming up & you’re not sure what to wear? Leave a comment & I’ll respond with some ideas.

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🕶️ Style Tip

I love a blazer as a third piece - and it’s a lot more versatile than you may think. But when I mention wearing a blazer at this time of year, I often get the response, “I can’t wear a blazer with my coat.” So, here’s a tip:

Your winter coats need to be roomy enough to wear over a blazer. And a chunky sweater. And layers. Because you’re wearing your heaviest clothes under it - so you need the room.

And if this means sizing up, just do it.

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💡 Client Spotlight

A few outfits I created for this virtual client.

So many clients come to me when they’re in transition - or transitions, like this client. She grew significantly in her career. She went from working remotely to being back in the office (with much greater visibility). She gained weight & shifted into plus sizes. She turned 40. And she just didn’t know how to dress anymore.

We went through my full framework virtually (Style Portfolio, Closet Audit, Shopping & Styling) - and we’ll be working together again in the spring, to get her ready for warm weather.

Here are a few lines from an email she sent me:

“A thank you note does not seem like enough to fully express how grateful I am that you shared your expertise with me.”

“Through all this, I turned up in an outfit that I not only felt comfortable in & was appropriate for the event, but that felt like me.”

“The lack of stress I feel when it is time to get ready is a true gift. And feeling comfortable in my body & my age is a lovely feeling.”

If you’re ready to update, elevate or evolve your style - I’m currently accepting clients to begin my framework in March. Click here to get the process started.

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Let’s Work Together!