Holiday Party Attire For The Rest Of Us
For many of you, the holiday party season may mean swanky cocktail parties, dressy dinners, and perhaps even a black-tie event or two.
But in une femme’s world these days, holiday celebrations are more likely to involve hot wings at a sports bar, a cozy family potluck, or standing in line outdoors at the Thai-rific Tacos! food station, with 987 of my favorite co-workers while juggling a paper plate of cheese and a plastic glass of wine. None of which are conducive to the kind of Holiday Party Wear™ currently being flogged by retailers and magazines. A little lace party dress, sequined clutch and 4″ heels are overkill for these kinds of venues.
So how to do “Festive Casual,” especially when you may have to be on your feet for hours?
My favorite pieces for this kind of event are those with casual styling but in fabrics or finishes that read as dressy. A slouchy sweater with metallic threads or some sequins, Partypants or a pair of jeans with a metallic or shiny finish, a soft jacket in velvet will all convey “casual glamour.”
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| NYDJ Coated Skinny Jeans |
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| 7 For All Mankind (have seen these up close…they’re gorgeous!) |
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| NYDJ Shattered Velvet Jeans (also available in Plus) |
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| Vince Camuto |
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| Rebecca Minkoff |
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| Ralph Lauren |
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| Toast silk velvet jacket |
Add one or two baubles that sparkle like champagne, et voilà! (Unless you’re going for “ironic,” skip the novelty holiday sweaters or Christmas Tree Lights earrings.)
Shoes or boots with either a low or stacked heel will be more comfortable, but try a patent, suede or velvet finish, or even some embellishment for a bit of festive oomph. For indoor venues, a velvet smoking slipper is a great current option for those who prefer flats.
When it comes to party bags, I’ll always choose something with a shoulder or cross-body strap (remember that part about being on your feet and juggling food and drink).
How is your holiday party season shaping up? Will your gatherings be more casual, or will you celebrate in high(ball) style like Nick and Nora Charles?
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Your events sound fab, I’d love to be eating hot wings and tacos!
Great post! My gatherings are all casual, as well, so I try to find ways to walk this line every year. I like your choices.
My “events” are similar to yours, Une Femme, in degree of dressiness. Love those patterned jeans by 7forallmankind!
No fabulous parties this year. Just family at my house. But I will try to be festive in black velvet jeans, silver ballerinas and a cardigan shot through with silver threads. Will also wear a long silver/crystal necklace that the grandbabies love to tinker with.
You’re so right about the kind of events most of us attend. Just this morning I resisted the lure of a black lace skirt and bought instead a pair of slim cropped black trousers, which I’ll wear over Christmas with just the sort of slightly-glittery knit and stylish flats you suggest. It’s so easy to get carried away by editorials which assume that most of us live a hugely glamorous lifestyle – if anything of that sort does come up I’ll raid the charity shop rather than spend lots on something which will be worn just a couple of times.
Oddly my work holiday party is a Dress to the Nines affair. I plan to wear a sequin pencil skirt. That’s about as Nines as feels right:). I confess to getting tired with pants, so was happy to go for shiny skirt. I bet you will look fab, and YOU.
Velvet smoking slippers? I honestly had no idea that such things existed.
Love the idea of festival casual & have been thinking that I need a pair of party pants!
Great suggestions! Completely wearable, and a bit of sparkle adds the holiday flair. Dressed up with one or two signature accessories – and you’re ready to rock ‘n roll!
(Or at least stand and schmooze comfortably and appropriately dressed.)
Party on, party pants! You make such a good point I hadn’t thought about- casual is the way we party. Sparkles and all.
Wore black velvet jeans, plum silk dress with Agnes B black angora sweater, black shoe boots and black and purple beaded bag to the WI Christmas party Monday. Warm and comfortable!
Hooray for party pants! And also for comfort. I love to dress up, but my actual life rarely calls for it -including events, which are skewing more and more casual. I go ahead and wear what I enjoy to wear every day, which is often a mix of festive and practical.
All the holiday gatherings I’ll be attending this year are pretty relaxed and casual. I actually enjoy those more.
Oh, I’d totally let you dress me! Very chic options here. I do like skinny jeans, heels, and a sparkly-ish top for more casual holiday gatherings, although my black tulle skirt and antique beaded collar will be making an appearance tomorrow night at an event 🙂
Ok, I love this post…it is perfect for “the rest of us” and my real world! I am attending one party where Earth, Wind and Fire is going to play…that might be a simple skirt and a sparkly top…cocktail dresses??, uh, no.
Agree with you on all points. I haven’t gone to a “fancy” party for years. We are going to an annual house party this Sunday. Not quite sure what I’m wearing. I’ll start working on that today.
I like your choices a lot!
You have a great fashion sense and your events sound like fun.
My festive invites are on the casual side with the exception of New Years and I am still in a quandary about what to wear.
Yes, this is my approach to most of our holiday partying. I just picked up a sequined sweatshirt-style top from the Gap along with a pair of grey skinny jeans sprinkled with little silver metallic stars. I have a sequined tank from last year, my Marc Jacobs brass-studded mouse flats, and a pair of metallic-silver-black Fluevog loafers. Then I just play mix-and-match. If I let myself add something new from your suggestions, I’d definitely try those 7 brocade pants — fabulous!
I do have one party I need to wear a dress to, but I can’t bring myself to wear anything sparkly or glittery as you are supposed to this season. That just isn’t me. I always feel like I want to or should but I never actually end up buying anything that fits that description.
Forgive me! My first reaction? I’m getting really sick of skinny jeans. Don’t mind me — maybe I’m bitter, but I don’t think they flatter very many women of a certain age. They certainly don’t flatter me.
For me, it’ll probably be black pants and dressier shoes, with something a little sparkly on top. I have a gorgeous black wool sweater with subtle sequins, so that might be nice. But nothing says “festive” like a skirt and either sheer black or black fishnet stockings.
Grumpily yours, Sisty
Your events sound similar to the ones I am invited to this season. I will probably be doing mostly jeans or many some black ankle pants with something a bit flashy for a top or jacket.
I say I would love to go to something fancy every year, but really, I prefer to be comfortable and casual.
I love those 7 brocade pants…they look hot!
Nothing fancy on my agenda so my black velvet pants and fluffy or sparkly tops will be my celebratory wearables. I love the glamour age of “The Thin Man” – and can see Nora wearing many of your selections today.
I just skipped the work party, so that’s it for me. One caveat: at these events almost every woman looks kind of the same: black velvet and red come to mind. Plus some sparkle. So…does one fit in or clash?
Chic, yet festive. You have an THE eye and I’m always impressed with your choices.
I had to laugh at this post! I read it yesterday but didn’t play the clip, and the first thing I thought of was Nick & Nora. I even wrote a post which then got zapped into the ether. So this is what I said:
In my mind, I attend a number of elegant soirees, something along the lines of Nick and Nora Charles’. I am wearing my silk charmeuse evening gown under my black velvet cloak, oh, and lots of diamonds; while I swill Champagne and nibble canapes. There is perhaps some waltzing with handsome men in tuxedoes.
But in my ACTUAL life….last night I attended my daughter’s end-of-season volleyball banquet. I wore a little red silk cardigan with a black & white houndstooth pencil skirt, and my new black leather stacked heel boots. Slightly dressy, but not too. Next weekend is my husband’s office party, at his boss’ house. Not sure what to wear to that; I was thinking about some version of black pants with a cashmere sweater (if it’s cold enough) or some moderately sparkly top, but then I read the post above, about how everybody wears black pants and red tops to holiday parties. That’s a good point! May need to rethink, as I do like to stand out a bit.
Sadly, no Nick & Nora moments in my future!
—Jill Ann
Like materfamilias says, those 7 jeans are fantastic and avoid ubiquity. And- “shattered velvet”, doesn’t that sound fab? (However, I think red pants demand a rather svelte behind.)
Though I tried on many partypants I have not found mine, so with time running out will wear black palazzos and one of Veronique Milkjovich’s draped jersey tops in deep cobalt. Or once again my leather tee.
I have never had and never will have glittering or sequined anything. Imo, those are a one-time only pieces, and what do do with them later on?
No big parties in sight, for the ones I´m to attend, I´ll trust on one or two pieces of jewelry, polished shoes and comfortable clothing.
The 7 jeans are calling my name! I have a similar pair but not quite festive as the one you chose. The Ralph Lauren silver sweater is NICE, too! Uh oh, my fingers are typing online stores…. 🙂
Beautiful choices. Aren’t the new NYJD jeans just fab? I love those shattered velvet ones, but I have so many different NYJD now that I sure don’t need another pair.
We don’t really do much for the holidays. Once you are retired, the parties seem to be few and far between, at least in my experience.
Ahh the life of nick and Nora! Very chi-chi but mine is more Sunday afternoon dinners with friends(early bird specials–lol) I choose clothes that I wouldn’t wear to work; a shorter skirt or special shoes.
Your post is on point… Very good suggestions!
Brilliant! So many holiday parties are held in bars and I never know what to wear. I don’t want to look like I want to hook up but I also don’t want to look as though somebody brought their Mom. I am running out at luch for a glittery sweater and/ or a pair of party pants. You’re the best!
I actually have a pair of velvet party pants but I can never figure out how to wear them. On the one hand I think: sequined top! On the other I hand I think: that would be overkill.
But since I never wind up going to any swanky holiday parties, perhaps the point is moo, as Joey from “Friends” would say …
(Maybe that’s why my “what to wear for a holiday party” post was about office parties!)
The party pants all look great.
This year I lucked out with a red Ralph Lauren tee that perfectly matches my Dorothy red shoes. These two reds (and my red lipstick) have been making the circuit, either with jeans or black EF slacks, and of course my WendyB and other jewelry pieces.