HO, HO, HOLIDAYS//

Well, it's the holiday season again and the crimes against fashion are rampant.  Every year, it shocks me; seeing people dressed like our friends above.  While it is hard to tell if these two lovebirds are being ironic or not, more often than not, the folks roaming around town dressed in their finest holiday sweaters and matching socks are just exploding with Christmas joy and the rest of us are left traumatized.  Dear clients and readers, please do not fall into this unforgivable trap this season.  Obviously, if you own any clothing Christmas themed that sparkles, burn it now.  Holiday fashion crimes reach beyond the dreaded sweater and sock set.  This time of year, there are a lot of parties and gatherings to attend and there are lots of ways to go wrong.  Wearing red to a holiday party is a little too obvious.  And trying to be shinier than the tree is a competition you will surely lose.  As a rule, mini length dresses that are too form fitting are what Hugh Hefner's bunnies wear at The Mansion, not what chic, sophisticated, modern women wear to celebrate with friends and family.  I think you get my point.
In general, there are two categories of holiday attire - the dress and the pants.  There are many ways to interpret these and some are more appropriate for holiday occasions than others.  I would dress myself and my clients in any of these looks - they are clean, chic, and fun without a hint of irony.  Happy party-going!

Antonio Berardi, Phillip Lim, Antonio Berardi

 The black dress always works.  Choices like this (velvet, lace, and small details) keep the black cocktail dress from being boring.  I love the Phillip Lim look with the white blazer and tan booties.  Mixing shapes and textures is always chic.

Jeremy Laing, Maria Cornejo, Dries Van Noten

 This is the kind of print you should go for as opposed to reindeer and Christmas trees! The colors here are vibrant but wearable.  These are three different looks but each one is chic and fun and perfect for a holiday party.  Because of the prints, these looks require little extra embellishment (have fun with the shoes instead).  I adore the maxi length - it adds a little edge and drama.

Prabal Gurung, Roland Mouret

A metallic cocktail dress is a great choice for many occasions, but for holiday it is especially appropriate.  The draping detail and colors here are gorgeous and chic.  Metallics can often look cheap - the colors must be muted and the material must be quality.  This Roland Mouret dress is perfection - the nude color leaves room for texture and other details the way most colors don't (except black).  Ah, the neckline and belt - greatness.  If you experiment with nudes, look for details like this.

Diane von Furstenburg, Isabel Marant

Depending on how you wear them, pants are always a modern and sophisticated alternative to a dress.  I personally prefer pants because they are more versatile and comfortable.  These looks achieve an effortless ease (note: I would remove the hat on the DVF look) but they are fun and party appropriate.  The embellishments here make the outfits - the jacket and the sequins give these looks life.  Don't knock sequins (especially pants!) until you try them - so hot!

Marc Jacobs, Dries Van Noten

Ok. These two looks make me drool. There is nothing chicer than the muted gray palette of Marc Jacobs with the loose trouser and the fur embellishment.  To pull off a muted palette like this, you must have a textured piece like the jacket and the silhouette of this pant works on everyone.  The way the Dries look mixes patterns is perfection - floral blazer with metallic detailed pant in a slouchy/narrow cut.  The print of the blazer give it femininity and the shine on the pants compliments that without competing.  This is menswear with a feminine edge and is perfect for parties.


photos from style.com

"IT'S A LOOK"//

Everyone has a "look" whether they know it or not.  Your "look" is defined by the personality of your appearance - the tendencies you have in regards to what you wear, how you style yourself, and how "accessories" like hair, makeup, posture, etc. accompany your clothing choices.  I often find, when I am working with my clients to pick out new pieces for their wardrobes, that I use the term "it's a look" when I am trying to get them to think outside their all-too-comfortable box.  Just the other day, I was shopping with a male client and I took him to Billy Reid (http://www.billyreid.com/).  I had introduced this to him previously, and while he thought a lot of it was "cool", it was clearly a departure from his usual shopping experience.  While perusing, I suggested somethings that got a silent, cocked head response.  I wanted to say "Come on, this is fabulous and cool and totally wearable!!" but instead I simply said, "Well, it is a look!" to which he agreed and then conceded that it was really great but maybe not right for him.  I love that moment because it opens up a conversation.  If I am doing my job, at the end of the conversation, I have at least convinced my clients to try something.  Once they feel the fabric, try these pieces on, and get some guidance, a new door opens up and they begin to see their wardrobes and selves from a new and more empowered perspective.  
Building a look takes time and thought, and frankly, can go horribly wrong.  Think Jersey Shore (GTL - "good to laugh" at), Cher (tall and thin and famous or not, it's just never worked), or the "busy mom" (either trying to stay hip and trendy and ending up looking like their teenage daughers or not trying at all and looking 10 years out of date).  The "looks" that have the longest shelf-lives and feel the most authentic and chic are ones that are totally symbiotic with their inhabitants. 
The goal is to find your "look" but not get stuck in it.  I would call my personal "look" slightly tailored, effortless and street conscious, slightly edgy with a high-low sensibility and attention to detail.  Depending on the season, point in my life, etc. I might change up the layers of the look, but the core always stays the same.  I always stay true to myself but remain creative.  That, to me, is the pilar of style. 

from left: from Sartorialist; Anna Dello Russo; Mary Kate Olsen; Karl Lagerfeld

 

from left: Katharine Hepburn; Kate Lanphear; from Sartorialist; Erin Wasson

From actors to stylists to designers to models to everyday people, these people embody a look that is authentic and speaks to the power of embodying your fashion choices.  Each one feels effortless yet thoughtful and each oozes with personality.  By looking at these people, you know something about them without knowing them at all.  It's a beautiful thing when something as simple and seemingly superficial as clothing can communicate one's identity.