Christmas Party Wear
31st Oct 2018
We’re going to go right ahead and say it, Christmas. We know, we know, it’s still (just about!) October but with the first day of November creeping in tomorrow it’s mere weeks until the party season is in full swing. In truth, with stress, fear and sheer lack of time, more of us dread rather than love the endless parties and engagements of December. Chin up though, we’ve got some solutions!
1) Use your home as inspiration. Where do you feel most comfortable? We bet it’s when you’re cosy and comfortable at home. So when you have to drag yourself out of your cocoon, take a little of the comfort factor with you. Image consultant Stephanie says there are different style ‘personalities’ including casual, classic, boho, glamorous, edgy, eccentric and retro. So if your home is all Bakelite phones and cast iron radiators, you’ll probably feel most comfortable with a retro party look. If your home is more slouchy sofas and kick your feet up chilling, then keep your look casual with a bit of sparkle thrown in.
2) Get searching. Probably the worst thing you could do is leave your outfit until the last minute, as that’s when the stress will kick in says Stephanie. “I see this every year around Christmas, that absolute panic of what on earth am I going to wear. It can become incredibly stressful, which is something that we want to try and minimise around the festive season. Instead, take your time and look at what you already own. You might have the right outfit to make you feel confident, positive and excited about your night out.”
3) Spruce it up. If you’ve unearthed just the thing from your wardrobe, give it a spruce up with a clothes brush or Lint Roller. Stephanie, who also advises on stress management, thinks that this preparation is a big part of helping you to get ready for the season. “Instead of thinking ‘oh my goodness I’ve got 5 parties to go to’ which just creates panic as it seems unmanageable, focus instead on little tasks. Like, ‘today I’m going to steam the dress I picked out or brush my suit’. This helps you to approach the party season in a positive way.”
4) Bang on trend. Looking and feeling good isn’t all about trends, but if you’d like a little inspiration on your party wear, the AW18 catwalks more than deliver. Probably our favourite fashion trend for the season is also a really big home trend- florals. Yep, those big bold florals that we have all over our walls and soft furnishings are massive (literally and figuratively!) in clothing too.
5) Hang in there. With perfect outfit held aloft, keep it crease free and ready for action on one of our funky Clothes Rails, our favourite is probably the Silver Heavy Duty Clothes Rail. Little visual reminders of our achievements are great for building confidence and helping us to manage stress says Stephanie. “As you see your outfit ready to wear, it’s a little boost as your mind subconsciously ticks a box and thinks ‘yes, that’s done, I did that’. Getting in the right frame of mind for the festive season means lots of little steps, celebrated as you go.” Sorted, so now we just need some invitations!