Dressed for holiday success

Christmas carols, early morning Masses, and bearded men in outdated red suits aside, the holiday season has always been made an excuse to throw a party. In these last two ‘ber’ months, you’ll probably be up to your nostrils with party invites – for that annual family reunion, for that "come as you never will" office shebang, the neighborhood get-together, for your husband’s boss’ formal rendezvous, and your best friend’s martini-packed all-nighter. There is an inverse relationship between the countdown to Christmas and your party wardrobe. The nearer we come to the birth of Christ, the greater the need to update our holiday closet possibilities. The holiday season is also the best excuse to garb yourself in something dressier than your favorite pair of denims. It wouldn’t hurt to spend a little of that Christmas bonus and splurge on a nice party dress that heralds your figure as much as it does tidings of good joy. You owe yourself a present – that Christmas shopping list is not complete unless you are in it – so buy yourself a nice dress, maybe two, to show off and to sashay the holiday party circuit in.

Party dress possibilities for this Christmas season all seem to take inspiration from decades past. Vintage styles and silhouettes are all too present amongst boutiques’ holiday collections. High-waist tube dresses patterned after Oleg Cassini’s signature line for Jackie Kennedy in the early Sixties are abundant. Most of them come with matching belts anchored by Sixties-style plastic square or circle buckles. Elegant empire cuts that glamorized the Thirties are also popular this time combined with flirty, floaty asymmetric hems that swished around stocking-clad legs during the twenties. Wrap dresses inspired by Diane von Furstenberg’s signature Seventies design have cropped up and are updated with contemporary accents such as a native belt or raw ribbon details.

Tinsel is left to the trees this season as most collections prefer clean, sleek silhouettes. Beading is scarce, reconciled to a smattering across collars, sleeves, or hemlines. Ruching and lace-up closures are more prominent details, emphasizing the female figure more. The take on vintage is also manifested in the holiday picking’s prints. Patterns go big and graphic – black and white florals popular as chaise lounge fabric during the fifties, or op art prints that psyched out the hippies during the Seventies. Feminine details put the nice in otherwise naughty skin-baring cuts. Ribbons, gemstones, and embroidery trim both mini dresses and formal wear. Fabric is as period as the dress styles. Stretch polyester popularized during the Seventies makes a comeback while classic lace so loved in the Forties is emphasized by a versatile variety of fabrics from silk to denim. Colors vary from the neutral to brights to metallics. Red, green, and gold may be all-time favorite Yuletide shades but wearing black or brown need not be holiday slip-ups. Choosing to wear black has always been a never-fail instant weight-loss program – a must in the time of lechon-laden noche buenas and holiday treats.