Each season, I try to find a few fabulous items that I know will have tremendous staying and wearing power – pieces that can turn heads for all the right reasons and that will work for the multitude of holiday parties and events I’ll need to attend. Owning one or two unique yet basic pieces can really simplify any style conundrums you may run into as you prepare for the social obligations that November and December bring. Meeting your significant other’s parents for the first time? Attending an engagement party? What about the office holiday party? A trip to the theatre? A religious service? That’s a lot, and while you might be tempted, it’s not the time to wrap yourself in a tight red dress and unleash the cleavage. It’s the time to look covered up, respectful of the people who invited you, and classy.
This season for me, it’s a caped blazer and a pair of brocade cropped black pants. Worn together or separately, when I put these items on, I am confident that I will nail the dress code for wherever I’m headed.
The caped blazer has been on the seen for a year or so now, but I only recently gave one a try. I am 100% in love and highly recommend investing in this signature piece for your wardrobe. It can be worn to holiday parties with a pair of cropped pants, over a gown to a more formal event, over a sheath dress for the office holiday party, or even with jeans and a tee for a date night. Plus, if you snag one in a neutral-ish color, you can wear it year round.
A pair of cropped pants in a sturdy fabric with a slight sheen or brocade/pattern to them are also the perfect piece for any dress-up opportunities this season, especially if dresses and skirts are not your thing. They can be paired with a sequined top, a cardigan set, a tunic sweater, or a snazzy blazer to create a look that is comfortable yet fancy enough for the dress code.
Add a dark lip gloss, some heels or a pointed-toe sparkly flat, and you’re good to go!
Caped blazer: BCBG Max Azria via Rent the Runway // Brocade Pants: Theory via Saks Off Fifth // Boots: Roger Vivier via UAL Nashville // Clutch: Banana Republic // Necklace: Vintage // Lipstick: NARS Afghan Red
P.S. Check out my other winter dress-up posts for more inspiration, like this Velvet Tux post or this Vintage Pink Coat post!
