12 style rules for Christmas
It’s that time of year where the logs are on the fire, the fairy lights are twinkling and the baubles are shining. It may be cold outside but inside the party season is red hot and fully underway. Here is your guide to making sure you are the style angel throughout the festive season.
Throughout the season’s designers often play with metallic. Gold and silver can work under the summer sun but when they really shine is under the twinkling party lights of Christmastime. Metallic gives a party dress an instant sleek, luminous sheen that no other finish can give.
Wearing metallic can be quite daunting especially when we are so used to wearing dark colours once the clocks go back. But metallic adds a shimmering richness to gold and silver which shouldn’t be avoided. If you feel a silver dress is just too much — then add metallic through accessories like a glimmering clutch or heels.
We all need a little bit of sparkle in our lives and Christmas is the perfect time for sequins. Like diamonds — they can be a girl’s best friend but it must be stressed that this rule applies only during the festive season. A sequin dress stands on its own so there is no need for accessories.
Leave jewellery to a minimum or wear none at all. Choose a simple style of dress for the sequinned look — it’s a dramatic look so let the dress speak for itself. If an entire dress is too much the sequin skirt is a cute alternative. Laura Whitmore (left) carried this look perfectly at this year’s MTV EMA’s where she matched a black shirt with a short black sequin skirt.
Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without a touch of red. A red dress can be quite daring and is guaranteed to get you a lot of attention. Maybe it’s down to Chris de Burgh and his ‘Lady in Red’ but men tend to have a very big soft spot for a woman in a red dress. Surprisingly, red is a very flattering tone for red heads.
Think Mad Men actress Christina Hicks who is often seen wearing the colour on the red carpet . Most recently Kylie Jenner stepped out in a full length red strappy dress for the American Music Awards. With her dip dye black locks and black nails she added an edginess to an otherwise refined dress.
The fur coat is an icon in itself but in more recent decades the more politically-correct faux-fur friend has taken a lead in the style stakes. The party dress isn’t renowned for being the warmest item in our wardrobe so when we’re dashing from each yuletide gathering to the next it’s nice to be warm while keeping a bit of glamour.
The faux-fur coat is the ultimate outerwear for the party season. Thanks to new designer label on the block, Shrimps, colour is what it’s all about this year. If bright blue isn’t your thing white faux-fur without a collar is very on trend, making the faux-fur sophisticated and festive.
Made famous by Audrey Hepburn the Little Black Dress is the queen of sophistication. No party season would be complete without an outing of the easiest and most demure dress style. This go-to favourite is a must-have in every girl’s wardrobe.
With so many events filling the festive calendar having an old reliable at hand is a necessity. This iconic piece needs very little explanation. It’s simple, stylish and flattering. All you need in a dress.
From the runway to street-style, leather has become a firm favourite amongst the fashion elite for a number of seasons now. Celebrities from Nicole Scherzinger to Cara Delevingne love a bit of leather. It is the ultimate rock star fabric.
There are no limits to the leather options from the biker jacket to leather pencil skirts, t-shirts or just a touch of leather trimming — there is an option out there to suit everyone. For the festivities a leather dress is the supreme choice.
It doesn’t have to be about bondage and in-your-face sexiness with the leather dress. Choose a classic style that doesn’t show too much flesh because the leather alone is sexy enough.
We all love to have a little bling in our lives. Even if jewellery isn’t your thing, Christmas is a time for decoration. The cuff has been on trend for a number of seasons now and it comes in all guises.
Swarovski have gone for the rock look with a crystal- studded wrap around cuff. And Irish designer Blaithin Ennis is making a name for herself amongst the celeb elite. Earlier this year Nicole Scherzinger was spotted donning one of her stunning Karelian cuffs. Statement pieces are a striking addition to any dress and Ennis’ Karelian designs offer some truly stunning pieces that will add the wow factor to any dress.
Despite its impracticality, the clutch has become a staple accessory for many of us. In general the clutch isn’t very big, there’s little room for anything more than a few coins, a phone and a lippy. The envelope style can be quite wide and difficult to carry.
The lack of strap means that you’re left literally dancing around your handbag on the dance floor by the end of the night. But with all its flaws the clutch is the perfect handbag choice for a night out. Its small demeanour adds a certain sophistication to any outfit.
Not everybody likes change but mixing up your style can be fun. Reaching for the same party dresses season after season can get a little dull and so an alternative should be embraced. The jumpsuit is the ideal substitute to the party dress. It’s been sneaking up the style ranks over the past few seasons.
With Eva Longoria splashing out on one during her recent spending spree in River Island on Grafton Street the jumpsuit has reached new status. The jumpsuit is easy to wear and can be subtly sexy with plunging necklines. The one rule, it must always be paired with a skyscraper heel to avoid any chance of frumpiness.
The Americans have a rule, no white after Labour Day, which is the first weekend of September. But as we all know rules are made to be broken and this is one which needs to be stamped all over. The juxtaposition of wearing winter white against the darkness of the winter season creates a magical look.
Although this trend is breaking the rules there are others to follow, like fabric. Winter white means texture so avoid light, flimsy fabrics like cotton and opt for thicker, more luxurious materials like fur and wool.
At Christmas we tend to seek lavish things. It is the only time of year where wearing luxurious fabrics like velvet is acceptable. Velvet was popular in the 70s and since then it has sneaked its way into most Autumn/Winter collections.
Baroque embellishment is another grand design print which was a firm favourite on the Alexander McQueen runway and has been adopted by the high street. This opulent trend can be daunting. There is the slim chance of looking like an 18th century curtain print. This is where less is more is the rule to follow.
The past few years have seen the country invaded by the Christmas jumper trend. Never before has it been so cool to head to a city bar wearing a woolly jumper that your gran could have knitted.
With the 12 pubs of Christmas being reinstated as a festive obligation, wearing a Christmas jumper is mandatory. Each year they have become more and more sophisticated with flashing lights and some even singing.
There’s even a pop-up shop in Dublin city centre dedicated to them.
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