Party dresses are one of life's universal simple pleasures. Like chocolate, or kissing. You get to indulge in all of these at Christmas, which is why Christmas is brilliant. The festive season makes life a bit more jazzy, in the midst of all the cold and dark; what's not to love about that?
I stand by the sartorial principle that it is always, always better to be overdressed than underdressed. Which in December means that jeans-and-a-snazzy-top just don't cut it. The party dress is the choice of life's enthusiasts. To arrive in a proper party frock is to signal that you are fully committed to the evening's festivities, rather than popping in on your way home to see if anyone interesting turns up. On Match of the Day, they call it giving it 110%; on the fashion desk, we call it being A Bit Fabulous. It comes down to the same thing.
When shopping for a party dress, the moment you need to focus on is the first instant you see yourself in the changing-room mirror in the new frock. If the first thought in your head is, "This would be perfect for [specific party you are actually going to]," then you're halfway there. (If the first thought in your head is, "If I got it shortened, this would be perfect if I ever went to [theoretical event you haven't actually been invited to]," then move on. Life's too short.)
Next, think about how you feel in the dress. Does this dress make you happy, or not? It's that simple. Look around a changing room full of women trying on new clothes, and you'll see half of them pulling anxious faces while trying to yank the straps to a more comfortable/flattering position; and half of them standing in camera-pose, gazing in the mirror as if they've just spotted someone who, with a bit of slap and a heel, might be quite hot. No prizes for guessing which half should buy the new frock.
If I buy a new dress this month – OK, when I buy a new party dress this month – I'm looking for a 20s-style frock. The Hard Deco Gucci collection of black-and-gold flapper dresses that I saw in Milan in September doesn't go on sale until spring, but it is looking as good on the red carpet as it did on the catwalk – and the British high street is already on the case, especially at All Saints, where there are some fabulous Gucci-esque party frocks for around £200. This style will look new and different this year but will also, I predict, be bang on-trend next winter, when the release of the Baz Luhrmann Great Gatsby film is likely to heat the bubbling-under 20s trend to boiling point. A party dress gets better with a bit of personal history, because putting on a dress you've had a good time in before can't help but put a spring in your step. And we've got the whole of January to live in jeans, after all.
Party dress is not a term I feel comfortable with. There's no weird velvet-sashed childhood backstory here. Truth is I'm of the opinion that you have the most fun if your party look is a slightly more ritzy version of your regular self. So for me, a party dress translates as party-trousers-and-a-top. It doesn't sound nearly so effortlessly romantic but done right and accessorised with a champagne saucer, it is an excellent party look.
Trousers can easily send out the wrong message at a do. Black trousers and a sparkly top makes me think of an off-duty policewoman. If you fear WPC pub-chic too then investigate white trousers. Way too impractical to be mistaken for a work uniform and, in theory, impossibly chic. Apologies in advance for the niche fashion reference but in the Céline resort collection (told you) Phoebe Philo showed long, flowing white trousers worn with a sheer-sleeved shirt. Ridiculously cool. But short of a lottery win, I'll be buying my white party pants from Whistles this year.
As for the top part, I have two fancies this season. The first is peplums, the second is gold. Both go brilliantly with white trousers. Peplums are a bit fashion but with the fake high waist and the dramatic flare, they're unexpectedly good for hiding a Quality Street tummy. Stella McCartney is the lead peplum pusher and New Look is selling a brilliant peplum in gold. Double bullseye. Topshop has a gold and silver leather T-shirt (very Acne on a budget) which would look tremendous with white trousers and if you wanted to invert the gold and white theme you could do worse than buy some gold metallic trousers from Zara and wear with a white T-shirt, heels and too-fabulous-to-care shrug.
The real beauty of trousers and a top is almost too obvious to mention: you can split them up and wear again. And, come to think of it, the term "party wardrobe" sounds even more exciting than a party dress.
Keep the party shirt plain, says Simon Chilvers
This year's Christmas bash fashion game is spot the H&M Versace. The palm-tree print shirt from the men's collection totally puts the party into the party-shirt category. Love it or loathe it, at least it's a shirt that says "made an effort" in a way that a check shirt simply does not.
However, this season I'm going for block colour. If money was no object then I'd go vivid blue Marni or tangy orange Jil Sander. In reality, it'll be something from Topman at a fifth of the price, worn with a pair of slim, plain trousers or jeans.
I could, of course, change my casual-trouser tack over the Christmas activities, in which case I'd go for a slim-line pair of cords. Probably in a booze colour. Try Uniqlo or Zara.
If you're not a party-shirt man, then play the jumper card this year. You're after either a slim-fit Raf Simons-style modern fair-isle, or an Acne-like modern fisherman look, which Reiss has covered. Alternatively, for a blow-the-budget strategy, buy something woollen by hot British designers Jonathan Saunders or Christopher Kane.
Meanwhile if I was going to a slightly smarter party, I'd choose a three-piece suit. It's the new double-breasted and particularly popular with the A-list right now, from Gary Barlow on TV to Chris Pine on the red carpet. What is brilliant about this is the waistcoat. It sucks in your stomach (more room for canapes) and because it adds an extra level of formality, you can ditch your tie, bow or otherwise, and still look sharp. Alternatively, skip the waistcoat and go for a polo neck-suit combo à la YSL.
Last, here's a general plea on shoes to all man-folk. Stop it with the pointed-toe thing. It's not disco, it's naff. Swap for tassel loafers forthwith.
source : http ://www.guardian. co. uk/fashion/2011/nov/29/what-to-wear-christmas-party
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