WHATEVER YOU’RE DOING, DO IT IN STYLE!
AH, NEW YEAR’S EVE! We’ve had an on/off love affair since my teens. Some years I have relished ringing it in, dressed up to the nines among friends. On other occasions, I have been just as content to trade cocktails for a night in my pyjamas in front of the TV.
That said, New Year’s Eve has always been symbolic for me. It’s an occasion that embraces an ‘out with the old’ attitude – what fashion is all about. It’s a night that feels significant and special enough to mark with a sartorial flourish – even if that only means splashing out on new fleecy pyjamas from Marks & Spencer for board games and prosecco at home with my sisters.
Personally, the idea is to openly embrace a new year spirit and a matching amount of enthusiasm for what you are wearing, whether you are dining out or staying in.
If you do have big plans then, of course, nothing says big occasion like a floor-length dress. Remember it doesn’t have to be dripping in sequins – the most memorable dresses are rarely flashy, they are simple and chic. Think about the understated effect of a floorlength silk Ghost dress from Arnotts. These are the dresses you’ll look back at in photos and never regret wearing. Alice + Olivia in Brown Thomas is also renowned for its simple, dreamy versions.
If you’re shorter, more petite and need a less sweeping hemline, then a simple slinky, boudoir-style dress will work perfectly for festivities. Think a velvet spaghetti-strap number – try Zara or Mango – and layer with jewellery, channelling Kate Moss in her mid-1990s heyday.
Go easy on heel height – you want shoes that will enchance the drama and mood of your dress, but practicality has to reign supreme somewhere. The last place you want to be at midnight is in the corner crying over blistered feet.
If your plans, on the other hand, are simply to relax at home then a trip to Penneys or Marks & Spencer is essential this weekend. If you weren’t lucky enough to receive some nice sleep wear under the tree then these have the best selections that won’t break the bank – you might also get them at sale prices.
Still in two minds? Just remember, New Year’s Eve is too sentimental not to celebrate. Things are different these days, I agree – there’s taxi fares to think about, a lack of babysitters, the stress of having nothing special to wear. But even if you’re at home on the couch with the kids, make a conscious decision to find something that you’ll be happy to take a photograph in.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year.
“IF YOU DO HAVE BIG PLANS, NOTHING SAYS OCCASION LIKE A FLOOR” LENGTH DRESS
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