Time for a Party

House of Colour

Time for a Party!

I am writing this in the confirmed hope that we will be partying in December. Time for the gladrags to finally come out of their wardrobe and into the spotlight, the dancefloor, etc. If you’ve already been looking in the shops for evening wear you will have noticed that there is not much in the shops, the odd sparkly jumper and not much more. Understandably there has been hesitation on the part of retailers to commit to bringing out a lot and indeed online options are selling fast. So, if you are keen on something don’t hesitate as it won’t be there for long. The trends are highlighting a number of options which have been around and to some degree are perennials in the evening wear department so perhaps time to dig out what might be lurking in the absolute depths of your wardrobe. Velvet - It suits everyone! The co-ord, suit option is featuring strongly this season in lots of jewel colours with something for all the seasons. I love this option as it has real flexibility, each piece can be worn separately. The blazer will look great more casually with jeans while the trousers can be worn daytime with any number of tops including knitwear chiming in with hi-low styling (adding the smarter element to something more casual in an outfit). Velvet wide leg trousers are a great addition if you need more volume in your style and are incredibly easy to wear from casual to more formal evening looks. Sequins - Evening wear is bold this season and nothing says bold more than a few million sequins. A mainstay for evening but this season it can be found on flares in a variety of colours in addition to the camisole, and statement sleeve tops and dresses. For a more casual look add a white or cream shirt over a sequin camisole. Jewellery - A statement piece of jewellery can instantly add the evening glamour to an outfit. If it suits your clothing personality go big – crystals in all their forms are being liberally added to jewellery in all its forms. Adding a new piece of jewellery can be a relatively inexpensive way of updating your look. You might be a fan of the layered necklace look which is set to continue. For evening you’ll be adding as many glittery smaller pieces as you fancy. I think it works best if there are differing lengths to ensure each piece can be seen. It’s a great option for those who need a smaller scale look. Shoe buckles - So many elegant evening shoes feature a beautiful buckle this season. You don’t necessarily need to buy a new pair of shoes but add a buckle to an existing pair of court shoes. Look on etsy for lots of options.

Relaxed styling

For the ultimate in easy styling a feather hemmed pyjama style silk cropped trouser is a really fun option. Paired with a rib knit and jewelled heels for easy glamour. Check out Kitri. I spent a few months in Paris as a student and a friend and I used to marvel at the style and glamour of the Parisian women. When analysing this closely we noticed that they didn’t restrict in any way the number of accessories they put on. No British restraint there. It became our mantra, ‘when in doubt, put it all on’. I think we need it this season, if it sparkles, shines and dazzles put it on!

Article by Jennie Billings House of Colour House of Colour has a network of stylists to help you update your look – find your nearest at houseofcolour.co.uk/find-astylist