Holiday Looks

A hectic social life requires that a large slice of my wardrobe “pie” includes various evening jackets and tops. I sometimes think I have enough, but I find myself longing for more options at this time of year. When a casual holiday look is called for, I reach for a festive top instead of a jacket. If you are mingling in someone’s home with lots of other partygoers, a jacket can quickly become too warm.

When I saw this black sparkle cold shoulder top by Clara Sunwoo, I knew it would work well for those times. Cocktail party attire that exposes too much skin is never a comfortable option for me, but showing a bit of a shoulder is acceptable. My shoulders are still smooth and firm!

As I checked the images while Mr. Mickey was snapping away, I realized the neckline needed a little something more, so I added a plain black chiffon scarf edged with black beading.

This was a mild weather evening, so my vintage velvet opera coat trimmed in faux fur was the perfect topper.

Now for the style tips. I buy pantyhose by the dozen online because I can never find my size in the stores here. My latest shipment of sheers had not yet arrived from White House|Black Market, so I was left with only black tights from YummiTummi. Tights are suitable for casual wear, but they are the wrong attitude and texture for more dressy looks. Black sheers would have looked so much better with these Lior Paris pants and black suede heels from Saks Off 5th last year. Yes, I do wear pantyhose. My sixty-year-old legs have no business parading around uncovered! A few years ago, I thought that lining my eyes and going without hose or socks in cold weather was acceptable. Those are just two of the things I stopped doing after I saw pictures of myself. The takeaway here is that your mirror lies to you.

This blogging experience has taught me to take a fresh look at my makeup techniques and my hairstyle choices, and the elements in my wardrobe with an objective eye. It helps to look at a picture of yourself wearing an outfit and then cover your face. When you see the look in this way, you can be much more objective because you have removed yourself from the equation.