How To Get Through the Holidays With Style
Tina, here.
Thanksgiving is next week. My favorite holiday, and so many people's favorite, I think. I loved waking up as a child to the Macy's Day Parade, hearing the clinking sound of pots and pans in the kitchen with my mother, and knowing my dad was taking the day off. We are a family of workers. We work all the time. It's in our Irish blood. So I loved seeing my father relax on this one Thursday a year. My brothers would be home from college, my sister would fly in from wherever she was living, and all was right with the world. It was my job to polish the silver, lay the table and take care of everyone's water. We dressed up as a family for this important meal. My grandmother always arrived in some kind of fur and smelling of Joy (the perfume). It was just wonderful. Now we spend it in Beersheba Springs, Tennessee with loads of cousins and dogs and trying to stay warm in an unheated mountain house with one huge fireplace in the kitchen (which is in a separate building since the house was built in the 1800's). It's a wonderful riot. I love both traditions so much. However you spend the holiday season, you will have gatherings to attend and people to love who you haven't seen in a while. Here's what you will wear. Now you can get on with the privilege of living life without worrying about clothes. They're just clothes, after all.
How To Get Through The Holidays With Style
The November Style Vault: A Toast To The Stylish Life has been updated with links to more fab finds you’ll see in this blog! If you’re a member, start shopping the Style Notes. If you’re not, you can join here and get inside the Vault today!
1. One Dress Three Ways

Everyone has a black dress, or navy or grey. Start with this. If you need a good one, I am always adding them to the Style Vault. But you do need a good one. That is timeless and doesn't have a lot of stuff going on, so you can switch it up many different ways. I just added 3 good dresses to the November Style Vault, Style Notes. 2 are long sleeve, both under $100, and one sleeveless option. Soooo fab.

And bring out your fancy shoes. I'm wearing deep evergreen velvet heels, which I love against a black dress. There are so many beautiful heels in all heights in the November Style Vault to get you through your parties this season.

Next outfit with your black dress is to add a leather jacket and fun shoes. Fun, not necessarily fancy. This outfit is for a less formal gathering. And your leather jacket can be really any color except red or blue. I don't like electric, primary colors against black - it's too harsh and game day-ish. Gorgeous leather jacket inside the November Style Vault, and it's on sale.

Next outfit with the black dress is for a casual luncheon or school play. Maybe a low key office party. Top it with a nice cardigan. To make it special, add sparkly shoes and a scarf. I added some beautiful low heels and a dazzling scarf inside the November Style Vault that will make any outfit special this time of year. To keep things from feeling like just another winter's day.

Make sure your cardigan isn't very long and fits well overall. Mine has a chiffon layer in the back which dresses it up some. One thing you are not allowed to wear are holiday-themed sweaters that will end up at an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party next year. We're achieving the holiday theme with our accessories (sparkly jewelry, fun shoes) and not kitschy sweaters.
2. One Pair Of Jeans Two Ways

Don't forget to pile on the jewelry. Jeans and jewels are more de rigueur at holiday parties than ever before as our world becomes less formal. But it is a compliment to your host to dress up for the gathering they took time, effort and love preparing for you. So add that 3rd piece. I found the most delectable fur piece and put it in the November Style Vault to dress up literally any outfit. It comes in many colors and is under $100.

You've got to wear fancy shoes, even with jeans. You're wondering what to do when it's freezing cold and you want to wear boots. If you are walking to your party, I get it. Wear your boots. If not, brave the cold or rain from your garage to your car, and from the valet to the front door. I think you'll be ok in pretty shoes and no socks.

If you don't have a bedazzled top, yep, that's right, pile on the jewelry. Wear jewelry you would never wear with a t-shirt in the summer. And just throw a pashmina around your shoulders if you're cold. I added some gorgeous blouses to the November Style Vault that would be good with dress pants, skirts or jeans. They can even be worn untucked over skinny jeans.
If you’re in the Nashville area, we can serve you in person. When you call us in, we take care of everything for you. And you get our shopping discounts so you can spend less on yourself and more on others, in the spirit of the season and all. Just last week we saved a beauty a bundle on her party dress. We’re talking a pretty nice dress and she saved $200. Smart shopping. Check out our amazing Nashville Wardrobe Consulting services, and don’t forget to join the Style Vault today to start shopping and saving on brand new items.
Thanks for reading and all the best,
Tina
I’m addicted to the vault! I can’t get dressed without you!
~ another happy Style Vault insider
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Photos by Krissy Leigh Creative
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