The Lazy Gal’s Guide To Partywear.

The season of sequins, tear-jerker adverts and one too many glasses of prosecco at the office Christmas party is finally upon us again! Every single year, I have the best intentions of slaying the festive frock period with rich velvets, smooth satins and sparkly little black dresses, but when it actually comes down to it, I throw on my *least* faded pair of tight black jeans, some form of a nice top, a cardigan, a huge coat, three pairs of socks and knee-high boots. Not quite the sartorial showdown I’ve been hoping for all these years, but fast forward to two Christmas parties (plus many compliments on what I was wearing) down this season and I’ve finally cracked how to do style + comfort. Here are a few tips on doing partywear easily without any sprained ankles, frostbitten legs or makeup palavers for those of you who will be partying from the rest of December through to the new year!

THE MIDI DRESS.

I am an incredibly lazy dresser. Which is why you’ll see me in a ‘nice’ dress 90% of the time because it means I can just throw on the aforementioned dress with some solid accessories and I’m out of the door in thirty minutes. Is there anything more versatile, comfortable and easy to wear as a midi dress? I think not my friends. Anything ‘midi’ length is a dream for me because of my height and body type, but I honestly think it looks good on absolutely everyone, Karina, Chloe and Danielle all have very different body shapes but they rock the hell outta a midi dress am I right?! There’s a reason why I wear Midi dresses quite literally… All the time and I wore the above black paisley print ruffle dress from Next to a Christmas party paired with heeled boots (with two pairs of socks and black leggings instead of tights – because, practicality) and received a wealth of compliments! So if you’re wanting to go the dress route this party wear season and you’re thinking of a.) the cold and b.) comfort then I’d highly recommend a swishy midi dress.

THE BLOCK HEEL. 

Tis the season of having to cradle your very uncomfortable heels in your arms whilst getting your boyfriend to piggyback you all the way home from the bar because your shoes were too high and you hurt your ankle dancing too aggressively (this actually happened to me back in February – Much to my then boyfriend’s annoyance aha!). Since then I’ve been ultra wary of both cheap bodycon dresses from boohoo (not at ALL practical for piggybacks) and thin stiletto heels. Moving solidly onto strappy block heels have been a necessary move for me and I’m glad I did so because block heels can take you straight from day to night – Handy for those Office Christmas parties!

I waited five weeks, yes five weeks for these babies to drop back into stock on the Next website. I’d seen these patent beauties in red upon the feet of the very stylish Olivia and something similar on the feet of equally stylish Katherine and I just knew the strappy block heel had to be mine. 

THE FAIL SAFE ACCESSORIES.

A great tip a friend once let me in on was to always, always, always wear a watch and I didn’t realise how correct she was until I started dating. Having a watch on meant I could keep track of time in a subtle manner without whipping my phone out, and it applies for any other events or parties where you may have a Cinderella moment and need to dash and catch the last tube or the night bus home. My watch of choice is always usually something with black leather and gold and this Portland Shore Project watch has been on my wrist for about a year now. It’s sleek, simple and beautifully made. Another gem of a tip is to wear bold earrings. Bold earrings will always draw attention to your face and apparently will help people stay engaged in conversation with you – that is unless of course, you don’t want to draw attention to your face!

THE CLASSIC RED LIP COMBO.

The ancient Sumerians are supposed to have been the first to have invented and worn red lipstick around 5,000 years ago and the power that a red lip conveys still waxes strong to this day. Red is the colour of passion and having it on your lips draws attention to your mouth, and apparently.. the words that come out of it. A red lip is a fail safe for me if I’m running late or I don’t have time to do a full highlight and contour plus eyeshadow routine. I just slather on a cool toned red, put on some mascara and cover up any imperfections with a light concealer and hey presto – effective Parisienne style makeup in a flash. My reds of choice are Mac ‘Ruby Woo’, Colour Pop ‘Trust Me’ and for the vampy amongst you mix ‘LAX’ by Colour Pop mixed with Trust me for a beautiful dark ombre red lip.

I hope these tips help you see the party season through with comfort and style!

What I Wore…

DRESS c/o next | HEELS c/o next | EARRINGS c/o next | WATCH – shore projects | BELT – vintage

x