Style Dilemma: What to Wear to Ring in the New Year?

These days even a black tie dress code can mean any number of things when it comes to acceptable clothing options. And who wants to simply be acceptable anyway? Read on to find out what to wear no matter where you are ringing in the New Year.

******************************************

I have a great black dress I want to wear on New Year’s Eve.  What kind of accessories would help me look different from everyone else in a black dress?
The easiest way to change up your little black dress is with a super fun shoe. New Year’s is a time for sparkle and pizzazz so show your New Year’s spirit with a great shoe. Step out in style with a shoe in a bright color, interesting texture, animal print, or with fun embellishment.

My friends and I are going to dinner and then to a swanky bar.  I want to wear something nicer than jeans and heels but feel I should leave the cocktail attire in the closet.  Any suggestions?
Head to your closet and pull out your favorite dress–then change it up!

Add a belt! Take off the boring belt your dress came with and replace it with your own chic version. The upgrade of a belt made of soft leather, a fun color, or even a beaded metallic will add personality and style.

Help!  I need a cocktail dress asap and am tired of wearing black.  What colors are in right now?
You can never go wrong with color! Try a dress in a rich jewel tone such as eggplant, peacock blue, or berry. Add a metallic shoe and you have a fresh on trend look.

Do visions of red eyes, double-chins, and not-so-slimming side views have you hiding from the camera?  Keep the following tips in mind and you’ll be seeking out photo ops!
Put your best foot forward.  One foot should be slightly in front of the other, with the heel of the front foot in line with the ball of the other.  Angle your front shoulder down and slightly angle your hips.
Two’s a crowd.  Avoid a double-chin by projecting your chin out slightly and pressing the tip of your tongue behind your front teeth.
Choose color wisely. Dark colors are flattering, slimming, and draw attention to the face.
Say Cheese.  Avoid a stale smile by waiting until just before the picture is snapped to smile.  It’s ok to ask for a countdown! 
Adjust Your Gaze.  Don’t look directly at the camera; instead gaze just above or below it.
Loosen up.  Don’t press your arms to your sides, instead keep arms loose and elbows slightly bent.
Drop the drink.  Not literally, of course!  Nowhere to put it?  Hold it in the hand you are wrapping around your buddy or beau.
Relax and look natural. The more relaxed you feel the better picture you will take.

Have any tips or outfits that have resulted in the perfect picture? Share your tips by leaving us a comment.

Are you wondering how you’re going to make it through the holidays in style? Join me on Tuesday, December 7th at 6 pm at AesthetiSpa and learn how to make your holiday style effortless and fun. See the details below and be sure to register by calling the number below. Space is limited.

Lee Heyward, Style Expert and Owner of Charleston Style Concierge shows us how to stay fashionable and festive without being over the top.

Are you challenged to figure out what to wear to your office holiday party? Look professional and festive at your next office holiday party.

1. Most important is to remember that when it comes to office parties, no matter where they may be, you are always at work. Your actions, even at a party, affect your professional image.
2. Dress for the job you want.  This is a great rule of thumb to strive for all of the time.  Imagine the disappointment you would feel if you were passed up for a promotion because of an inappropriate outfit you wore to last year’s holiday party.  Yes, people do remember what you wear so leave the revealing and non-professional clothing at home.
3. Keep your outfits simple and show your personality through the details of your accessories. Accessories are a great way to add a festive flair to your office party outfit. Bold jewelry and a metallic shoe can completely change the look of an office appropriate little black dress.
4. If you aren’t sure what to wear ask someone who attended last year’s party. The venue and invitation can also give you cues as to how dressy the party may be. When in doubt always dress up. If you arrive feeling overdressed you can always remove a piece of jewelry or switch out a shoe to feel more casual.
5. Remember that confidence is the best thing you can bring to an office party.  Choose clothing that makes you feel good.

Tunic tops are a big trend for fall but can everyone look great in one? Yes, if it fits correctly.

A tunic that fits well is a chic and sophisticated wardrobe piece. The trick to rocking a tunic is simply great fit. There are two things to look out for when finding the right tunic for you.

1. A great tunic provides a flattering shape. Pay attention to the seams on the side of the garment. They should come in slightly to help delineate a waistline or to highlight the narrowest part of your torso. To determine if this will be the case you have to try it on. As you look in the mirror ask yourself if you can see your shape or do you look like a rectangle. If you appear boxy or look like a rectangle, put the tunic back—it’s not the right one.
2. The length of your tunic can make or break your look. Tunic length is very important because the correct length will make you appear thinner and taller. Typically I recommend that your top not come past your crotch. When a garment length is past your crotch you can no longer see where your legs start—visually making you look shorter.  If a tunic is too long simply take it to your favorite alteration shop and have it shortened to the appropriate length for you.

Look for tunics like this very chic example from Escapada Living.

Have a style question? Leave us a comment and your question could become our next blog post.

Brought to you by

As the holidays approach style is always on the mind. What will you wear? How will your house look for your famous holiday dinner party? What kind of fun and flair can you add to your gift wrap?
We want to help you make style easy and fun in all areas of your life.
As our gift to you please enjoy this audio recording of a special interview I did with Kathleen Ellis,  “How to Create Beauty in Your Home with Easy Elegance.”
Kathleen Ellis, Lifestyle Designer, specializes in teaching you how to create a life of TOTAL BEAUTY. She has given me many valuable style tips and I am really excited to share this interview with you.
This is one of my favorite interviews and it has inspired me to add simple elements of style and beauty to my own home.  I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did.

Click here to have the audio mp3 file automatically emailed to you for your listening convenience.
This interview is approximately 30 minutes in length.
Know someone who would enjoy listening to this call? Please feel free to forward this to them, but first don’t forget to sign up to get access to this great interview first.
Here’s to your style,
Lee Heyward

To be truly happy with your style you need to know who it is you want to be when you get dressed in the morning. The goal is not to create a costume each morning, but to create an outfit that leaves you feeling both confident and happy.

Before you can truly have great style you have to know what you want. This isn’t necessarily a particular look, but how you would like your clothing to make you feel. I offer the following questions to help you reflect on what you want from your style versus what your style is actually giving you.

Nobody’s looking so answer these honestly and see what you discover.

1. When or what area of your life do you have the most difficulty dressing for?
2. When you walk into a room would you most likely want to:

   A. Stand out

   B. Blend in

   C. Seem in control

   D. Seem natural and easy going

   E. Be the life of the party

3. Please finish the sentence.
   I feel most self-conscious about my _______________________________________.

   I feel happiest about my ________________________________________________.

4. What 3 words describe who you are, or who you want to be?
   ______________________
   
   ______________________
   
   ______________________

Possibilities are endless but they might include: cutting-edge, sophisticated, competent, artistic, elegant, dependable, fun-loving, organized, relational, approachable, warm, astute, creative, intelligent, original, precise, conceptual, technical, expressive, successful, logical, knowledgeable.

Bumble and Bumble is known for the quality of their hair products. This excellent hairspray is $11 and $1 from every sale goes to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

As a style coach I help many clients pack a versatile wardrobe that will help them vacation in style. Recently I’ve had many clients inquire about the type of clothing needed to be comfortable and stylish while on a wine tour. I’ve enlisted the help of travel advisor extraordinaire and owner of Want to Go Travel, Melissa McKinley, to weigh in on what to wear when you are headed to wine country.
1. Do I need to dress up for wine tours and tastings?
There’s no need to wear anything fancy while touring Napa Valley.
Generally, most people dress in comfortable clothing, or casual resort or business wear. If you are walking a lot during your wine tour, you definitely want to be in comfortable shoes and attire.
Also, I suggest wearing a dark-color top or sundress, just in case a rogue red wine drop splashes on you. Walking around with a big wine stain on your outfit can be a little embarrassing—and all that worrying distracts you from the wine tasting!
2. What should I wear to dinners in Napa? Is Sonoma more or less formal (or about the same)?
This will definitely depend on the restaurant, but typically, people dress casual unless they are celebrating a special occasion or attending a corporate event. I believe there are only three properties in Napa Valley that enforce a dress code. These restaurants include French Laundry, La Toque, and Etoile, which all ask that men wear jackets and long pants. Other fine dining establishments that enforce a dress code include Terra, Auberge, and the Wine Train.
Sonoma is similar in terms of formality: typically casual with some dining establishments that do enforce dress codes.
My advice for travelers to Napa and Sonoma is to bring a small variety of dresses, pants, and blouses that can be mixed and matched, or dressed up or down. This way, you’re prepared for fine restaurant ambiences.
3. Are jeans ok?
Yes, but depending on your personal style, you might prefer to dress up a bit more during dinner time—especially if you’ll be dining at a higher end restaurant.
4. What kind of shoes should I pack to allow for stylish but practical touring?
Great question. I always like to err on the side of caution and spring for my comfiest shoes. But my advice is to wear shoes that fit with your personal style, make you feel great, and are comfortable for walking throughout the day. I would discourage wearing pumps or any shoe with a high heel, as well as any shoes that you haven’t broken in yet for the possibility of blisters.
Meet Melissa, the “Want To Go Travel” expert
Although I began my career in the travel profession in 1992, I have been traveling since a very young age. One vivid memory I have is being around 9 years old, flying alone with no supervision with not only a change in concourse in O’Hare but a change in airlines. I did it and loved it! Since then a few of the treasured experiences I have are learning how to make Limóncello from an Italian family, seeing how Chinese families really live in a remote “last of its kind” fishing village, shopping for custom wears in Milan, and sampling the most to die for chocolates in Europe. Exploring all the new places and meeting interesting people is very energizing.
Like many people in the workforce today, I found myself not taking my earned vacation breaks, becoming overworked, frustrated, exhausted and not really living life. I knew something had to change! As that cliché goes “Life is not a rehearsal“.
So I quit my nice, secure, corporate job making a good living and took some time to see what energized me. I found out that I missed planning exciting trips, making new friends, exploring new places, trying new activities and more importantly share this incredible experience with others. During my year break, I traveled to France, Italy, Hong Kong, Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands with the idea to start Want To Go Travel, an upscale travel firm, specializing in luxury travel with focus on wine, gardens and well-being themes. I wanted to offer exceptional travel, rich in value…every trip with groups of like-minded people knowing your best souvenirs are memories.
Since then I have worked with many clients, created several group and personal upscale travel experiences in just the first few months of opening the business. All of my clients have not only saved time, their vacations were enriched, their stress reduced because things were handled, and they enjoyed meeting new friends with similar interests.