THINGS go better with a little bit of razzmatazz, sang Jarvis Cocker back in the mid 1990s, and he might as well have been referring to the party season. Dressing up is half, oh all right, at least three-quarters of the fun. However, pleasure and pain often go hand in hand, and while the right dress imparts confidence and joie de vivre, the wrong style can induce as much discomfort as a pair of size eight jeans after four helpings of Christmas dinner.
The first step in finding a good outfit is research into the dress code. Black Tie varies between short and long dresses, but if a sufficiently grand occasion arises to wear a long dress, make the most of it. Just check with the host and other guests how smart they are planning to go, tactfully demanding specifics, because you can’t always guess from the invitation.
Otherwise party dressing can be a bit like a game of poker where you have to guess the other guests’ hands, or rather outfits, beforehand by deciphering vague declarations such as, “I’m not dressing up.” Beyond the official dress code, there are the unwritten conventions of various events. The last balancing act, akin to walking through a crowded room in five-inch heels, is pairing flattering with fashionable. The former is more important. Fortunately, this Christmas, the sack and the tunic have been given the heave-ho in favor of shapes worthy of a femme fatale.
Balenciaga’s sculpted black satin dresses have spawned numerous molded satin pencil shapes on the high street, in jewel colors as well as black. Tiers and origami pleats, as seen on Lanvin’s little navy dresses, and asymmetric shoulders are also party dress trends. In terms of full-length dresses, take inspiration from the neoclassical silhouettes of the Golden Age of Hollywood, rather than going for dodgy cruise ship-style halternecks. Short strapless dresses, particularly in black, are another key look. A full, flirty skirt shape will prevent the risk of looking tarty, and exude the kind of ice-cube-wouldn’t-melt innocence that will cover up enjoyably behavior.
