Styling into the Holidays - Part 3: Dressed Up

I couldn’t finish this series without a shout out to those of you who have fancier events to attend at the holidays, especially New Years. While today’s outfit is not black tie attire, I think it would do well for an evening out for dinner and a show, like the Christmas ballet, The Nutcracker. Many years ago, my mother, and father-in-law got my husband and I, along with his sister and her husband tickets to this holiday ballet. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had just been my sister-in-law and I. Ha, ha. My spouse does not appreciate ballet anymore than the color pink. He’s such a goof, but I love him.

I was helping my hubby pick out a shirt for the university December graduation ceremony that he was attending this morning, and while he is donned in his regalia, he still likes to look presentable under the robe. He was wearing black pants and asked if I would pick out a shirt for him. I ended up giving him a navy button down.

“Is it okay to wear black with navy,” he questioned.

I assured him any color can be worn with any other color and it also served as the inspiration for today’s outfit. I already had the blouse on, as I was using it as part of my Instagram outfit. It is one of the dressiest blouses I own. With that beginning I began looking through my skirts and settled on this beautiful navy, velvet piece with pleats. This was a Kohl’s clearance purchase a few year ago and is Chaps brand.

In my opinion pleated skirts never go out of style, nor does velvet, making it the perfect choice for fancier attire. An added bonus is that this skirt is warm, which is helpful on a chilly winter night.

The combination of this thrifted Jaclyn Smith satin blouse and the vest gives the outfit a classy academic vibe, and also adds more of an hour glass silhouette. This Rachel Zoe vest was a recent TJ Maxx clearance purchase. I have been looking for a waistcoat of this sort since they were trending back in the spring. I had all but decided they were only intended for the slender folk to wear, so low and behold when I saw this, tried it on and it fit I was super excited. It is definitely going to be used all year round.

You can also see my delicate gold jewelry, chosen for its association with the Silver and Gold song sung by Burl Ives. Ha, ha.

The black, faux fur, No Boundaries bomber was a gift a few years ago from my hubby for Christmas. I never think to pull it out once the temperatures plummet, but when I was taking these pictures I was totally cozy with it on. The draw back is that it is short and in the cold weather I like my bum and thighs to be covered. That is exactly why it is perfect for an outfit like this where you will be mostly in and out and not standing outside for a long time.

Style Tip: Fabrics like velvet, fur and silk or satin will add panache to any outfit, whether you are wearing jeans or tweed. If you are attending a function, but don’t want to go the whole gambit of a dress or skirt, try a dark wash pair of dress jeans with a silk blouse, and heels. You will look like a million bucks!

My Steve Madden, velvet, heeled ankle boots were a thrift find. Who knew they would work beautifully with the velvet skirt? A classy, heeled ankle boot is a great alternative to regular heels in the cold weather.

My sparkly clutch typically makes an appearance on the blog when I am showing off an outfit that is more dressed up. It was a good purchase all those years back. In the photo below you can’t really notice the sparkles. Ha, ha.

I hope you enjoyed seeing this more dressed up outfit. It was fun to put together, and afterwards I showed the pictures to my spouse and said, “You need to give me an excuse to get dressed up like this more often.” Ha, ha. I’m not subtle at all.

I interspersed shopping links throughout the article. You can just click on a picture to find out more about the piece as far as brand, store and pricing. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

There will be no fashion posts for the week of Christmas and New Years as I am going to take a little break and hope to get back to see my mom and other friends and family in NY between Christmas and New Years.

Have a wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year!

Color Play: Pantone Autumn/Winter NY Palette - Tomato Cream, Moonstruck and Buckthorn Brown

Today I am combining the last three colors from the Pantone Autumn/Winter 2024 New York Palette. Tomato Cream will definitely remind you of the familiar soup. I still have cans of Campbell’s Tomato Soup in my pantry and use them regularly. My mom always used water to make the soup when I was growing up, but when I got married to a Wisconsin man who loved dairy I learned to use half a can of milk and half a can of water, or if I have skim milk, I use a full can. It makes the soup creamier and it takes on this orangey red color.

Moonstruck is a medium gray and reminds me of the gray skies of fall and winter that just hang around, but don’t produce any rain or snow. For this sufferer of Seasonal Affective Disorder those gray clouds are the worst! Just rain or snow, already. Ha, ha.

Buckthorn Brown is an earthy sunshine color. It tends towards yellowish gold, but is not truly yellow. I think their idea was buckskin, but without the bad press that animal skins or prints have for many people. I do not have an issue with leather, but I do prefer it is sustainably and responsibly sourced. Fast fashion is not good for our environment and certainly not for animals who are used just to make a buck…pardon the pun! That being said, I do like this color. It is a nice change from our darker browns, and gives our wardrobes a peppy vibe.

My outfit for these last three colors is very casual. This is more in line with my every day looks, so for those of you who are not working, or are working from home, this might be for you.

To see the actual Pantone Autumn/Winter 2024 New York Palette colors just click on the link. I do the best I can to match the colors with what I have in my closet, so they differ slightly.

My Tomato Cream Tahari open front cardigan was a clearance find from TJMaxx a few years ago. You can see how I styled that with a white sleeveless sweater, a fall graphic tee, and in a monochrome fall look from last year.

My Gloria Vanderbilt Moonstruck jeans have been around for a while. It seems every time there is a Pantone series, I bring these out as there is always some sort of gray. You can see them styled with a red and white striped tee, and with a red plaid blazer.

Buckthorn Brown is really more of a brownish gold or yellow, but I thought this Sonoma tee from Kohl’s was a pretty good match. Kohl’s has always been a great place to find basics like short and long sleeve tees, pullover sweaters for the cooler weather and fun tees with holiday motifs. I don’t shop there much any more due to my lack of need for clothing, and due to my love of thrifting. Ha, ha.

I kept my accessories pretty minimal. My necklace was a more recent thrift find, and might seem a little to fancy for this casual look, but I like the contrast of dressy and casual, and the color goes well with the Tomato Cream cardi.

I chose blue for my bag and my sneakers, just to play off the blue flowers in the tee. My bag is an old thrift find, a brand called Nine & Co. My sneakers are Keds.

What do you think of these colors? What did you think of this fall’s New York palette? What colors were your favorites? I’d love to get your feedback, so leave me a comment or two.

I’m including a few shopping links. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a great weekend, everyone!