It’s Australia. It’s Summer. It’s Party Season.
This is the perfect time to step out of your go-to style comfort zone, do a little experimenting and have a LOT of fun with style.
So #BanTheLBD, I say. Relegate that Little Black Dress to the back of the closet for now and try these to liven up the party in your wardrobe:
Colour
Try changing up black for, well, anything else! Fresh, crisp whites teamed with metallics; colour clashing, like pink with red or orange, citrus mixes and so on; print clashing – try stripes with florals in the same colour family; bold patterns exploding with colour or a multitudinous mix of pastels will be fun too.
Bold Lip
Ditch the nude, chestnut, rust, beige and chocolate and visit your local cosmetic retail experts for some great advice, experimental fun and a little purchase to make your smile gleam widely this Christmas.
Unless you innately know what shades work perfectly for you, this is not the time to be cheap and haphazardly choose something pre-packaged or off the shelf from your supermarket or discount department store. You need to enlist help and take the advice of a professional or aficionado who sleeps, eats and breathes make-up for a living to get the shade and sheen right for you, your outfit, your complexion and teeth shade…yes, this matters – anything that will make your teeth seem yellowish is not going to work honourably for you.
Keep eye make up lower key by the dusting of a neutral and some slick liner and mascara to avoid over-doing it.
Flamboyant Accessories
Statement jewellery, heels or clutch (in bold shades) - because, we only need a clutch, not a handbag, when we are in celebration mode, ok? Again, colour is key as is layering multiple jewellery pieces to nail flamboyance.
Make It Your Own
Rather than picking a dress off the rack and wearing it, there’s pleasure in ‘making it your own’. Change it up to make sure you don’t ‘see yourself coming’ at the same function.
Layering up with pieces like a mesh bodysuit underneath a strapless or strappy number, a georgette cape or styled scarf if it works for the style, don a fuller skirt over the top of a fitted dress, add a statement belt or change up the length if you’re handy with a sewing machine.
Strut
Once you’ve found your fun and groove with your outfit, it’s time to rock that confidence and own the look. Do the Sheena Easton, strut” into the space and mentally declare it’s time to P-A-R-T-A-Y. Why? Because you can! Mingle and sashay around, smiling and knowing you’re not the wallflower in the room. Enjoy the festivities. After all, you deserve it, you’ve survived another year!
Gold Coast, Brisbane & Northern New South Wales Stylist, Louise Chambers is available for personal styling, photo shoot & media styling, style workshops, fashion event MC bookings and media bookings.
Instagram: @stylechambers