HM STYLE | How To Dress For a Holiday Party

It's feeling a lot like Christmas and we all know what that means, pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks, peppermint pedicures and the frantic dash to find the perfect outfit for “that” Christmas party. Whether it’s an office party, a dinner with family or a crazy night on the town with the girls there are a few DOs and DONTs to keep in mind while getting dressed for winter holidays.

DO Keep It Simple Sexy
A Little Black Dress is really perfect for holiday parties. Very cliché, but always classy and fabulous. Keep the lines simple and the hem short. Wear it with opaque black tights and killer shoe-boots for mile long legs. Don’t forget to pair this simple look with one bold accessory - it is a party after all. Try a statement necklace or an eye-catching cocktail ring.

DON’T Take It Too Literally
Stay away from the obvious Holiday details. Don’t wear a Santa or light-up Christmas tree sweater. Stay away from the traditional Christmas colours (red and green). A better way to show your Christmas spirit is by wearing something ultra sparkly and glittery. Try a heavily beaded or sequin dress in silver or gold. My favourite not-so-obvious yet festive colours are royal purple and silver. If you really do want to incorporate red or green into your holiday look, do it in small doses, especially when it comes to accessories. Try a glittery red bag or red shoes paired with a short white or black shift dress.

DO Be Dramatic with Your Makeup and Hair
Christmas parties are a great time to go the extra mile with makeup and hair. One of my favourite beauty looks from the fall runways is the application of bronze eye shadow on the brow bone instead of the traditional light highlighting colour. This is a fresh take on eye makeup and it looks really chic. I suggest you use glitter shadows in gold and silver under your brows to really shine under the lights. As far as hair goes, the bigger the better. Also headbands are huge right now thanks to Gossip Girl and they’re here to stay all the way into next season. Try an up do paired with a bejewelled headband with soft eyes and a bold red lip.

DON’T Forget to Have Fun
There are so many brilliant designs in stores right now and it would be a shame to not have some fun and flaunt something outrageous. Whether it be feather detailing or extremely bright, don’t be scared to try something new. I always say, it’s better to be over dressed than under dressed and most of all…

DO try to make an effort
Have some courtesy and at least look presentable. Your host has spent much time and money to put together the party, and your most fabulous presence is required.

Merry Christmas Divas!

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HM How To | Dress for a Themed Party

Poker party. Masquerade. Sports day. Halloween. We've all had those moments where we get invited to a themed party and have no idea what to wear or how to make something work. Regardless of if you're rocking it out in Manhattan to a 70's inspired birthday party for a girlfriend, or dancing at the hippest club in Los Angeles with a sports theme, here are some tips to keep in mind when dressing up for a night with a theme.

Keep the theme in mind. As lame or strange as the theme is, if someone has invited you to a themed party, then try to stick to the dress code. With something like a Hollywood theme, bold and statement are definite ways to go. This Phillip Lim allows you to remain fashionable while well within the theme's limit.
Think of words that you can link the theme to. I've been invited to a number of different outdoors and summer-themed picnic parties. Words that can often be associated to these would be 'spring' and 'floral' and 'flowy,' much like this Roberto Cavalli floral blouse.

Accessorize with the theme. Sometimes, it's the little things that make a big difference. I've found that some of the places that you can be the most meticulous is in jewelry and when you're accessorizing. I've personally never been invited to an Egyptian-themed party, but if I did, I would definitely be adding this Anita Ko ring to my accessories list.


Don't overdo it. While it's great to be a part of the party and the theme, you also don't want to overdo it and become the laughingstock of the night. Sometimes, I find it better to focus the bold on one specific aspect that will link you to the theme and go for something simpler along with it. For example, this Philip Crangi anchor pendant would be great for an ocean theme with a crisp white shirt and simplistic clothes.

So remember that no matter what theme it is, there's always a way to be a part of it, regardless of it's through the way you dress, accessorize, or even act. Above all, have fun with the theme! It's a great way to be original and fun at the same time.