Like all office outfits, creating an ensemble for this special occasion of the year is no exception: you want to look good but appropriate, relaxed but polished, glamorous but respectable… these seemingly contradicting descriptions sometimes complicate the dress hunting process and make this otherwise enjoyable experience unnecessarily daunting.
For this holiday season, I’ll be sharing with you three sets of outfit templates to live by when picking out outfit(s) for your company holiday party. Sign up for the newsletter and see the new templates as they come out next week!
12/2/15 Update: Part 2 of this series is now available here!
First up, the lace maxi dress!
Before you storm out the door (or storm onto ShopBop.com), there are a few things to note about which lace dress you go with… You see, the lace is very tricky. Between looking like an escort to a lady from the 70’s, it’s a very fine line to walk. Done correctly though, you exude elegance, confidence, and glamour – all in one outfit. So a few things to think about in picking your lace dress
Watch the length of dress: For any company events, I’d suggest dresses that cover the knees. If the length is right over or above the knees, I would pick a dress with longer or semi-long sleeves. The point is to never do sleeveless and above the knee at the same time. We’re not in high school anymore.
Opt for royal blue, black, emerald green, or burgundy: The point is to stay CLASSY with your choice of color. Anything that is somewhat playful or casual (pink, yellow, or lavender) will be borderline inappropriate. It’s the nature of a lace dress.
When in doubt, always go with black or nude pumps: This rule requires no explanation. The exception is when you wear head to toe black. Then, go to town with color of your heels!
One thing I’d like to address is the slit in this dress. Because of the color, length, and sleeve length, I personally am OK with the slit going up as high as it does. Usually holiday parties are in venues that are dimly lit, so it shouldn’t matter. But I totally understand if people aren’t comfortable showing this much skin. Just wanted to make sure this disclaimer goes out there – I don’t endorse showing too much skin in any professional settings! (Duh.)
Dress: Dailylook Juliette Lace Maxi Dress
Wallet/Clutch: Proenza Schouler PS11 Chain Wallet
Heels: Valentino Rockstud T-strap Pump
All Photos by Ngoc. M Nguyen Photography
As long as you stay mindful of these pointers, a lace maxi dress is the perfect option to go with for your company holiday party. It will allow you to stand out, precisely because most people don’t know how to handle this kind of dress! You’re welcome.
Stay tuned for two more outfit templates – they’ll become available next week! In the mean time, have we connected over social media yet? I’d love to get to know my readers. Hit me up on one of these platforms!
P.S. Added bonus for readers that made it this far… Hop onto Polyvore to see two other similar looks I’ve created using their “Set” creation function! It provides all the details on where to find such items. These are super fun for me to do.. let me know what you guys think about this feature!
