Outfit Details:
On Julia- Express Blazer, Turtleneck & Pants, Louboutin Pumps
On Thomas- Express Shirt, Sweater, Pants & Coat
Tis the season of holiday parties! Almost every week we have at least one on our calendar, so I think it’s safe to say that we’ve got some of the planning down on what to wear. I never want to be too dressy or too casual, so I usually like to find a middle ground. I do this by combining a fancier piece with a more laid back item. For guys, it’s a little easier and Thomas always seems to get it just right every time.
The getting ready process for a holiday party at home usually involves a bottle of champagne and festive playlist. Even if we’re just having a small get together at our place, it really does make a difference to boost your mood with some music before the guests arrive. Thomas and I love Jazz music, the right playlist can calm you down or pick you up or just be the best background music for a night full of conversation. We have a few Spotify playlists that we recommend for those unfamiliar with Jazz. “Jazz Classics” and “Coffee Table Jazz” are great but of course you can listen to “This Is: Frank Sinatra” too. During Christmas time (aka Black Friday to December 25th) we love to get in the spirit of the holidays through some Christmas tunes, our favorite is Michael Buble’s Christmas CD.
Thomas’s go-to for almost every occasion is a crisp white shirt. It’s always clean and a great base for layering this time of year. Here, he’s paired it with a burgundy sweater from Express, navy trousers and grey overcoat to pull the look together.
I couldn’t resist these sequin pants from Express. They’re definitely a statement piece but it’s the holidays, so that’s allowed! To offset their boldness, I’ve paired them with a simple black turtleneck and chic white blazer. I kept my accessories to a minimum with a gold watch, black pumps and a swipe of red lipstick.
A classic black pair of pumps will get you through the whole holiday season. Express has this leather pair that are under $70 but I love this leopard pair or these sleek sandals in red.
After the last minute finishes, we wrap up a hostess gift and head off! T and I love to get creative with our gift. Another bottle of wine is fun, but chances are the host has plenty of wine for the party. It’s important to have a good read on the host, to know what surprise gift they will love. Gifts we’ve given in the past are: Cards Against Humanity, Candles (you can never have too many) and Tickets to a Show or an invitation to return the favor in the future.
If you’re the host, there are a few things not to forget to make sure your party goes off effortlessly. Start dinner 30 minutes earlier than you think you should, especially if trying a new recipe. A dinner party, might not be the best time for experimenting with that Chocolate Souffle recipe you’ve always wanted to try out. Having some sort of appetizer that takes little to no work on your end (cheese plate) is great for keeping people entertained and curbing appetites. Make sure to serve the appetizer in a room outside of the kitchen and have your co-host keep them entertained. Have some plans for what to do after dinner, moving the dessert course to another room is a great idea for moving the night into a less formal direction. No need to plan out a schedule of events and email it to your party guests ahead of time, as long as you have a solid idea of how the night will go and your co-hosts are on the same page you can guide the evening’s setting however you’d like. Now that we finally have our home decor pretty much wrapped up, we are able to host dinners and parties so these are just some of the hosting tips and tricks we stick to.
If you’re looking for a few other ideas of what to wear to holiday parties this season, try this fringe back dress, this maxi one, this feather skirt or this metallic one!
Thank you to Express for sponsoring this post.
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