Holiday Fashion: How to use what you already have

You have a family gathering / boss’s holiday party / luxury cruise outing and in the closet it’s your same old repertoire. You may be tempted to shop till you drop, but in today’s economy, that may not always be the best approach. So, Stilista suggests a few strategies to vamp up what you already have:

1. Not everyone remembers everything you ever wore. And they certainly remember it less than you do, so ditch whatever reservations you have about wearing dressy duds the world has seen before.

2. One word: jewelry. Get a few inexpensive (vintage costume jewelry is cheap and one of a kind) statement pieces like dangly earrings, shiny cuff and colorful necklace and wear them with the backdrop of your tried-and-true cocktail dress. The holidays are all about sparkly things, velvet, satin and vibrant colors!

3. Think of garments differently – slap a cool belt on top of a usually conservative sheath dress, or use the top of your 2-piece bridesmaid ensemble as a way to dress up your skinny jeans, and wear your flowy beach wrap as a scarf with a wool coat. Then you can impress your friends with your adventurousness!.

4. Shoes and bags, shoes and bags… These items follow a simple formula – the more colorful and funky they are, the more frequently they go on sale. Nothing dresses up a blah pair of black pants than a punchy color pump or shiny clutch. So check out online sales at:

(shopbop.com, bluefly.com,gothamcityonline.com),

hit shoe megastores like DSW and of course, your favorite department store!

5. Buy the best coat you have. We realize that we are drifting from our “use what you have” theme, but living in New England, it is clear that whatever you end up wearing will be donned under some kind of a warm outerwear piece, and it is the first thing people see, so make sure it fits impeccably and flatters you.

For more style tips, please check back often, and if you’d like one of our fab stylists to work with you one on one, or to give Stilista services as a gift, please call 617-787-8953 or contact us via email.