The Chic List These always get the party started - YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Sign in Welcome!Log into your account Forgot your password? Password recovery Recover your password Search Sign in Welcome! Log into your account Forgot your password? Get help Password recovery Recover your password A password will be e-mailed to you. YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Home Fashion The Chic List These always get the party started By You Magazine - December 5, 2021 Fashion columnist and influencer Joanne Hegarty shares her advice on fail-safe Christmas outfit ideas. Last December I badly missed the sprinkle of fairy dust that normally comes with this time of year. A ghostly version of a sad and anxious Christmas limped in and took its place instead – coming and going without any of the usual life-affirming fanfare. Gorgeous textures associated with the party season, such as velvet, didn’t get much of a show. So hands up if, like me, you feel like making up for last year’s miserable damp squib. Image: Victoria Metaxas Bring on all the festive glamour – the tipsy twirls around the kitchen while the turkey cooks and for all the parties and gatherings beforehand. I’m hankering for champagne, sequins and outfits adorned with this year’s on-trend silky feathers. Our two lovely cats, who arrived to cheer us up last Christmas, will have a field day with those! But deciding what to wear is never easy when there’s everything else to do. So I’m serving up my recipes for party season outfits that go together like turkey and cranberry sauce. For drinks out with friends, dress code: festive dressy but not out-out dressy– the vital ingredients are contrasting textures. One deliciously easy winner is a white blazer over a sequined top, paired with leather trousers and your favourite heels. This combination always looks chic and effortless. Alternatively, team a sequined or metallic skirt or pair of trousers with a contrasting neutral –a black or white blazer or a toned-down knit – for the same dazzling effect. LK Bennett has a gorgeous sequin trouser suit in store which also works as versatile separates. Luscious velvet is always perfect at this time of year – a sumptuous dress or a quietly confident trouser suit can really pack a punch. A dash of sexy sophistication can be whipped up with a black lace top and some high-waisted trousers. Cos, Arket and Totême are my favourite brands for these sort of party pants. READ MORE: The best Christmas party dresses For dressier invitations – such as the annual office party – you may want something that says: ‘Hey Christmas, I’m here and I made an effort.’ There’s a good chance you have that occasion dress in your wardrobe already but if you don’t, make a list of features you like – such as what sort of length and shape – then start whittling down your choices from there. Nothing beats dramatic festive shades such as ruby red or metallic gold but don’t be afraid to opt for black, too. The LBD is a classic for a reason. And remember to search on preloved online sites. There’s nothing more satisfying than replying, ‘It’s vintage’ when someone asks where you got your knockout dress. CHRISTMAS OUTFIT IDEAS Wear with black trousers for a chic festive look. Blazer, £390, cefinn.com Shimmer all night in this sequin combo. Jacket, £379, and trousers, £229, lkbennett.com Mix textures and team velvet with metallics. Top, £85, reiss.com Statement bling is a must. Earrings, £23, stories.com Add heels and a gold clutch to be party ready. Dress, £49.99, mango.com Comfy and glamorous. Mules, £98, thewhitecompany.com Follow me on Instagram @thestylistandthewardrobe RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR Rochelle Humes has launched a gorgeous new edit with Next Shop the YOU Magazine Instagram YOU picks the best new-in buys from M& S Popular in Fashion Laura Jackson has teamed up with Next for the chicest knitwear January 22, 2020 Holly Willoughby’ s birthday dress is another Zara bargain February 10, 2020 The Instagram-famous & Other Stories wool blazer is back in stock August 31, 2022 Lorraine just wore Emma Willis’ Next collection from head to toe March 17, 2020 The prettiest spring dresses under £100 March 1, 2022 Everyone is buying Holly’ s gorgeous gingham Oasis dress May 14, 2020 13 bargain dresses to buy in ASOS’ s extra 20 per cent June 10, 2020 This £20 H& M dress is set to be the social media June 26, 2020 Stacey Solomon x Primark is back for a third collection with July 20, 2020 Searches for this perfect heatwave summer top style are up 5000% August 10, 2020 Popular CategoriesFood2704Life2496Fashion2240Beauty1738Celebrity1261Interiors684 Sign up for YOUMail Thanks for subscribing Please check your email to confirm (If you don't see the email, check the spam box) Fashion Beauty Celebrity Life Food Privacy & Cookies T&C Copyright 2022 - YOU Magazine. All Rights Reserved