Happy 2011!!! (Although it’s been 5771 since September you know.) The weather was mercifully warm for this time of year in New York City. A few friends and I decided to brave the crowds of a few public parties this year. We stayed in Flatiron, first hitting the Ace Hotel and then 230 5th (my favorite NYC club). Later on we hung out on the Madison Ave rooftop of one of the digital agencies I sometimes freelance for. They have the coolest office ever and a roof with clear views of the Flatiron Building and the Empire State Building.
It was the perfect occasion to wear J.Crew’s Silk Organza Starburst Dress ($275). I guess someone else thought so too — another girl was wearing it in a light brown color at one of the parties! She clearly has excellent taste. I had to size up to an 8 in this dress and it’s pretty loose around my torso; I needed the room for my hips. I will get it tailored at some point. I did wear an overcoat but once we started partaking in the festivities it was too warm. So I wore my faux fur vest to bridge the gap between bubbily and sober. The outfit needed just a touch of whimsy, so I wore my Lucky Numbers Choker. It was like a little countdown to the new year around my neck.
In this outfit:
Dress: J.Crew Silk Organza Starburst Dress in pale plum ($275)
Tights: Anthropologie Sunset Scrolls Tights ($18) or similar here, here or here)
Shoes: J.Crew Joley Pumps in pale pink (similar here, here and here)
Vest: Loft Chunky Cable Vest with faux fur (similar here, here and here)
Necklace: Anthropologie Lucky Numbers Choker
Earrings: Anthropologie Urchin’s Shell Earrings
Sometimes the party is more work than play. When a company I freelance for invited me to their Christmas party, I chose to keep the look professional. A grey wool dress from Banana Republic did the trick. I love the trail of ribbon that makes up the waistline of this dress — it’s pleated at odd ends and angles to add just a touch of interest. Banana Republic’s quality isn’t great these days. This dress however is a wonderful exception. It’s well-made and served me well this past fall.
The women at the party wore a mix of party and professional dresses so I felt right at home. It was fun to hang out with people I work with frequently via email but hardly ever see in person. The necklace with this look is very special to me — it was a gift from the beautiful Tien of Adiaphane.
In this outfit:
Dress: Banana Republic Textured V-Neck Lady Dress (similar here, here and here)
Tights: Banana Republic Glitter Ribbed Tights in grey ($19)
Shoes: Anthropologie Back & Forth Slingbacks (similar here, here and here)
Necklace: Anthropologie Old & New Necklace
Earrings: Express Hematite Earrings (similar here)
Here’s a dress I got plenty of wear out of this season. It’s from Twinkle by Wenlan, in the same pattern as the beloved Flight of Swans Dress. While that dress sort of worked on me, I never quite got into it. This solid navy version, however, was a thrill to find. The dress is a bit low-cut so I wear a navy cami underneath it.
With the success of The Black Swan I expect ballerina shapes to be very popular. I decided to play that up a bit by wearing my hair up for one of the parties I attended in this look. Another time I kept my hair down (recreated below). The shoes are the fabulous Veronicas from Joie. I found them thanks to the lovely ladies over at Fashionism.Though the heels check in at 4″ they’re incredibly comfortable. Just what I love!
In this outfit:
Dress: Twinkle by Wenlan Wool Emotional Moments Dress (similar here, here and here)
Cami: Banana Republic (similar here, here and here)
Tights: Target Merona Large Diamond Tights (similar here, here and here)
Shoes: Joie Vernicas (similar here, here and here)
Necklace: gift from the parents
Earrings: American Eagle (similar here)
Ring: Forever 21 (similar here, here and here)
One of the parties I attended was a theme party — Winter Wonderland. My first thought was something white but I decided that was too obvious. Instead I remembered I had this lovely little BCBG frock which I last wore to “An Evening With Anna & Keith” at Anthropologie’s Philadelphia headquarters.
The dress works just as well in winter as summer it turns out. The feather on the front has a touch of sparkle to it, which makes it look like ice. I added a sparkly bracelet from J.Crew and a Club Monaco clutch to finish off the look. I got several compliments which made me feel great! I love the attention and I complimented a few people in turn who looked absolutely amazing. It was too dark for pictures but suffice it to say I was very impressed by some people’s sartorial talents.
In this outfit:
Dress: BCBG Georgette Dress with Sequin Trim (now $100)
Tights: Banana Republic Glitter Ribbed Tights in black ($19)
Bracelet: J.Crew Crystal Pebble Bracelet (similar here, here and here)
Clutch: Club Monaco (similar here, here and here)
Shoes: J.Crew Serengeti Peep Toes in cool graphite (similar here, here and here)
Earrings: gift from a friend
Anna Sui’s Corby Shift has been my go-to holiday party dress for two years now. I snatched this one up last year on sale and have worn it to Broadway shows, to see the Nutcracker, and really anything that calls for a dress in cool weather. I have to consciously make sure I don’t wear it too often — I want to wear it to every fall or winter event! Good job by Anthro and Ms. Sui anticipating the lace comeback this year! I like that the pattern isn’t overtly lacy, which makes it more timeless.
The dress shape is so classic while the sleeves add an extra touch of the dramatic. It’s perfect for large cocktail accessories, another favorite of mine. I find it hilarious how this ring keeps getting knocked off over and over — Anthropologie just unveiled their version. My version is another knockoff but from J.Crew.
In this outfit:
Dress: Anthropologie Corby Shift by Anna Sui (similar here, here and here)
Tights: Wolford Diamond Tights (similar here, here and here)
Shoes: Nine West Scalloped Mary-Janes (similar here, here and here)
Necklace: J.Crew Taj Mahal Necklace (similar here, here and here)
Earrings: Anthropologie Pieces of Eight Earrings (similar here, here, here and here)
Ring: J.Crew Crystal Cluster Ring (similar here, here and here).
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