The festive season is in full swing, with many Christmas parties already taking place. Many of us look forward to the opportunity to wear our favourite, sparkly statement pieces – but these garments don’t need to go back in the wardrobe immediately after an event! Making the most of partywear seems to be on the minds of many of us, with searches for “sequin skirt outfits” increasing by 437% over the last month. And endource has seen a 690% increase in searches for sequin items on their site in the last 30 days alone, highlighting a strong demand for standout, bold pieces. Martina Cherry, stylist at endource has shared with us her top tips on how to make the most of your festive pieces, including styling them for various occasions and settings.
Martina says, “Occasion wear doesn’t have to be limited to special events, despite the name. Many fun items like sequin skirts and wrap tops can be dressed down for more casual wear.
“If you find a balance between the more adventurous items and casual clothing, you can create some really unique outfits. You’ve invested in these items, and you should feel as though you can wear them as much as possible.”
How to turn your festive wear into everyday wear:
Layer it
Martina says: “Layering is one of the easiest ways to make occasion wear work for the daytime. Fun tops and dresses can be layered under big jumpers or more basic skirts to create some really dynamic looks that make your fun items immediately more wearable. Tone down your shoes and accessories to create an outfit that sits perfectly between too dressed-up or down and shows that it was thoughtfully pieced together.”
Image credit: Pinterest
Think about balance
“Making occasion wear suitable for everyday is all about balance. The key is to ground metallic, sequin or glitter items with your muted everyday staples like jeans, denim skirts and plain jackets. When multiple items are bold and fighting for attention, the outfit becomes too loud – but pair a sequin item with a plain one, and it will become a statement piece.” Martina recommends.
“Contrast is what can make a good outfit great, so when pairing glitzy items with basics, consider how different textures will pair together. When your occasionwear works harmoniously with your casual favourites, it will feel much more wearable and suitable for everyday.”
Image credit: Mango
Split co-ords
Martina says, “Just because items are bought as a set doesn’t mean they have to stay that way. Bold matching pants, tops, blazers and skirts can all be separated to create entirely new outfits when paired with some of your more casual staples.
Co-ords can be a great purchase as you can use them to create a minimum of 3 different outfits. When looking for a co-ord, consider the colours that you tend to wear or a pattern that would complement the other items that are already in your wardrobe. This way, you’ll be able to incorporate your new purchase into your wardrobe seamlessly.” Martina concludes.
Charlotte is the founder and editor-in-chief at Your Coffee Break magazine. She studied English Literature at Fairfield University in Connecticut whilst taking evening classes in journalism at MediaBistro in NYC. She then pursued a BA degree in Public Relations at Bournemouth University in the UK. With a background working in the PR industry in Los Angeles, Barcelona and London, Charlotte then moved on to launching Your Coffee Break from the YCB HQ in London’s Covent Garden and has been running the online magazine for the past 10 years. She is a mother, an avid reader, runner and puts a bit too much effort into perfecting her morning brew.
