Festive Season Dressing Part II

As a little follow up to my previous post on festive season dressing, I wanted to chat a little about my philosophy around how I approach occasion wear. Unlike the basic tee, or the black blazer you wear on repeat, you’re probably not going to get an incredibly low CPW on these pieces. Which totally throws the balance off, am I right? Special occasion wear tends to sit on the more expensive end of the spectrum, despite having fewer chances to wear it.

Wearing Oroton pink silk dress; Oroton bag; Linjer pearl earrings; Nyssa necklace; Monica Vinader bracelet (20% off with code JAMIELEE20)

I tend to look at my special occasion wear with longevity in mind. Is this a style I’ll be happy to wear a year, two years, five years from now? Will I still like the colour against my complexion? Is the fit or cut reasonably timeless? What is it about this particular piece that feels special?

That last point is particularly important, at least when I’m assessing these kinds of wardrobe additions. It’s simple enough to go out and buy a plain LBD. Which, you’ll get plenty of mileage out of (as far as occasion wear goes), because it’s essentially a blank canvas. But given I tend to opt for such simple, minimalist styles day-to-day, I want anything I reach for on those seldom special occasions to have a bit of wow factor. But also be a piece that I’m totally fine to repeat. And it helps if the item can cater to fluctuating sizes (to reflect the different seasons of our lives).

This stunner of a dress from Oroton probably looks like it’s totally out of my usual style wheelhouse. But, what you might not know is that I have a particular affinity for pink (just go back to some of my older posts to see!). The colour is particularly striking, but the silhouette itself feels quite classic. It’s a maxi, so fairly modest, and not low cut at all. The detail that really elevates this dress, is the open back. 

The fabrication is silk; natural fibres – my favourite. So it’s also elevated in that sense. But there’s this push and pull; a bit of friction in the design elements. The elegant nature of the fabric and long silhouette, paired with this open back, which feels more daring, but somehow relaxed (I think due to the elasticised scoop). So I see it fitting multiple occasions; a wedding, christening, girl’s luncheon, Christmas Day, or an office party. Swap out the heels for some slide sandals and it’d easily work for a BBQ at home with friends, or a beach holiday. The variety was what really sold me on this dress. Though it does also come in a caramel-hued cotton iteration, too.

All of this is to say, that I find it helpful to have a mini occasion wear “capsule” of sorts. Beautiful, elegant pieces which I know I’ll be excited to wear when the occasion calls, and that I’ll also feel great in. Having options beyond just a little black dress is useful too. Black might be suitable to wear at one wedding, but not another. Plus sometimes, the event calls for vibrancy, and it can be an opportunity to really lean in to other elements of your personal style, not currently being addressed by your daily uniform. The key is to have just enough options that you can comfortably cycle through them as the seasons (and years) permit. The question of “how many?”, like with all closets, will vary. Determined more by your lifestyle than any stringent set of rules around “numbers”.

But don’t take my word for it; the beauty of your wardrobe is that it’s uniquely you.