Style Tips: How to Under-dress for Your Next Holiday Party

Karla Welch

Tips from celebrity stylist Karla Welch.

When in doubt, don’t be afraid to be slightly under-dressed…

…But if you’re wearing something super special, don’t be afraid to be over-dressed. Just be your fabulous self. If I walk into a room and I’m in an amazing vintage dress and everybody’s in jeans and blazers, you’ve just got to own it. You’ve got to kind of adapt to whatever situation you’re in. You

can’t just be like, “Oh, my God, I’m over-dressed.” Don’t say that. Just go in and say, “Yeah, I’m a boss in my beautiful dress.”

If you want to try out a sexy menswear look, channel Olivia Wilde:

She once wore this Ronald Van Der Kemp suit with a bra underneath to a Tiffany Hardwear event, and that to me is the perfect kind of party look for the holiday season. Or, I love a beautiful blazer with a skirt. Bringing some kind of special fabric is a great way to incorporate a party look, like a sheer skirt, a longer blazer, or a big sweater overtop, or a little bit of sequins. I love a sequined blazer with a leather pant and a tee shirt, or a leather pant and a blouse and a great clutch and a heel. 

If you’re looking for a princess moment:

Go for the waist and a full skirt. A little cropped angora sweater. You could do a beautiful blouse or even—something I think we’ll see a lot this holiday season is a corset. A corset bustier with a full skirt—like an Audrey Hepburn—and then you could put a men’s blazer over your shoulder. It’s something you can do kind of pretty inexpensively that looks very expensive.

If you’re going for elegance:

Wearing a sleeved dress that’s slightly backless is always chic. I love that long line of wearing something that’s completely sleek. A really beautiful, elegant long dress.

Credit: Elle