There’s no getting away from it Christmas is less than a month away and however and with whoever you decide to celebrate this year, if ever there’s a time to get dressed up, this is it!

While we’ll soon be able to visit the shops again, shopping for party wear when we’re not able to try clothes on can make choosing an outfit tricky. And unless your beautifully well proportioned (which sadly most of us aren’t), or you know exactly which brands tick all the boxes for you by way of fit and style, then online shopping can be exhausting and leave you feeling more desperate than ever.

Shop your wardrobe

I can’t deny treating yourself to a new outfit feels great! But party wear isn’t usually worn very often so instead of hitting the High Street, why not shop your wardrobe instead? 

I constantly hear clients saying “I forgot I had that” when sorting through their wardrobes so before getting yourself in panic about having nothing to wear, have a think about what you’ve go in your wardrobe as there’s a chance you already have something you can wear that you’ve overlooked. Or maybe something your not wearing, that with a little adjustment would be perfect.

 “I have a client who had a fabulous red dress that fitted beautifully but wasn’t quite the right length so we played with a couple of ideas and she settled for getting her tailor to add a lace trim to the bottom.

Fancy giving it a go but not sure where to start? Here’s how to shop your wardrobe;

It’s in the planning

Take a moment to write down the occasions you need to dress up for. If you’ve got the time, get creative and put together a mood board of different looks that catch your eye (Pinterest is a really quick and easy way to do this).

Start with the basics

Choose a pair of trousers, a skirt, dress (or jumpsuit) in one of your best neutrals. 

Get creative

Play with different tops in your wardrobe and see what new looks you can create.  And don’t be frightened to experiment with mixing different patterns and textures in your outfit.  Below are a few ideas of what you could add to your trousers, skirt or dress;

• A silk pussy bow blouse
• A sparkly sweater
• A satin, lace trimmed cami with a cropped velvet jacket worn over
• Layer a cami under a silk shirt, worn open
• A shrug or fluffy bolero style cardi worn over your jumpsuit
• A sequin vest top and long line jacket.

It’s not all about the clothes

I remember attending a training day in preparation for sitting my Masters award.  The trainer (an image consultant herself) was wearing a black trouser suit and black polo neck top.  Quite plain and simple in itself but what made the outfit was her clever use of jewellery .  I later found out she traveled a lot for work and preferred to travel light so kept her outfits simple and invested instead in the most fabulous statement jewellery to bring her outfits to life. 

If you prefer to keep your jewellery simple explore other ways to add that extra va va voom to your outfit;

• Black seamed stockings or patterned tights worn with killer heels and your LBD can look great
• A sparkly headband or clips to accompanying a simple up do
• A patent belt in a contrasting colour
• A good matt red lipstick (in the correct shade of course) can up the tempo of any outfit.

What are your favourite go to party outfits?