Holiday Fashion: Modest Cocktail Dress

Even though I am doing the 26 for 26, I didn't want to slack on the Holiday Fashion ideas, so you get 2 posts today...and basically any other time I want to add some more holiday fashion ideas. 

Ok, so I found this really cute modest cocktail dress. This is pretty rare because for some reason "cocktail dress" now means "barely-any-fabric dress". So this is just 1 of 3 cocktail dress ideas. I am going to talk about how to dress up an already modest dress today, and then next week I will go into how to modify a not-so-modest cocktail dress. 

Cocktail Dresses by Evan Picone
Boots by NYLA

So, I have talked about how  much I like to add color to grays and since this is a gray dress I spiced it up with some colored tights. Now to make your legs look thin and long I found some heeled shoes that would match the tights, thus giving the appearance of super lean and long legs. Since the dress has a really fun and frilly top, I just chose bangles to decorate your arms. That way you can add a little bling without taking away from the design of the dress. If you want to get a little crazy, mix and match some big bangle bracelets together.

Holiday Fashion:  Little Black Dress

The little black dress is woman's secret weapon. Our curves are accentuated and, if you are like me, you feel like Audrey Hepburn (which is always a good thing). I was on a search for cocktail dresses when I thought about just dressing up that LBD that you might already have. The best part is, there are lots of cute LBDs that are modest. 

Hosiery by Forever 21
Necklaces by Charlotte Russe

(Little Black Dress: $17.99, Mustard tights: $6.80, Pink tights: $12, Black Studded Heels: $15, Black Wedges: $25, Black and Silver Bib: $14.50, Silver Cubes Bib:  $24.99, Chain Bib: $24.80)

So you grab your black dress, throw on some colored tights to add some flavor. Me? I love mustard yellow. If there were a word greater than love I would use it for these tights. Then we grab some black heels. I am lusting after the wedges in this pic. Ok, now the thing you need to remember the most: the bib necklace. This is what is going to make that simple black dress really pop, which is what you will want it to do if you are going to a Holiday party. Now you are all set to go! Not only are you going to look classically sleek and sexy in your LBD, but you add some flavor with your tights and bib necklace and you are chic and fashionable too. 

I have to admit, I am really excited about this one :) Now I will have to find a New Year's Eve party just to wear it to!

Holiday Fashion: Fun Pants

This post may seem to be for the brave and courageous, but I assure you that you can do it!

Casual Jackets by Coldwater Creek
Boots at Endless.com

Ok, we have got you fun pants. Anything shiny, shimmery (splendid) and just a little bit too fun to wear just any ol' day. These can be jeans, skinny pants, anything with a little spunk. Then grab a ruffly shirt to add that feminine touch, and cover that with an adorable blazer. You do not want the blazer to match the pants, we are going for fun and exotic here :) Then the necklace, don't you just love this one? Nothing that I put in these collage looks are over 25 dollars so they are safe to check out because we aren't all made of money! - oh wait, maybe that is just the Phd widows life - either way, the more money we save, the more we can spend, am I right? Ok, so back to the look, the last thing to talk about are the shoes. As in the other posts, your safest bet is to throw on some shoes that match the pants if they are a bootie because they elongate your legs. 

Tada! Holiday fashion #3 at your disposal. Now I better get pictures of you fine ladies in these looks, that is all I ask!

Holiday Fashion: Christmas Sweater

What says Christmas better than a Christmas sweater? I love love sweaters when I find the right one because I just want to snuggle into it on the cold days and yet I still look dressed up and presentable (because often times my comfy "jammies" just don't do the trick).

I found this sweater in my closet, and it was actually a Christmas present last year from my mamasita :) It is super comfy, but it wasn't really flattering around the mid section, so I just wrapped a cute skinny belt around (skinny because I didn't want it to take away from the sweater, but just to add some curves). Then throw on a patterned shirt underneath and some jeans and you are set for a comfy cute Christmas (quite the alliteration I have going on there).

Link wanted a picture do-over because he was embarrassed about the last ones (okay, maybe that was me because my kid was still in his pajamas like I had neglected him, so this is proof-that at least for today-I dress him)

Bwahaha, I can't help but pee a little when I look at Link's face in this picture!

There you go! One dressy and one casual outfit done. But don't fret, there are more ideas to come! Any that you would like to see specifically?

More Forever 21...