This year a group of friends decided we’d head to Washington, D.C. for New Year’s Eve for a night of dancing, cocktails & celebration. No matter how you felt about 2016 – it always feels good to get together with friends to celebrate a new year of new possibilities.
Heading to D.C. didn’t just mean I would have to put my big girl pants on and make it until 3:00 AM when the party ended (spoiler alert: I made it until 2:30 AM before switching to my pjs), it meant I would have to have the perfect look. I headed to the streets of Downtown Frederick to explore my options.
When thinking about NYE I think about three things: texture, color and length. When I see a NYE dress that I love, it is full of glitter, shine, or some other texture that makes the dress stand out from just a typical event dress. Truthfully, it’s the only night of the year that glitter appeals to me – I am normally drawn to simplistic style. NYE is the perfect night of the year to wear a color or pattern you might not normally wear. Like I said, I usually drift toward minimalistic pieces, but NYE is one night I feel is an exception. And when it comes to length, NYE is an open book. Cocktail length, full length, mid-length, it all applies for this fun, festive night. For this NYE, I wanted to find a dress that was something I wouldn’t wear to a normal event. I was looking for bold, spectacular and something with different cut that I hadn’t worn or seen before.
I started with jumpsuits. Out-of-the-box thinking meant that jumpsuits had to be considered. I so often think (and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone!) that I can’t pull off a romper or jumpsuit, so why not try a couple on for size when thinking about NYE. Since a jumpsuit would be a little out of my comfort zone, I chose jumpsuits that were in colors I did feel comfortable in: black & white. I’ve found that’s a good way to compromise on a style risk; if you’re taking a risk on an outfit, make sure one aspect of that outfit aligns with your natural style. You’ll feel excited about stepping outside the box, while also pleased that you’re still sticking to your guns when it comes to your personal style. My risk: a jumpsuit; my comfort zone: colors, black & white. Below are the two that I tried on, both Ella Moss found at Silk & Burlap in Downtown Frederick. Both fit so well, and the racer-back on the black lacy romper had just the specialty details I was looking for. Oh, and they both had POCKETS (who doesn’t love a dress/jumpsuit with pockets?!). [Author’s note: While I didn’t choose either for NYE, I loved the black romper’s fit so much, that I bought it to wear at a later date.]
I then moved back to dresses of varying colors, lengths and styles. Aspire and Silk & Burlap (both in Downtown Frederick) had dresses to choose from with some of my favorite features: open back, ‘cold-shoulder’ cut outs, and strapless. I loved the red dress (far left) from Aspire, especially with the shoulder cut outs. The mini-patterned dress from Silk & Burlap (right of red) was fun, but didn’t wow me enough for a New Year’s dress. It was comfortable and playful, making it a perfect date-night dress. I fell in love with the silver (center) dress as soon as I zipped it up. It fit like a glove, almost as if it had been tailored to fit me, and the slit up the leg was ideal for that ‘different’ look I was hoping for. Plus, you can’t go wrong with a shiny silver dress for NYE! The two black dresses (right) were also fun in their own way, with fun sleeves on one and a form fitting shape, and an open-back flirty fit on the other. Just as the patterned dress, either would be appropriate for a fun-date night, but just didn’t ‘wow’ me when thinking about NYE.
So what did I choose? Without a doubt, the Silver Dress made by Keepsake found at Silk & Burlap was the perfect dress for NYE. The dress was $115.00, and I will without a doubt get wear out of it again. I knew I could pair some great costume jewelry and a great pair of heels to make this the look I wanted for NYE.
I headed to D.C. with silver heels, sparkly jewelry and my silver dress in tow, and danced the night away with a handsome date and some beautiful ladies – all while doing a little happy dance that I found just the outfit I was looking for. Here’s to closing out 2016 with style, and having high, sparkly hopes for 2017.
Cheers,
KLo
Love love love