Wardrobe Advice From Your Christmas Tree

Dressing up for Christmas can get pretty stressful. Not only does your wardrobe no longer cut it beside the IJGBs (I just got back) who have come prepared to show just how great their year has been but you have to find a way to look and feel festive without looking like you stumbled into a pile of tinsel. Not to worry, there’s a quick and easy way to wear your Christmas cheer without having to break the bank or blind your in-laws. Get your fashion inspiration from the season itself.

Wait, hear me out. Christmas is way more than lit up trees, in-laws, jollof rice and ugly sweaters. It is a reason to get fashionable, and experiment with elements and trends you would never touch in your everyday life. Don that reindeer tie or that flapper frock and go be the perfect party guest. Take these cues and get them to work for you.

Silver and Gold

No Christmas is complete without silver and gold. Whether it comes in the form of ornaments, or tinsel criss-crossed around the fir leaves on your Christmas tree. Even the Magi came bearing gold. You can incorporate some appropriate festiveness by donning some festive metallic costume jewelry to offset your sensible clothes to your mother’s holiday dinner, add a little bling to your office party outfit with a metallic shoe and bag combo or you can throw caution to the wind and steal the show at one of the million holiday concerts with a metallic, shimmery shift dress.

A-line

Christmas is all about starting small and finishing big and so should you with an A-line dress or skirt. They are flattering to almost any figure and will help hide that food belly you’ll get from all the eating you’ll be doing this season. Even better A-line skirts come in all lengths from the flirty skater skirt to the demure maxi and each length is just as flattering, just as it is on your Christmas tree.

Add a little fringe

You can jazz up your holiday wardrobe by adding a little drama with some fringe. If you are adventurous you can go big with a floor-length fringed net maxi like blogger Sylvia Njoki or you can start small with fringed belts from Style Temple or MoCheddah clothing. Whatever you choose, the fringe will put some jazz in your walk and have you drawing the right kind of attention. And no one will mind you hogging the spotlight for yourself just this once.

Light it up!

What is Christmas without lights? Now you cannot go around wearing electronic lights (actually you can, but we wouldn’t recommend it) but you can bring some light into your usually earth-toned colour palette with some Christmas cheer. Ditch the boring greys, blacks and browns and go for vibrant reds, eclectic yellows, pinks, oranges and whites. If you are up to steal the show, go for broke with some proper neon colours, either as detailed accessories or a full outfit. Christmas is not for shrinking violets, announce yourself.

Nothing a little wrap cannot solve

Just as Christmas doesn’t really come into its own until all the presents have been wrapped and exchanged, you can find a new version of yourself by layering up. This is the easiest way to try out new combinations and find use for that coat/jacket/dress that has been gathering dust in the back of your closet. Try unconventional pairings, like a silk robe over dress slacks and a formal dress shirt, or pull on a loose sweater over your slinky bodycon dress. Or you could go all Kanye and work three or four layers. But don’t forget, just before you leave home, stop by your mirror and take one thing off. Preferably the thing you’ve worn the most in the recent past.

Happy Holidays!

Photo Credit: Instagram

Yellow dress: @francissule

Fringed dress: @sylvianjoki

Silver and gold dresses: @shopmaju