The 2019 Holiday Lookbook Part II: Black Tie (Optional)

by Stig / 2 Comments
2019 holiday outfit guide - black tie optional red one shoulder dress with cutouts | a guia do que vestir nas festas de fim de ano: traje social completo com vestido vermelho de um ombro e recortes

We’re in the home stretch, folks – Hanukkah starts in 9 days, Christmas in 12, and New Year’s is barreling along shortly after. As someone who is perennially overdressed, I LOVE a chance to get super gussied-up and the holiday season is ripe with reasons to polish a shine in those stilettos, glue on some eyelashes, and call an Uber home because you’ve had too much fun. Today we’re toasting to this sentiment with Part II of the Holiday Lookbook (see Part I here): black tie (and black tie optional).

2019 holiday outfit guide - black tie optional red one shoulder dress with cutouts | a guia do que vestir nas festas de fim de ano: traje social completo com vestido vermelho de um ombro e recortes

This is the type of dress code you’d see for a formal work party, a symphony or ballet performance, a gala, or whatever your fanciest friend is up to on Saturday night.

2019 holiday outfit guide - black tie optional red one shoulder dress with cutouts | a guia do que vestir nas festas de fim de ano: traje social completo com vestido vermelho de um ombro e recortes

Look for pieces dresses and jumpsuits with good movement, interesting texture, and architectural cuts

You can whip out an LBD and look AMAZING in a pinch, but if you have time, I encourage you to have fun with this. Look for pieces – by “pieces” I mean dresses and/or jumpsuits – with good movement, interesting texture, and architectural cuts (more on that in last year’s lookbook).

2019 holiday outfit guide - black tie optional red one shoulder dress with cutouts | a guia do que vestir nas festas de fim de ano: traje social completo com vestido vermelho de um ombro e recortes
Dress: Alexis (similar here, more affordable here) | Bag: Salar (similar here) | Heels: Halston (exact in limited stock here, more affordable here)

For footwear, I’d stick mostly to open-toed heels in nude, black, or a metallic. If you want to add a bit of an edge, and I hope you do, go for a square-toe silhouette on those stilettos, yes?

2019 holiday outfit guide - black tie optional red one shoulder dress with cutouts | a guia do que vestir nas festas de fim de ano: traje social completo com vestido vermelho de um ombro e recortes

If you’re in the US, I encourage you to use rental services (like my staple, RTR) for formal events – it’s a total lifesaver. If you’re in Brazil or Portugal, check out this and this site, respectively. I find myself much more willing to take risks on fun items if I’m not committing closet space to it, you know? They also handle drycleaning in case you, like me, forget to wear a bib.

2019 holiday outfit guide - black tie optional red one shoulder dress with cutouts | a guia do que vestir nas festas de fim de ano: traje social completo com vestido vermelho de um ombro e recortes

I’d also suggest investing in a black clutch – you’ll get a lot of miles out of it all year long. It’s truly the laziest way to make it look like you have your sh*t together.

2019 holiday outfit guide - black tie optional red one shoulder dress with cutouts | a guia do que vestir nas festas de fim de ano: traje social completo com vestido vermelho de um ombro e recortes

On another note, amongst my friends there’s been LOTS of discussion about shapewear, what works, what doesn’t, pros, cons, the whole shebang. I’m working on compiling our joint wisdom and may do a post on that soon.

I also would like to thank Allyson Kardel for the use of her home for these pictures!

I hope you have an awesome weekend!

love,

Stig