The Return Of Party Dressing – And What It Really Means This Season
What does ‘dressing up’ look like in an age of uncertainty? MARJON CARLOS explains why savoring the moment can help us focus on the present and establish what’s really important
This Thanksgiving, as I was buttoning up a multi-colored Christopher John Rogers blouse, I took a step back and inspected myself in the mirror. I had been dying to wear it since eyeing the chromatic ‘Dippin Dots’ patterned top and matching cargo pants last May, amongst the New York-based designer’s spirited Resort 2022 collection. The riot of color that the look boasted helped me forget the gray New York skies outside my window; it alluded to brighter, chicer days ahead. Assessing my reflection, I wondered, “Too much?” After posting a selfie to my Instagram stories and crowdsourcing my community with this quandary, Rogers DM’d me directly. “Never!” he replied. It was decided: my first official foray back into holiday dressing, in almost two years, would include turkey and plenty of moxie.
The thing is, I was never truly resigned to the fact that we’d be forever wearing sweatsuits. Sure, I had my uniform of house dresses and Zoom-ready button-downs, but I actually used fashion as a form of catharsis in a world of unknowns and began collecting (so to speak) pieces to inspire me while in isolation – and to wear when I finally rejoined my community.
I reevaluated every facet of my life and my wardrobe with it. When I emerged from quarantine, I had no interest in returning to a life or habits that no longer served me, and my personal style would be an external expression of that internal change. I began experimenting with new designers, silhouettes, and colorways, escaping into Wales Bonner knits, The Row gowns, Dries Van Noten tie-dyed separates, JW Anderson patchwork floral tea dresses, and more. With a weekly appearance on my IGTV talk show, Your Favorite Auntie, I had an excuse to pull out my new Khaite knitted LBD or Proenza Schouler’s tomato-red drawstring gown, for a spin around the living room. In some ways, it was escapism from the anxieties and stresses of daily living, but on the other hand, it was my way of saying that life was enough of an affair to get dressed up for.
With real invitations sliding into my inbox once more, I’m viewing the holiday season with the same intentionality. It’s time to step out of my cocoon and apply all the style lessons I’ve learned. After all, it’s a celebration. Rogers couldn’t agree more. “It’s a nice time to push people’s expectations of how to show up to a space,” the 28-year-old, who received this year’s CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year award, declared a week later following our DM exchange. The wunderkind – whose exuberant designs are the perfect fashion antidote to an excess of leisurewear – is ready to end a tricky year on a “celebratory, declarative, aesthetic note.”
“We don’t have to stick to the tried-and-true formula of festive dressing, but we should at least be making an effort – for ourselves, above all
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“If you’re somebody who wants to be comfortable and doesn’t really care about the glitz and glam, that’s really fine. Like wearing a fun knit dress or something super cozy feels interesting,” he explains. “Or if you’re somebody who does like to show up and show out, really pushing yourself to be your most authentic, even in spaces that aren’t always accepting of that, or maybe afraid of that. Because you deserve it.”
Which is to say that we don’t have to stick to the tried-and-true formula of festive dressing, but we should at least be making an effort – for ourselves, above all. Contemporary takes on traditional red and green, for example, create a more-high octane, but no less festive palette, according to Rogers, like his “Grinch green” wool suit. It’s a tailored showstopper that announces your arrival to the party and can also be worn upon your return to the office with a crisp button-down, according to the designer.
Stylist Thomas Christos Kikis also embraced this sartorial mantra at last month’s Fashion Awards in London, sending his client, actor Gabrielle Union, down the red carpet in a fluoro Valentino ball gown. Demanding space and attention, the decadent look embodies Kikis’ take on holiday dressing these days. Fresh from his trip to London, the LA-based creative cannily observed that “everyone is making every look an occasion”. An intimate dinner amongst friends, for instance, calls for statement-making accessories or a bold shoe choice, steering the focus towards pattern and color.
It’s important to note that, for all this talk of elevation, there is still something to be said for offsetting flamboyance with ease. Gabriella Khalil, founder and creative director of Palm Heights Resort in Cayman Islands, has perhaps perfected the subtle balance. While hosting a bevy of guests against the idyllic, beachy-cool backdrop for the holidays, she’s relied on relaxed pant suits. “I’ve been obsessed with wearing loose matching trousers and button-up shirts from The Row and Totême. These have been really amazing for events but also just an easy dinner look.” Without fully abandoning our love of comfort, there is a happy medium that can ease us back into full-on glam – like slipping into colorful party pants or pairing your favorite LBD with chic (and crucially, comfy) pointed flats; the kind of ensembles that are ideal for hosting at home, too.
In many ways, this party season is about reestablishing our sartorial identities, and embracing all the glamour and frivolity we’ve been missing. But, equally, it’s an opportunity to savor the moment and get back to who we really are.
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