Effortless Allure

Whether you’re a three-engagements-per-night social butterfly, or a one-event-per-quarter type, party season brings the perfect excuse to wind down, dress up and go out. After all, surely we’ve all earnt a generous helping of glamour, following the grind of the year?

Still, for many of us, the invites can bring a looming sense of pressure, as anyone who has ever fallen foul of a sequin overload or novelty knit will know all too well. “I think party season can seem like a sartorial struggle as, for many of us, we’re stepping so far outside of our comfort zone,” says Gillian Brett, NET-A-PORTER’s head of fashion content. “My week is spent yo-yoing between the loungewear I work from home in, and the more polished version of myself that I bring to the office (jeans, boots, good knits and occasionally a blazer), so getting into a glitzy dress can feel like a real departure.”

She finds that the solution is to seek out pieces “that still feel inherently ‘me’”. But what ‘me’ looks like to, well, you, is subjective. But one thing to keep in mind is this: can you see yourself wearing this again? Does it have mileage beyond party season? Can you mix it with pieces you already own and love? Answer yes to all of the above and you’ve likely got a winner on your hands for seasons to come.

And the best thing about feeling like yourself? Confidence, which equals enjoyment. Because the real beauty, the innate power of dressing up and making an effort is as much about offering joy to others as it is about feeling it yourself. As Alaïa’s Pieter Mulier – the man who proves that functionality and fabulousness are not mutually exclusive (see the viral embellished ballerinas, playful bags and nip-tuck knits) – said in this season’s fashion show notes: “I always want Alaïa to be about more than the clothes. Because it is about more than the clothes. It’s about life, about being together.”

Here, American model Abby Champion shows us how cool girls do party season.

Your closet’s fail-safe haute hero, the little black dress, earns its classic status wear after wear. But don’t mistake classic for quiet; the LBD is more than capable of stirring up drama (if desired). The beauty is in its blank canvas possibility – go as pared-back or ‘Pow!’ as you wish, with considered accessories. Another bonus? That versatility also transcends seasons and dress codes. “I like to shop with longevity in mind and Bottega Veneta’s black ribbed-knit maxi dress is a true closet classic that can be styled in multiple ways,” says Brett. “I’d pair it with over-the-knee boots and a cardigan in the office, then, to take it out on the town, Saint Laurent’s patent pumps and Alaïa’s gold-tone and resin bracelet will elevate it perfectly.”

Thank Anthony Vaccarello for heating up even lukewarm invites this holiday season. The Saint Laurent creative director brings lashings of sex appeal to winter’s after-dark dress code via his vampy FW24 collection. Equal parts bold and bourgeois, most of the collection’s 48 runway looks were executed in sheer stocking-style fabrics – not as scary as it might sound, however. The grown-up way to do ‘naked’ dressing? Limit it to one piece – preferably on the bottom half – like this opaque pencil skirt. “I love how it’s been styled for this shoot with platform heels and a strong-shouldered leather jacket, putting a powerful spin on party dressing,” says Brett, who also makes the case for the ‘appropriate underpinnings’. What counts as ‘appropriate’ depends on your confidence threshold – although a pair of high-waisted briefs is the best jumping-off point for the new-to-naked-dressing.