Dressed to Dazzle!

Most women love to look good, and it is my passion to help bring out their assets and personalities using fashion. The holiday season is filled with all types of parties, and finding the right attire can be confusing. Here are some suggestions for looking great at any event.

by Amy Levenson Krumholz | Fashion Editor

Entertaining at Home

You’ve decked your halls and invited friends over to be jolly. My advice? A trendy blend of casual and festive.  Here, Meridith is wearing a bare shoulder dressed-up T-shirt – part of her own Maniac collection – with emerald green suede leggings, over the knee boots (a must have!) and an oversized necklace to pull it all together.

Meridith Casey, is the founder of Dallas-based company, Maniac, which gives 100% of net profits to Dallas’ Child and Family Guidance Center – an organization that has provided counseling and treatment to those in need for over 100 years. Armed with a business degree from the University of Georgia and a love of fashion, Meridith’s life took a turn when her adult brother was diagnosed with bipolar disorder three years ago. “Maniac is the merger of my passion for casual, comfortable, stylish clothing with my compassion for my brother and those like him,” she says.

Transition to Cocktail Attire

Swap the over the knee boots for a dressy ankle strap shoe and throw on a statement faux fur jacket and a gold chain purse to turn heads at a fancier fete. Fab!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charity Lunch

It’s a season of philanthropy and fashion. For a sophisticated daytime look, I put Laurie in an A-Line bright blue (blue is the new black!) shift dress topped with a deconstructed winter white blazer and this season’s must have suede booties.

Lauri Paschetag Braschler owns and operates LuLu’s Blooms, LLC, an organic landscape company, where she can put her passion for recycling and protecting the earth into her daily life.  But her passion for recycling and protecting extends most profoundly to the people around her. At the age of 18, as a freshman in college, Lauri was in an auto accident that killed two of the five people in the car.  When she awoke from a 5-day coma, doctors informed her family that she would have permanent brain damage – her mind would remain that of a child.  Lauri had other plans. “I fought hard to re-learn, to say my name, to remember things, to read. . I did 500 piece puzzles and other memorization tactics to put my brain back to work. I wanted to get my life back.” She returned to college less than two months later, still suffering some physical and mental ramifications, but a changed young woman, determined to live life to the fullest and to help other young people realize their life dreams. When she is not busy planting perennials and creating naturally beautiful landscapes for her clients, she is competing in a run, a “warrior” program or other athletic challenge to benefit a cause or person. “Encouraging others to achieve what someone else has told them is impossible drives me.  Whether that’s in school, in their work, a sports team or an athletic challenge, I want everyone to finish strong.”

Transition to Company Party

To transition to her 3:00 p.m. office party, Laurie could add this long strand of black pearls, streamlined heather grey blazer, suede pointy toe pumps. Don’t forget to toss a red lipstick into this timeless handbag. Ooh la la!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Company Holiday Party

Modeled here by Radhika is a perfect combination of professional yet chic. She’s wearing a jacquard high-low full skirt, classic silk black top, strappy suede pumps (tis’ the season for jewel tones!), and a custom-designed horn necklace.

Radhika Zaveri is a longtime marketing executive for the likes of Nestle USA, Green Mountain Coffee, Rubbermaid and Weight Watchers and a visiting professor at CWRU University. Radhika is the founder of Sukan, a line of jewelry designed locally and made in India. Sukan means “good wishes” which reflects her aspirations to provide means to women in rural India to bring forth their art and gain independence. “Our pieces are made in India yet represent global purpose of building a conscious society everywhere. The idea is that we empower ourselves and those around to define the type of world we want to live in.” www.sukanjewelry.com

Transition to Girls Night Out

To meet her girlfriends for a holiday gift exchange, Radhika slips on this season’s must-have flared jeans, an embellished saddle bag, and the “new neutral”−burgundy platform heels. The jeweled earrings complete her look. Tres Chic!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cocktails Anyone?

For Kim I selected an elegant sheath dress with a crisscross undergarment that gives it an edge. The simplicity is timeless.

Kim Bannister is a writer, author and community volunteer and the co-founder of Sawyer Collection, an artful Lucite home accessory collection along with her daughter, Sawyer, a 15-year old student at The Hockaday School.  Passionate for philanthropy, she has a hard time saying no to wonderful charities such as Heroes for Children, The Elisa Project, American Heart Association, Community Partners of Dallas and The Cattle Baron’s Ball. “I learned early on from my parents the importance of doing things for others − it is part of my core.  We have our health, our family and friends and not everyone does.  It doesn’t have to be a big action or financial, just something that shows another you care, you are there to help and support them. Volunteering is hope and strength for many and helps organizations grow and make a difference in the lives of many. How can you not play a part?”

Transition from Cocktail to Work Event

Having more than one event on one night is common during the holiday season.  For a quick change from fancy to understated, Kim can top off her dress with a blazer, an eye catching belt, closed toe shoes and a structured handbag.  Looking good!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fashions styled by Amy Levenson Krumholz – StylebyAmy.com.