How to the be the Belle of the Christmas Party: Part One

The Christmas party season is fast approaching and whether it’s the office party or an annual gathering of friends you are probably beginning to wonder what to wear.  

Follow these simple tips with dresses by Alberta Ferretti and you’ll be sure to turn heads for the right reasons.

Of course if you want more ideas, visit an image consultant!

Black is not the only colour
When Coco Chanel invented the little black dress she created a fabulous evening wardrobe staple.  But whilst the ‘LBD’ will always be a party favourite, do take care as black doesn’t suit everyone’s colouring.  If it’s not in your palette but you’ve got your heart set on wearing your LBD you will need to make sure you wear it with the right accessories.  Fortunately, there is a range of colours out there to choose from, so take advantage of them to get you through the party season…

Black looks great on ‘deep’ colourings like Eva Longoria etc. but it can still look striking on other colourings too, just make sure you don’t wear it too close to your face.  If you are light brown, blonde or a red-head then add a lighter colour necklace, such as masses of pearls or silver or gold (whatever suits your colouring) to reflect the lighter colours onto your face.  The style and fabric of the dress, and teaming it up with a variety of accessories, will send different messages, so depending on your mood you can glam it up with sequins and killer heels or keep it low-key with simple jewellery and a lower heel.

Emerald Green, This year’s Pantone Colour of the Year looks gorgeous in eveningwear. There are varying shades of green to suit different colourings but the most striking is emerald. Emerald green is best suited to ‘clear’ colourings – those of you with bright eyes and dark hair – and redheads.  Choose a dress in satin as it will enhance the colour and really give you the ‘wow’ effect. Other popular greens include pine green which suits darker colourings and some darker redheads too. This shade looks equally fabulous in a satin shade or a mix of satin and chiffon. Those of you with fair or light brown hair should look for a softer teal shade.

Purple is a great alternative to black because it has the same slimming effect and there is a shade to suit every complexion (think like-for-like, deeper tones for the darker colourings and lighter shades for fair).  Purple shows that you are creative and in control.  It projects confidence and individuality, so if you’re not afraid of colour and want to express yourself, wear a purple dress and you will be seen as the creative and outgoing one at the party!  If you want to show-off your creative side even more then wear bold accessories in a different shade such as green (if your colouring can take it) or metallics.  Silk is seductive and velvet dramatic, chiffon will keep it feminine.

Red, In terms of eveningwear we tend to think of red as the epitome of ‘sexy’, but it can look elegant and dramatic too.  Red is not for wallflowers, you won’t be able to shy away in red!  Some sparkle in the detail will add extra glamour, floor skimming satin will make it ultra dramatic and close fitting velvet will give you the ultimate vamp effect.  It is also a great energising colour, so if you weren’t in a party mood before, you will be once you’ve got your dress on! Again, there are shades of red for every colouring; darker colourings can go scarlet, geranium red is good on blondes, redheads can wear tomato red with a hint of yellow in it.

Image consultations make great gifts! Give a gift that lasts a lifetime.

How to accessorize this Spring

Aside from organizing your Spring wardrobe, its helps to put together your Spring accessories to create the perfect look. 

Express your individuality, be your own artist and have fun with colour this season with these tips:

Play up feminine pieces: From ruffles to florals to lace, this season is all about looking soft and feminine. An embroidered neck border or statement necklace says "I'm a girl" like nothing else. Tie a pastel coloured scarf around your neck  or try a headband for that 60’s look. Bows are everywhere and a bow neck, bow belt or shoe with a bow will go perfectly with your feminine dresses. 

Accent Brights with Neutrals or Neutrals with Brights: With all the lovely bright coloured styles this season, you will want to tone down your handbags and shoes a notch. In the same way, if you are carrying a bright bag, you'll want to go for a more neutral outfit. This is especially important if you want the focus to be on your outfit...on the other hand, if you are a dramatic, go for it. Bright away!

White with Colour: With all the whites this Spring, nothing looks better then having a bright, solid coloured stand out bag or shoe to go with the monochromatic look. You could opt for a head to toe black and white look for sure, but stand out of the crowd with a red, yellow or cobalt blue patent leather shoes, belt or bag! Of course, you could go the other way and wear the ultimate Spring White Bag. Just make sure you spray your white bag with a protector before using it, and make sure you clean it regularly. Nothing looks worse than dirty white. 

If you are wondering what accessories to add, contact us and we'll set you up with one of our consultants!

Consultant of the month-Stacy Wooten

Our Colour Me Beautiful consultants extend beyond the city of Hong Kong as they settle elsewhere in various other parts of Asia.

Take our consultant Stacy Kurzendorfer for example.

Stacy currently resides in the city if Shenyang in China, and serves as the Vice-President of the expat group International Club of Shenyang.

She recently provided members of this group with a free 'colour demonstration' at the Hilton Doubletree over a luncheon.

She taught her audience what their 'dominant' colourings were on several willing volunteers, (i.e. the strongest hues in the colour of their hair, eyes and skin tone), showing them the colours and styles of clothing which flatter them most.

In addition to using colour drapes, Stacy also brought some of her own clothing to use as examples and a guide to illustrating clothes which are a 'yes' and those which were 'no's'.

Interested in Stacy's work as an Image Consultant? You too can have a chance to build your own side business as a personal stylist, or even pursue a full time career as one! Colour Me Beautiful offers top of the notch programs designed to qualify you as a professional international image consultant. You will be able to work anywhere in the world!

Simply take a look at the various programs we offer here and sign up today!

Contact us at 2522 2522 or info@colourmebeautiful.hk for more details.