In this post, I provide styling suggestions for eight different New Year’s Eve entertainments for different climate regions plus an online family party.
- Why to Adapt Your New Year’s Eve Look to Your Plans
- New Year’s Eve Looks for on The Town
- Celebrating at a Sports-bar
- New Year’s Eve Dinner at a Winter Resort
- Party at a Tropical Resort
- What to Wear to the Theater or Opera
- NYE Dance Party Outfit Ideas
- Video Night with Family or Friends
- New Year’s Eve Zoom-meeting with Family
- Happy New Year
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Why to Adapt Your New Year’s Eve Look to Your Plans
As I discuss in my style book How to Dress for Success in Midlife, what to wear on New Year’s Eve depends foremost on your plans. This means where you will you go, what transportation you will use, who will be your company, and of course, and what is in the weather forecast. To get the idea, just imagine wearing a strapless long evening gown with a little faux fur stole and strappy 4 inches (10 cm) heels in a blizzard in Chicago. It’s a perfect recipe to start the New Year with a cold even when it is only four blocks to the opera. Take a cab!
Adapt your New Year's Eve outfit to where you go. #NewYearsEve Click To Tweet
New Year’s Eve Looks for on The Town
The photos below give suggestions for outfits created for walking from one bar to the next when you live some where down south. Take a coat and you have what to wear in cold, wet weather. Add a down coat or shearling and you are good to stay warm at below freezing temperatures. Take a big bag that holds the shoes you want to wear sitting at the bar. Just leave the boots with your coat at the coat clerk’s, if there is one. Otherwise, place the boots under the table.
Recall wet boots – no matter whether due to sweating or wet weather – cause cold feet when you go outside.
London Jean boyfriend jeans with sequin striped tunic shirt, Moda International bomber leather jacket, and high toe-studded heels (all own). Outfit for warm climate regions
Halogen LBD, Fendi boots, GNW tights, unbranded striped scarf, opaque top c/o Cami Condifential for bar hoping in cold climate. Add a down coat as outerwear.
Tucker for Target faux fur bomber jacket, London Jean BF, statement studded heels, and striped sequin tunic (all own).Perfect for barhoping in warm climate regions
Notations cardigan worn as top, printed tights (gift from colleague), Oliveo leather shorts, Puma sneakers (all own), Cape hoodie c/o Tricia Tanaka. In warm climate regions the cape hoodie may be enough as outerwear
Celebrating at a Sports-bar
The next photos give inspiration for spending the evening celebrating in a sports bar. The long sleeves, buttoned shirt and tights are not overly exposing skin to the cold and the views, and the posh golden shorts are festive, but go well with the more relaxed sport theme of the location.
Outfit details: Joeffer Caoc golden leather shorts with Great Northwest corduroy button-down shirt, GNW opaque tights, and Madden Mary Janes (all own)
Riders by Lee black and white Buffalo plaid button-down with own long sleeve Tee, Banana Republic skirt, Jord bamboo watch, GNW tight, and Sanchez riding boots.
Michael Kors sequin sweater with London boyfriend jeans, Puma sneakers, GNW sweater and statement belt (all own)
Brooks Brothers turtleneck sweater, Adidas gym pants, Harley Davidson booties, baroque pearl necklace, three string pearl necklace (all own), and Akoya pearl necklace c/o The Pearl Source Inc.
New Year’s Eve Dinner at a Winter Resort
Many winter resorts have dinning rooms with an open fire. You never know where the hostess will seat you for dinner. Close to the fire it may be comfortable or even too hot. Far away, it may be too chilly for a cocktail dress. To stay on the safe side and not freeze, wear a lace top under your lace cocktail dress as is shown in the left photo below. An alternative would be a nice stole or cover-up like in the right photo below.
Self-made turquoise 40s inspired dress with abstract floral print, Hermes collier de chien bangle, statement peridot, amethyst,and citrin necklace with matching earring and bracelet, and Valentino studs (all own)
Vintage thrifted cover-up, Very Fine Dance Shoes, statement jewelry (all own) and dress c/o JJs HouseDo you want more outfit suggestions for various dressing situations? Then my style recipe book “How to Dress for Success in Midlife” is right for you. Buy it now.
Party at a Tropical Resort
A black floral asymmetric hem dress is sultry and cannot be mistaken as your beach dress. Put on some silver or leopard high heels and you are ready for an Argentine Tango with the “macho” of your choice ;). Well, you can’t go wrong with a LBD.
Floral dress with asymmetric hem over lace slip with leopard print T-strap Neo Tango heels (all own)
Banana Republic abstract print fit-and-flare dress, Very Fine Dancing Dancesport shoes, statement panther belt, Hermes collier de chien bangle (all own)
Little black dress with boat neck c/o Covered Perfectly worn under own mesh dress with pumps
24/7 Frenzy multicolor dress, Hermes collier de chien bangle, leaf earrings, Madden Girls sandals (all own) and leather pearls necklace c/o Wendy Mignot
What to Wear to the Theater or Opera
The opera and theater are your chance to dress up in an evening gown. Below are some ideas how to accessorize. In cold places like New York, add a long faux fur coat and a hat for the commute. Wear boots and swap them for your evening sandals or pumps at the coat clerk’s.
Lace evening gown with silver Ralph Lauren pumps (all own)
Black lace low-high hem dress (all own)
Evening gown in various royal blue shades with beaded waves pattern.
Velvet gown with stole and opera-length leather gloves (all own)
Like these outfit ideas? If so, please feel free to pin them to your own Pinterest board.
NYE Dance Party Outfit Ideas
This event is a tricky one. When the party is at a Western bar, roadhouse or dance place. Your best bet is to check whether there is a dress code. If not, go for a notch up of what is worn typically at dances at that place. Another hint for what to wear is the kind of music that is announced. For a Latin dance music, a fancy dress and showing skin strategically is in order. When Swing is announced a retro 1950s dress is fine. When music of a special decade is announced, a piece from that decade styled modern is an option. Country and Western music permits jeans and a T-shirt. Try a graphic Tee with dark blue jeans and a leopard print jacket for a casual, but stylish look.
If it’s a private party, ask the host whether there is a theme. Even if not, doing so gives you an idea of what the hostess has in mind.
Red leopard maxi dress, Chantal Mary Janes, costume jewelry hair pin (all own) and costume jewelry crystal necklace c/o Happiness Boutique
Unbranded floral print with lace insets dress and pantyhose, Very Fine Dance Sport sandals (all own)
Video Night with Family or Friends
Chic PJs or loungewear or leggings with a cozy sweater are perfect for a family video night or a stay-at-home date-night outfit. When close friends come over, an upscale version of the leggings with sweater version or fancy athleisure wear are fine for a casual video night. It’s a chance to wear those sequin leggings or that sequin top. But keep the look in the glam casual or posh casual, but comfortable ballpark. Depending on the number of guest you might sit on a pillow on the floor. Plus, you don’t want to outdress the host(ess).
Tip: Ask whether you can bring fingerfood or a dish. If so, you are sure there will be food you like and you are in better control of what you eat and the calories you take in.
New Year’s Eve Zoom-meeting with Family
When a video meeting with family is on the schedule, avoid tops that are busy like small floral prints, houndstooth, pinpoints, small stripes, sequins, herring-bone, snake or leopard print or even polka dots. They lead to drizzly patterns on the screen. It is unpleasant to look at. This is especially true when you or another party in the meeting has a low bandwidth. You can wear these print and patterns as bottoms like in the outfit inspiration. When you go for a printed item on top make sure the print is large like in the scarf.
It’s a virtual NYE, not a Halloween party!
In addition, recall it’s sort of dressing for family reunion, eventhough it’s just virtual. But someone might hit the recording button.
When you plan to use a festive background make sure you don’t wear anything green. The software will otherwise not be able to create a correct background. You don’t want to have a spooky screen where only your hands, neck and face show. Also resist the idea to use a firework as background. It also can come across as drizzle.
Avoid a firework background or green sweater.
Happy New Year
What are you planning to do on the last day of the year? Are you throwing a party or go out? Have you made some resolutions? What are they?
Celebrate safely.
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Photos: G. Kramm
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