I’m continuing with the oxygen mask theory this week of getting yourself ready before you spend the next few weeks focusing on everybody else. So last week I did party dressing and quite a few people grumbled that a lot of the outfits were sleeveless but there are still some of us who need that kind of thing. About half of my Christmas ‘out out’ events are based around dancing, either salsa or disco and within fifteen minutes I’m always hot so sleeveless is the only thing I want.
Today though I have the cosier outfits for the equally special Christmas moments that aren’t spent beneath a disco ball. It’s time for one of my very favourite try-ons of the year – Boden Christmas. So let’s remember what they do there.
Boden stopped using sequins and glitter back in 2021 to keep tiny bits of plastic out of the sea, so the sparkle this year comes from shimmery lurex, satin, patent and metallic finishes instead. They’ve really focused on supplying a range of textures as you’ll see from the edit I’ve done and if you mix them together, you’ll have a Christmas capsule that maximises the low and artificial light at this time of year.
Everything I’ve chosen has long sleeves and the challenge with sleeves is that you can soon look frumpy. However, I’ve found pieces that will still give a little glimpse of skin and that’s the way around a Christmas outfit that will still keep you warm. You want a lower neckline or a little transparency. So let me talk you through my selection and it wasn’t easy to narrow it down – there were a lot of stunning options that I had to walk away from.
A dress that’s as comfortable as your pyjamas
As always I was instantly drawn to the red dresses but there is no space in my wardrobe for another red dress. So I went for blue instead, and Boden have taken their blue party dress selection very seriously this year which is good because they’re a timeless, year-round classic. Somehow a blue dress feels more in tune with a cool summer night too than a red one.
Here are the others that made my shortlist and I’d have been happy to wear any of them.
- This column velvet dress was my second choice, mostly for its sparkly buttons but also the slim shape and the harbour blue shade which is such a warm version of navy. I’m still lingering over it but I have no excuse for two. Hand washable.
- Look at the beautiful shade of sapphire on this ruched dress. This will do great work for you, emphasising the waist and visually lengthening you with its perfect neckline which is low – but not too low. Machine washable.
- I loved this velvet dress with piping for its soft, true navy sheen and, of course, the piping which really emphasises the silhouette. It’s machine washable and available in petite or long although the petites have clearly loved it to death because it’s almost sold out in their sizes.
- And this velvet shirt dress with a collar will work well on those of you who have longer necks. The buttons are beautiful and it’s a fit and flare cut with pockets. Dry clean only.
However in the end this is the one that I really wanted to show you. It’s light and stretchy so, yes, it really is like wearing your pyjamas at a time when waistbands revel in extra space. The thing I love most about it though is the way that it moves. I can only describe it as sinuous, as you walk the skirt is like a glittering wave around your body and as the silver sparkles catch the light, it feels fantastic.
Sparkly lurex dress (also available in claret); Earrings; Boden boots past season; Boden belt past season but this would be even nicer
I was going to wear the sash as a belt but Mal saw me playing with it as a scarf and really liked it this way (the catnip of an unexpected comment from a partner). It’s slim on the arms but not tight and that gives you a great outline. I’ve paired it with boots and it’s exactly the right length for them. I’d have happily worn it with party shoes too – heels or flats would work. My normal size 12 fits perfectly.
Sparkly lurex dress (also available in claret); Earrings; Boden boots past season; Boden belt past season but this would be even nicer
Red, red wine
Now for something completely different. I have this in mind for a carol service or a walk to the village pub to meet up with friends. As soon as I saw the jacket the love was instant. You’ve seen how much I wear my bright pink one from Boden and it’s perfect for a big night out but sometimes I want something with attitude that’s a bit more low key.
I always think that winter coats are the most important part of your wardrobe because they announce you wherever you go. And yet as I said on Tuesday, so many people forget about them and then have to throw on their old black work coat at the last minute.
This beautiful faux fur number will work for daytime because it isn’t too bright but it will also look intentional in the evening worn over a column of colour like this. It doesn’t have to be burgundy underneath, it would look great with jeans and a top or a column of black, navy or brown.
The quality is superb, there’s no static and the great thing I’ve found about my pink one is that it doesn’t matter if it gets wet. You just run a towel over it when you get home and it’s good to go.
Faux fur argyle jacket; Cherry velvet flared trousers; Patent kitten heel boots; Silk Blend Merlot Blouse
And this is what I put underneath. A silk blend blouse in a shade of beaujolais with a very generous tie that allows you to wear it low like this. I don’t like a pussy bow tied at my neck, it makes me feel too prim but (you know what I’m going to say) as a lower detail like this it adds a vertical pointer.
With the trousers and the boots I feel like a full wine list selection. The trousers are slightly flared but not too dramatic. The cut gives the foot a focus so you need party shoes or a good boot like these patent ones with their fabulous long toe that ends with a squared-off tip. The heel isn’t too high or too narrow so they’re good to walk in. When I tried them my normal size fit perfectly but I ended up going up by one so that I could wear socks on a cold night and stand in them comfortably.
I’m wearing a 12 in the jacket, blouse and trousers. All fit well but if you’re in-between I’d go up on the trousers for a slightly louche, lounge lizard fit.
Faux fur argyle jacket; Cherry velvet flared trousers; Patent kitten heel boots; Silk Blend Merlot Blouse
And I have to show you the necklace in detail because it’s fabulous (if I’d had a smaller pair of earrings with me I’d have switched the hoops out though). However, the necklace is designed for a party outfit like this and it echoes all of the 80s party trends that are coming through. They’re going to get even bigger thanks to the new series of Rivals which started this week (hurray!) – it covers a ball and Christmas so I can’t wait for the outfits.
But what I want to say about this necklace is how good it’s going to be with plain winter outfits. Either over a polo-neck or worn to lift a crew neck in place of the wretched white tee which never stays put when you try to style it (use fashion tape or a safety pin but either will ruin the neckline after a while).
Shine on
Onwards (see what I did there if you’re on Substack?!). Now I know this blouse is going to be a love/hate but I love it. As soon as I saw it I could hear my dad saying ‘oven ready’ and I expected that from Mal but it was another piece that he especially liked.
Checked shirts are everywhere this season thanks to Traitors (and I think I’m the only person celebrating the fact that it’s finally over and I can, at last, have intelligent conversations with my friends again). The checked shirt looks great in theory because it works in the same way as a breton to break up the top of an outfit but… I just can’t get the early 90s out of my head when we all lived in outsized versions of them. Evidence here in a picture with my beloved best friend Tess, who tragically died soon after this but left me with a lifetime of happy memories.
So I’ve been swerving them until now because I have no desire to go back to the lumberjack look but then this came along… a checked shirt raised to a disco ball level. It’s the sort of thing that’s great with jeans for a quick drink in the pub now but, worn with a red or navy cardigan in January, it will be like the lights coming on in your outfit. I wondered if it would crease horribly but it didn’t. I’m wearing a 12 and it’s right but for a neater fit, size down. Be quick though because it’s almost sold out already since last week’s launch.
Layers of texture
And last of all I bring you another outfit that I absolutely love. This was yet another jacket that gave me that fizzing feeling when I saw it. It’s quite hard to photograph the feather effect without it looking woolly so here’s the Boden close-up…
… and here it is on me. It’s exactly the right length for wearing with wide trousers, a skirt or a dress. It’s soft and warm and even though it’s black the feather effect catches the light, bouncing it back rather than soaking it up. I love it because it has drama – a sophisticated, grown-up drama. You can use it to add a bit of a rock chick look to a jeans outfit as I’ve shown here, but it will also hold its own over a cocktail dress, giving it some serious style chutzpah.
Black faux feather jacket; Lace high neck top; Diamanté bow earrings
And now we have to have a conversation about lace tops and transparency as we do every year because otherwise somebody will write in to tell me that you can’t wear it sheer, as I have here. You can… or you can not… the choice is yours. It depends on whether you want to wear it the French way like this or a more English way with a camisole underneath – and that’s up to you. The midway would be a tonal bralette but I have a lace bra in the exact same shade of teal that, to me, works beautifully.
It’s a personal choice and it’s mostly about confidence. The beauty of lace is that it both reveals and obscures which is why it’s seen as sexy. It’s suggestive of skin on show but everything is covered up, more so in this than a standard lace blouse because it has the contrast of a modest high neckline.
And that’s where allure comes in. But not everybody wants to feel alluring so if that’s you, then choose a camisole because this is such a beautiful top to wear. The teal shade of navy is just so perfect for wearing with jeans, it’s exactly the right colour for a lean, column effect.
The only thing that matters is that you feel good and confident in whatever you put on, there’s no right or wrong/can or can’t/should or shouldn’t involved.
Lace high neck top; Diamanté bow earrings
Disclosure: “Christmas outfits – warm, covered, alluring” was commissioned by Boden but as always, outfit selections, photographs, words and thoughts are all my own
