party planners: Mrs. Dot's Cupcake Theory of Attraction

All round the world right now, I can hear the collective sound of female voices saying 'I don't have a thing to wear' to a party coming up in the next week or so. This isn't even what I came here to post - will post that instead in an hour or so - because I can remember oh so well being single & going to parties where what I wore seemed to matter. (I still like to think that it does, but I guess I just feel more comfortable in my own skin: one of the benefits of getting old, girls!)



This year, after one of the Dress Me Up shoots at Topshop, I picked up a very cheap, wonderfully comfortable midnight blue/black sequin dress (yesterday I read someone calling them the LSD: Little Sequin Dress), and maybe I"ll get a quick little photo shoot in it, from Mr. Dot (but not holding my breath). What I love about the dress is, it's all sequins on the front, with a kind of drapey boat neck (my favourite: it's much like my other simple Jackie O type numbers), but the back is simply stretchy fabric, unsequined, which is much more comfortable than sequins to sit on (that's a bit like sitting on steel wool, alas, and I feel party clothes should be, above all, comfortable enough to dance and do anything in).



But really, there's no need to go out and buy something this year. As long as you've got something black, in a style that suits your body type, just use that as a base and have fun with accessories. Think of it as baking a cake, and you are the cupcake. The LBD (or, LSD) is the cake mixture, and everything else is the frosting, sprinkles, and floral garnish. Ingredients include: silver, gold, glitter, pearls, sequins, fur, leather, studs, and either fierce or fabulous shoes and especially, provided your dress is short, little peep ankle booties (there are no fashion don'ts in my book, apart from NO BOOTIES WITH GOWNS). The secret is balance; dress it up, but don't forget to dress it down.



The thing about parties, and the pressure on the attire, is the expectation of meeting one's own Mr. Dot, but let's face it: we always meet our Big at the moment we least expect anyway (I did meet mine at a party, but I wasn't even planning to go to a party that Thursday night: I had plans with a friend from Berlin to go out with some French guys to Indochine, and a work friend didn't want to go to her party alone, blah blah blah). So there's no need to sweat the small stuff. Who cares if your nail varnish is chipped. It's dark at parties, no one will see (until the next morning, and by then, let's face it, it's too late anyway). Just spritz on your favourite scent, take an interest in the people around you, channel your inner Cinderella, and have a ball.

Did I leave anything out? Any other fashion tips this season?* These shots, by the way, are from that shoot I did with Georgie & Estelle in October.

*Just realised one I totally forgot: lace. Especially beige or nude lace, as per Dee's post on Dream Sequins.