Fashion High Five: December party wear

Fashion blogger Laura Fantacci of Wearing It Today  tells us her top five fashion picks for party season and how we should wear them...

1) Marc by Marc Jacobs Kisa Embellished Mini Dress

£555, www.net-a-porter.com

I’ve been on the hunt for a good Christmas party dress for weeks now, but my search was very specific so finding the perfect number (at a somewhat affordable price), hasn’t been an easy task. Firstly it’s got to have sleeves: I wish I could be one of those women that goes bare shoulder in the cold months, but I’m always freezing and more importantly my skin goes a translucent shade of green in the Great British winter, which explains why I don’t care to show too much of it!

Secondly it’s got to be of good quality; a cheap dress is a waste of money, a worthy dress is a lifetime investment. And last but not least I wanted it to be a standout winter white with a little bit of sparkle factor. I have dozens of little black dresses and although incredibly resourceful, this year I have a “snow queen” picture in my head. So for all these reasons I feel completely in love with this beautiful mini dress embellished with crystals and sequins  from Marc by Marc Jacobs. And you know what? To justify the price, this will look great in the summer too!

2) Coast Rosie Earrings

£20, www.coast-stores.com

Tom Binns? J.Crew? Nope, Coast! I love these sparkly statement earrings in oh-so-next-season red and pink colour clash combination. To show them off I would wear them with a grey marl sweater paired with jeans at the weekend, and a fabulous skirt on a workday. Coast has been my unexpected go-to shop for sparkly, standout jewellery for a few seasons now; I love their fashion range with bejewelled necklaces, Swarovski crystal drop earrings, and diamante rings. It’s not a brand I would often shop from, but what I love about my job is that I get to tap into every shop, every website and every department store in search for great little gems.

So since discovering Coast’s range of costume jewellery I regularly check the website for their exciting selection of earrings, necklaces, brooches and bracelets with faceted crystals, gems and studs in fabulous colours. You need to sieve through the pearls and the less fashion forward pieces, but the tight edit means it’s easy enough to spot a great find. Also, given the season they make a great little gift or stocking filler for a stylish friend.

3) H&M Faux Fur Jacket

£24.99, www.hm.com

Once you’ve built a capsule wardrobe of classic coats, it is a great idea to throw a few pounds into a couple of “fashiony” numbers that will inject a little bit of fun into your outerwear wardrobe. It needn’t be a designer piece; in the past I’ve bought a show-stopping bright red coat from Zara, a leopard print jacket from Reiss and even a patent leather effect black trench from New Look. I wear them all regularly when my Max Mara camel coat or my Joseph navy jacket feels a bit safe.

This year I fell in love with this H&M faux fur coat. The secret with faux fur (or any fur if you are the type) is to always dress it down. The risk of an OTT effect when wearing fur is very high, so my suggestion is to always add a casual element to your outfit: trainers, a denim shirt or a pair of rolled up chinos would be perfect. Last week I visited a friend at the weekend and I wore one with a men’s navy cashmere jumper, jeans, Converse and my bobble hat. Fun and cool but understated.

4) Gap Shrunken Boyfriend Gingham Flannel Shirt

£29.95, www.gap.co.uk

If you struggle on what to wear at the weekend, a shrunken boyfriend style shirt is a great little wardrobe addition. It’s a fuss free item that is super easy to incorporate within your existing wardrobe. Layer it with cashmere crew necks or wear it under chunky cardigans paired with leggings and biker boots for that relaxed Isabel Marant look. Or you could even wear it buttoned up all the way a la J.Crew and dress it up with a crystal necklace, a coat of red lipstick, jeans and high heels for an unfussy Saturday night out. I particularly love this gingham flannel shirt from Gap which has that cosy, warm feeling on the skin and makes such a great winter buy. Gingham is an unexpected great neutral too: if you are feeling a little bit adventurous you could clash it with leopard print or a lace skirt and be right on trend.

5) Louis Vuitton Mon Monogram Speedy

Prices vary, www.louisvuitton.co.uk

I am mildly obsessed with personalised items: I own everything from monogrammed cashmere and pyjamas to initials rings and necklaces, just about all my stationery has my name on it too. There is something so personal about an item that bears your name or initials. That’s why I love the Mon Monogrammed range at Louis Vuitton where you can personalise the classic LV logo print goods (wallets, bags, trolleys, passport holders) with your initials.

The experience of creating your product is also so much fun; the website allows you to choose your items and experiment with colour combinations, fonts and graphics until you design your perfect style, you can even print it and email it to your other half for some heavy hinting! My dream is the large Neverfull bag, £890 that makes the chicest travel tote, however I would settle for a small Speedy in a chic black and white colour combo. Even if you never buy one do check out the website and dream a little..