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How to Dress for Holiday Parties Without Freezing

November 30, 2016

Hello, loves!
Well, typical Southern California, we skipped fall and headed straight on in to winter! Mark and I just returned from the East coast, visiting family, and I thought we would be coming back to moderate temps and sunshine! The temps are actually about the same, but it just feels so much colder here today. With all of the festive events coming up, I wanted to share a couple of tips on how to dress for holiday parties without freezing, because of course we all want to look cute (and/or sexy), but also don’t want to be distracted by how cold we are!

First and foremost, consider outerwear. I flash to any of the wintery episodes of Gossip Girl for inspiration. Some of their coats and jackets were more bedazzled than the dresses underneath! I love this idea, because some places you’ll end up will require you actually keep your outerwear on, so why not treat everyone to some extra glitz? Another idea is to add a lovely cluster of brooches to the lapel of a simpler coat to give it a sparkle boost. If the climate is more moderate, opt for a cape, like I did here, to create interesting lines and still show off some of your outfit underneath.

Your bottom half.. No, I’m not suggesting wearing pants for all of your holiday festivities, but a nice pair of thick, opaque tights under a dress or skirt can really help shield you from the bitter cold. If you’re rocking a solid colored dress, consider patterned tights for an unexpected take.

For footwear, heels are lovely, and I still prefer them because they make me feel more “dressed-up”, but a classic pair of heeled knee-high boots or sleek ankle booties are another great way to add warmth and coverage. Just make sure you don’t wear a pair that’s scuffed/too plain or it makes the overall look much more casual. And please, for the love of everything, no UGGS.

Lastly, I love a pashmina or fringe scarf for keeping the heat in around your neck and shoulders. It’s something you can keep on after taking your jacket off that doesn’t look too bundled up, and I LOVE a bold pair of dangly earrings against an artfully folded scarf.

Check out how I’ve styled the gorgeous Vivian Sheath Dress from London Times, and see what other lovely new dresses they’re offering for this holiday party season.

Dress c/o London Times
Shot by Holli Zenko Photography

This post is sponsored by London Times. Items contained in this post were provided to me for reviewing purposes. This post also contains affiliate links and clicking on them or purchasing items through them may provide me with a small commission. This is part of what helps keep Dressed for Time going.

Dressing for Thanksgiving with Rent the Runway

November 26, 2016

Hello, loves!
My favorite family holiday has always been Thanksgiving, and I’m beyond excited that Mark and I are currently visiting family back east this year. I really don’t have to worry about the finicky “fall” weather, because I knew what we were getting in to.. Cold, chilly, and occasionally wet. As a southern California girl, my closet isn’t exactly brimming with puffer jackets and snow boots, but that’s why I’ve become a master of layering. Getting back to the main event, Thanksgiving dinner also happens to be one of my favorite events to dress for. It’s meant to be fancy, without being fussy. Dressing up with family and friends, not to impress, but to express how festive the occasion is.
I don’t have a large family, which makes me ever more grateful, and thankful, that Mark’s family has taken me in as one of their own. There are several like-minded fashion ladies in the bunch, and it’s always fun to see how they’ve styled themselves! Last year, I wore a flirty little lace and satin dress from Erin Fetherston to dinner, borrowed from Rent the Runway. I’ve been using their services for a couple of years now, and am frequently stunned at their vast selection of dresses and accessories and fantastic customer service. If a dress doesn’t fit, call them and they’ll send out a replacement. The dress you ordered was damaged by the last person who wore it? They’ll let you select another, free of charge, and even help you find the perfect alternative.
Rent the Runway asked me to style and share a few looks that I would wear to Thanksgiving dinner, and I had so much fun putting them together. I’ve linked to the exact dresses I’m wearing, feel free to check them out, and let me know.. Have you used Rent the Runway before? What did you think of the service?
I’d love to hear your thoughts 🙂

Dress / Indigo Coraline from Shoshanna c/o Rent the Runway // Camel coat / vintage Pendelton // Clutch / vintage // Heels / Nine West

A fancier take on Thanksgiving festivities for sure, this dress is flattering and leaves room for seconds (or thirds) and is a classy option for wearing to a family dinner.

Dress / Elliatt Black Verve Dress c/o Rent the Runway // Cardigan & booties / Forever 21 // Necklace & Bag / vintage

I love the idea of taking a fancier cocktail dress and making it more casual, while adding a bit of warmth at the same time. This LBD would also look great with a little moto jacket or lightweight trench thrown over it. This is a perfect look for Friendsgiving.
From my family to yours, happy belated Thanksgiving!! I hope it was a fantastic time, spent with loved ones and enjoying yummy food!

This post is brought to you in partnership with Rent the Runway.
Contained in this post are affiliate links. Clicking on or purchasing items through these links may compensate me with a small commission. This is part of what helps keep Dressed for Time going. I would never recommend brands or products I don’t personally love!

Sheer Print ASOS Maxi

March 23, 2016

Hello, loves!
Today, I want to talk about spring & summer maxi dresses. My ideal maxi for warmer months has either loose, floaty sleeves or thinner straps, perfect for layering under a denim jacket or little sweater when nighttime rolls around. It has a hemline that doesn’t drag on the ground, because who wants to have to wear heels (or even wedges) every time with an easy, breezy maxi? Kind of takes the casual-ness out of the look. I like a dress I can throw on with some flat sandals and head out the door. It needs to be in a light, airy fabric. I love either a stretchy jersey or cotton, like the striped version from StitchFix I wore on my birthday cruise last year, or sheer material over a slip, like the dress from ASOS I’m wearing here. Lastly, I love a fun print. I feel like solid maxis tend to accentuate little lumps and bumps, of which I have, ahem, a few. Prints like these make the eye bounce around and are overall more fun for me to wear. I’ve linked some of my favorites below, all under $50.
If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you may have seen that I attended the Simply Stylist conference in LA this past weekend. I had SO much fun and enjoyed meeting many bloggers that I’ve followed for years, as well as some fantastic new ones (more about the event and who I met in a future blog post!) I’m not sure if it was our slightly seedy hotel room (should have listened to Trip Advisor) or just my sinus infection coming back, but I’ve woken up with a sore throat every day since! Super annoying. Fingers crossed for me that there’s just something in the air and that it goes away quickly! 😀

Dress / ASOS // Sandals / Target // Lariat necklace / Gorjana via Rent the Runway // Bag / Forever 21 // Sunglasses / Amazon / Rings & Bracelets Forever 21 & LA finds

Shot by Holli Zenko Photography.

Subtle Stripes with Ruby Accents

January 2, 2016

DFT- Caroline Favorites - 92 Well hello, loves!
I wanted to share with you two companies I’ve been loving working with recently… StitchFix & Rocksbox. Stitchfix is a type of styling service that sends you 5 items they think you may like based on very extensive surveys and questions about your style, body shape, etc. After receiving the package, you figure out what you like, and send back the rest within 3 days of arrival. If you buy everything in the box, like I did last time, you get 25% off your total order! That usually means getting a free item and a % off another. This striped, super soft sweater was in my last box, and I knew I would get so much use out of it this winter. I’ve been adoring the pairing of stripes and leopard, and the scales of these particular prints work so well together 🙂 If you’re interested in signing up, feel free to use my link here 😉
On to Rocksbox, the designer jewelry subscription service that sends you 3 items at a time to wear to your heart’s content, then send all of them back or keep what you like at a discounted price. My first box included this gorgeous ruby crystal necklace, a hammered gold “X” ring (which you’ll see in my next post), and a double-layered delicate chain necklace with a tiny, rhinestone-covered sphere. It’s only $19 a month, and if you sign up here using my code dressedfortimexoxo, you get your first month free!

Striped top / Stitchfix (similar) // Jeans / Mavi Jeans // Bag / Loeffler Randall // Heels / Target (similar) // Necklace / Rocksbox // Rings / Forever 21 // Sunglasses / Layered by Cake