Midlife Loves

"Timeless everyday style"

Midlife Loves

Time To Start Thinking Party Dresses

Following on from my blog about Lingerie Dresses (click here) it's got me thinking that it's time to start looking at dresses for all the Christmas & New Year celebrations that will soon be upon us & if the lingerie look is not your bag then how about lace?

Now the beauty of a little lace number is that it can generally be dressed up or down so needn't be a purchase that's kept in the back of your wardrobe for those rare occasions when you have the excuse to dress up (this of course could just be my lack of a rock'n roll lifestyle!).  Meaning that a sneaky new addition to your wardrobe can easily be justified to your conscience & other half with the cost per wear of said item (i.e. lots of examples given to hubby of just how useful said new item is going to be, conveniently forgetting of course all the other items sitting in your wardrobe that you could also wear for said occasions without costing a penny ;-) ).

Of course perhaps if you're lucky & hubby has started getting into the Christmas festivities a tad on the early side you may only need to mention the word lace to get him handing over the card of plastic let alone thinking it's his lucky day!!!!......& on that thought let's crack on with said lacy items that have been catching my eye.

First up is this stunning fitted dress from ASOS.  A perfect little number to take you from office party to night out with the girls & would even be perfect for Christmas Day provided of course you're not like me & pig out with a capital 'P'!!!!  I absolutely adore the neckline of this dress not to mention colour.  It would look fab dressed down with a biker jacket & some shoe boots but equally as glamorous dressed up with some fab-u-lous heels & fur stole.  And depending on your bosom you could either let your cleavage do the talking or team with a something a little sparkly & blingy.






If you fancy something with sleeves and a little less on the fitted side then this stunning dress from Oasis should tick the box.  Again perfect for teaming with a fur stole for a more dressy occasion but it could also be dressed down with some biker boots & denim jacket for perhaps a evening in the pub with friends.






For something more formal then this lovely dress from French Connection should be perfect.  Simply just add a few accessories & you're good to go.  I'm thinking a splash of colour with some stunning heels & fabulous clutch.






For a slightly more laid back version then how about this gorgeous dress from Mint Velvet?  I love how they've teamed it with some biker boots, throw on a denim jacket with a leopard print clutch & you'd have one knock out outfit.






If you're after a slightly edgier look then this lace dress from Zara is also super cute.  I would definitely style it with some chunky ankle boots & of course thick tights - even I'm not that brave let along foolish enough to wear something this short in winter with bare legs!!!






Finally on the dress front is this loose fitting  number from French Connection, which due to it's style & shape would also look fab teamed with some faux leather leggings (just another cost per wear argument *excuse* for hubby should it be required ;-) ).






Now as lovely as all the above dresses are once you've removed your jacket/stole then apart from adding different jewellery & accessories there's not much you can do to make the outfit look different if you're mixing with the same people at various occasions (or if you don't want all your Christmas party pictures to feature you in the same outfit!!!).  With this in mind separates are always going to be easier to mix & match.

So first up in the separates department is this stunning skirt from Boden which is shown below in a gorgeous pewter colour but is also available in navy & stunning greenfinch (yellow/goldy sort of colour).

There are so many possibilities of how you could style a lace skirt - slinky with a simple cami & Chanel styled jacket, a classic white shirt & biker jacket or even a sweatshirt, statement necklace & denim jacket.






This next lace skirt from Gemini-Woman has a slightly more casual fit & I think it would look amazing teamed with some biker boots, denim jacket & rock themed t-shirt.






Of course another great way to inject some lace into your wardrobe is with a new top & this cowl lace top from ASOS would look great worn many different ways, from some black cigarette pencil trousers to boyfriend jeans & a blazer not to mention dressed up with a leather pencil skirt & heels.






This lace top with vest top underneath is also really pretty & I love the zip detailing on the back.  It would be so easy to dress up or down not to mention look fab in the warmer months with some boyfriends & court heels.










But my favourite lace top has to be this one from Boden.  It looks so fab in this picture just teamed with some fitted trousers & I can really see this look finished off with a bright pink bag, some leopard print court shoes & maybe even a sparkly little something around the neckline too.  In fact my problem will be deciding which colour to go for as I'm loving the navy but also the emerald green, ivory & grey too!!!!






I'm also loving this lace & pintuck blouse from ASOS, again a real stylish addition to any wardrobe, which would look very elegant teamed with some faux/leather trousers but also stunning with a loose fitting blazer & boyfriend distressed jeans.  The only thing I would want to add it a cream camisole underneath as I can't say I'm loving seeing the bra.






Finally how about this Mint Velvet biker jacket/cardigan.  Again a really useful piece for your wardrobe that could be teamed with a simple black cami & leather pencil skirt for full on glam or a white vest top & boyfriend jeans for a more relaxed vibe.






Finishing with a quick round up of what I've been wearing these past few days, including my bargain sweatshirt from Primark in outfit three that was ONLY £3!!!


Outfit One




Navy  Blazer - Zara
Jumper - H&M Paris Collection
Scarf - Zara
Jeans - Zara
Wedges Trainers - Ash


Outfit Two




Jumper - Zara
Vest Top - Zara
Tartan Trousers - Primark
Boots - Oasis


Outfit Three




Biker Jacket - Zara
Snood - Gemini- Woman
Sweatshirt - Primark
Wrist Warmers - H&M
Linen T-Shirt - Zara
Jeans - Zara
Pumps - Boden


So what do you think?  Are you loving all things lace & thinking you may go down this route this festive season or perhaps you've got your eye on something else? 

As always I love hearing your thoughts not to mention your ideas for how to incorporate & style lace in your wardrobe.

Here's to the rest of the week flying by & I'll be back in a few days with something a bit sparkly....

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10 comments

  1. I love all the Boden pieces and I really love Lace as it never really goes out of fashion. xx

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    1. The Boden pieces are gorgeous aren't they Sharron & lace is just so pretty & elegant, I love it too! xx

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  2. What a fabulous selection of lace dresses, I feel truly inspired and you are so right they can be dressed up or down...offi go for a spot of lace dress shopping!

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  3. Ooohhh I live lace and there are some gorgeous finds here! Great work, Jane x

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    1. Thanks Lynne.....just trying to think how I can justify another purchase ;-) xx

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  4. The Mint Velvet lace biker jacket is gorgeous Jane! Great find! I love dresses but it easier to ring the changes (and not too mention layer up......I couldn't do bare legs at this time of year either.....brrrr!!) with separates for Winter dressing up! May have to cast my eyes over the A Wear top and the F&F tesco top in store as both would be brilliant for updating what I've already got! Great inspiration as always x

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    1. I'd be interested to know what you think of the A Wear and F&F top Michelle as I haven't seen them in the flesh....let me know if you spot them xx

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  5. Great work and you looked like a model to me, truly inspiring as I love fashion too. I am pond of personal beautification and body contouring with of course my favorite shop http://TheBodyContourCompany.com hope you visit there one time and try and we'll bump with each other. stay pretty.

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  6. Wow such a lovely compliment, thanks Janna xx

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