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From the Quirk archive: this article began as a holiday 2023 styling story. We have refreshed the outfit advice while keeping its original date and seasonal context.
Holiday dressing should leave room for the person inside the outfit. You may want a little sparkle for dinner, a jacket that does the talking or something comfortable enough to stay out longer than intended. The right amount of drama depends on your evening, not a rule about what everyone in a particular city supposedly wears.
The original story used Los Angeles and New York as shorthand for relaxed and dressed-up moods. Both cities contain far more than one aesthetic. What still feels useful is the contrast itself: fluid with structured, polished with rough, a familiar basic with something decidedly less sensible. Here are the five ideas from that story, with more room to make them your own.
A long dress and a shorter jacket give each other something to work against. The dress brings movement; the jacket puts a frame around it. Try a fluid printed skirt or dress with a cropped leather jacket, a fitted cardigan or a tailored piece that ends where you want the eye to pause.
Keep an eye on the hem with the shoes you will actually wear. A floor-skimming look in a photograph can become an evening spent stepping on fabric. For a less formal gathering, flat boots under a longer hem can feel more personal than a heel you are counting the minutes to remove.
You do not need every bohemian accessory at once. Let an unusual print have its space, or use a scarf to introduce a second pattern in a related color. If you add a hat, make sure it feels like part of your wardrobe rather than a prop required to complete the reference.
A single-color outfit does not have to be beige, black or especially well behaved. Try deep green, burgundy or an emphatic pink. Keeping the color close lets the differences in texture become more noticeable: a soft knit against a smooth skirt, velvet beside a crisp shirt, a matte trouser with a glossy shoe.
Exact matches are optional. Several shades can work together when the relationship looks deliberate. Lay the pieces next to each other in daylight before deciding that two blacks or two creams agree. If they seem to be arguing, introduce a more obvious contrast instead of trying to pretend they match.
One accessory can change the whole temperature. A sculptural earring makes a simple outfit feel dressed; bright socks and a loafer give the same clothes a slightly cheekier turn. Start with the version that feels comfortable, then add the detail that makes you smile.
A bomber jacket can carry an outfit without requiring the rest of it to shout. With an elaborate print or embroidery, a plain tee and uncomplicated trousers give the surface detail room. The Bangkok temple-print bomber pictured in this archive illustrates the idea: the jacket is the focal point, not a background layer.
For a casual dinner, try a bomber over a fine knit with a straight trouser and a clean shoe. For a more playful version, take one color from the jacket and repeat it in socks or a shirt. You do not need a head-to-toe designer outfit to make the combination feel considered.
Check the invitation and setting before choosing sneakers, and consider the jacket’s volume over whatever is underneath. A compact hem can work nicely with a higher rise; a roomier jacket may need a quieter lower half. The useful test is the whole silhouette, including how it looks when you sit down.
A little shine beside something worn-in can make an outfit feel much less precious. Try a sparkly top with dark denim, a slip-style skirt with a heavier boot, or an oversized shirt with a small evening bag. The contrast works because each piece changes how you read the other.
Decide which element you want to lead. If the jewelry is elaborate, let the neckline give it space. If the skirt catches every light in the room, a quieter top may be enough. There is no rule against piling it all on, but a pause in the outfit can make the part you love easier to see.
For vintage embellished pieces, inspect the lining, closures and any loose beadwork before a long night out. Check whether the garment catches on the bag or jacket you intend to wear with it. A little preparation is more glamorous than discovering halfway through dinner that your bracelet and your sleeve have become inseparable.
Most good wardrobes already mix moods. A sharply cut jacket over a loose dress, a crisp shirt with soft wide trousers, a sweater with an evening skirt: each gives you a way to adjust the formality without replacing the entire outfit.
Start with the piece you most want to wear and solve for the evening around it. Add a layer you will be happy to keep on if the room is cold. Choose a bag that holds what you need and shoes that work for the distance you will walk. Practical decisions do not have to make the result dull; they make it easier to enjoy.
When proportions feel off, change one thing at a time. Try a shorter top, a different tuck or a shoe with a different visual weight before deciding the clothes do not work together. A quick mirror photograph can help you see the relationship of lengths more clearly. Keep the version you like, even if it refuses to fit neatly into a named style.
Try the outfit with what you already own first. Sometimes the missing piece is a small alteration, a different layer or the brooch sitting at the back of a drawer. If you are buying vintage, compare measurements and ask about condition rather than relying on the label size. The Quirk guide to vintage fit is a useful place to start.
For more ideas on mixing historical proportions with your own clothes, revisit our 1940s and 1950s styling feature. There is no need to recreate a whole decade to borrow a good shape.
These ideas began with holiday 2023, but their usefulness does not depend on a trend forecast. Dress for the invitation, leave room for your own taste and repeat the outfit if you love it. A good party look deserves more than one outing.
Fashion Stylist, Designer & Creative Director Quirk
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