It's the most wonderful time of the year - or at least that's what Andy Williams is singing about. Lights are twinkling with seasonal hubaloo, the stores are jam-packed with fashionably-frivolous finds, little tykes are crossing their tiny fingers that they've made it on to Santa's Nice list, and you are mapping out your New Year's Resolutions to start 2014 off with a boisterous bang. But what to wear to the spectacles of the season? Go out on a whim and rock a tuxedo this New Years Eve!
Through the decades, this menswear staple has become a womenswear sensation. Pioneered with femininity by none other than the legendary Yves Saint Laurent and coined Le Smoking back in the swinging 60s, the tuxedo was a symbol of female empowerment. A proverbial middle finger raised to conventional societal standards, Le Smoking threw a curveball to the mainstream fashions women were expected to wear.
Circa 2014, style influencers flock to the tuxedo to liven up their look. A-listers from Alexa Chung to Rihanna have all dared to wear variations of le smoking. And let us not forget about the superlative Janelle Monae - she breathes palpable glamour into the tux and it has become synonymous with her singular image.
How to take on the tuxedo? I've gotchuuu. First, I suggest nixing that sleek Armani you've been eyeing and doodlebopping over to H&M for a friendlier fix. The jacket in this Outfix is a mere $50 - I repeat, $50! To ramp up the glitz, I suggest snapping up this sparkle-strewn Edie Parker clutch ($895). Consider the clutch an investment you will be able to wear with anything - from racy LBD's to pretty pastels this coming spring (come on, this clutch paired with a macaron-pink dress - major!). The leather-look pants give the tuxedo jacket a less formal, more fabulous take. Finish off with an of-the-moment strappy heel and you are READY TO PARTAYYYY!
Don't forget to nix the shirt - let cleavage peak out so you can have that Countdown Kiss with Mr. Right - or Mr. One-Night, depending on your mood (insert winky-face Emoji for sexual connotation here).
Jacket by H&M
Leather-look Jeans by H&M
Shoes by Shoe Cult
Clutch by Edie Parker