FashBlog.com

By Christina VanGinkel

New Year's Eve is a big night for entertaining, from small affairs at home, to big lavish catered affairs at halls, hotels, and restaurants. Choosing an outfit to wear to one should not be difficult, especially if you know the dress code. Whether it is casual or black tie, for example, will greatly help you determine what outfit you will end up wearing. However, what if you are invited to more than one, and you plan to attend both, or even several, and they each have somewhat of a different depth of dress?

First, thank the stars, and I do not mean the ones in the sky, for showing that no matter the occasion, it is really up to the person inside the clothes, as to what they wear on the outside. Clothes do help define a look, but you make it or break it. For any party, whether it is a casual affair, black tie event, or even a hoe down in the barn, for a night like New Year's Eve, you should be choosing an outfit that is going to make the statement that you want to make for the upcoming year. Do not let where the party is being given, or who is throwing it, have any bearing on what outfit you ultimately show up in.

New Year's Eve parties are the perfect time to break out of your ho hum wardrobe, but only if that is the statement you are wanting to make. If you wan to quietly say goodbye to the past year, and whisper in the new, then by all means, pick something understated to wear. The only rule for attire to a New Year's Eve party is to whatever you want to wear.

Different occasions do have dress codes rules that should be followed. Weddings for example, if they are listed as Black Tie, should have every guest who shows up dressed appropriately, as the bride and groom are the honorees of the day, and if they requested everyone show up dressed to the nines, then that is only fair to them to show up dressed as they wish. Keep in mind that New Year's Eve though, is as many different celebrations as there are guests in attendance. Each person at the party, no matter who is throwing the party, is in charge of whether they had a good year or bad, and whether they want to dress for success of the year past, or not.

If you are still not sure what to wear, then go with something in between. In addition, be sure to look for accessories that match the outfit itself, but that you could easily swap to give the one outfit several different feels, depending on what gala event you are currently attending. Pick an outfit that is comfortable to wear, that will stand up to a sit down cocktail at your neighbor's house, and not be so over the top that you stick out like the proverbial sore thumb. Yet, choose something that is fun enough to carry you out onto the dance floor when you swing by your brother's big bash that you know will be overflowing with eligible bachelors. How about a pair of slinky feeling, but wide legged pants that look understated on you, that is until you hi that dance floor and they sway oh so sexily?

If you have any life left after that, and need to stop at the office party that your company is throwing, then you surely do not want to show up with the low cut neckline that you would love to wear to your brother's bash. Keeping in mind accessories that can change the look and feel of your basic outfit, be sure to grab something like a slinky shawl that you can use as a quick wrap for while you are there. Shoes can be interchangeable too, and are a great way to quickly dress up or down an outfit to make it work at more than one event, heels with tiny straps for stepping out on the dance floor, and something with a bit lower heel and more coverage for the other two. In the end, remember to have fun, and have a Happy New year!