So next week I'm off to the Royal Academy of Art for an evening reception: lots of art, champagne and canapés. Pretty swish, I know. But it got me thinking about cocktail wear. After all, it's one thing to pick out a nice dress that feels occasion-appropriate; it's another matter entirely to bring it up to date and ensure that it looks sufficiently of-the-moment. In many ways daywear is a lot simpler. Adding a skinny belt, a satchel, cat-eye sunglasses and a bit of khaki to your standard tee and shorts is probably enough to make it look reasonably 2010. But revitalising that cocktail dress that's been languishing in the back of your wardrobe for a year proves a mite trickier. I therefore present to you two fine examples of how to update any dress that's feeling just a little last season. First up, it's none other than Diana Vickers:
Now I admit that when Miss Vickers first popped up on our screens, my housemates and I found her just a wee bit annoying, what with her bird's nest hair, bare feet and of course the infamous 'claw' hand movement. But since she's become an actual real life pop star, she appears to have had a rather smashing image makeover to go along with it. The unruly mess of hair has been replaced by soft, long and rather lustworthy layers, she no longer does that thing with her hand, and she's even taken to wearing shoes. But most impressive of all has been her noteworthy array of cocktail apparel, all of it bright, summery and impeccably accessorised. So far this has included a silky little blue dress teamed with a sleek and oh-so-now topknot and red lips, a full-length tomato-red jumpsuit paired with gorgeous, 70s wavy hair and a simple studded bangle, and a seriously delectable Julian J Smith ensemble, clashed brilliantly with a Mulberry leopard-print clutch. But my favourite has been the gorgeous geometric-print sundress she wore to Marc Jacobs' perfume launch this week (pictured), which she teamed with nude strappy sandals, soft voluminous locks, barely-there fresh-faced make-up and toenails painted a lovely shade of sea-green.
There are a few valuable fashion lessons that we can glean from Miss Vickers' grade A outfits: firstly, try an accessory in a clashing print, making sure the colours are tonal; secondly, twist hair into a topknot for an instant update, or go for long, loose 70s-style waves; thirdly, team a bright pop of lip colour (I'm loving orange à la Prada) with a dewy, slightly bronzed face and minimal eye make-up; fourthly, when in doubt, go for nude shoes to lengthen legs. All you need do is follow these simple rules to take your cocktail attire from must-try-harder to model pupil.
On the other side of the Atlantic, there is one stylish lady who does classy cocktail dressing like no other. That fabulous femme is the one and only Olivia Palermo. Perhaps because as a New York 'social' she seems to attend a different gallery opening/fashion line launch/celebratory dinner every single night, this girl really knows how to dress to impress. And, unsurprisingly given that her other title is that of US Elle's Accessories Editor, Miss Palermo really understands the power of a well-chosen accessory. She has been known to perk up a plain nude dress with a well-cut black blazer, inject life into simple stripes with a neon clutch, and add pizzazz to a blouse and shorts combo with a statement bib necklace. The picture I've chosen shows the lovely Olivia attending the Cyrus screening after party dressed in a fairly simple Ports 1961 grey dress. On its own it could look rather lacklustre, but the ever-inventive reality star teams it with an inspired range of accessories: chocolate brown court shoes, her favourite vintage tan Hermès clutch, assorted luxe bangles and rings and a gorgeous neon-yellow accented scarf by (her friend) Rachel Roy. This unexpected ensemble of accessories is exactly what we've come to expect from Miss Palermo and illustrates perfectly how to take an outfit from mediocre to magical.
Fashion lessons that we can take from this impeccable New Yorker, then, include, but are not limited to, the following: number one, make any outfit look high-end with red nails, a gold mannish watch and salon-worthy hair; number two, don't plump for boring black accessories, but add unexpected colours and prints into the mix; number three, a really good vintage clutch will pep up any outfit; number four, pile on statement rings and bangles for high-octane glamour.
So, I think that concludes your lesson in how to update cocktail wear for today. Do your homework and you may just pass with flying colours...
Picture of Diana Vickers: Glamourmagazine.co.uk
Picture of Olivia Palermo: Glamourmagazine.co.uk
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