Have Yourself a Merry Little Cocktail Dress

When I was six, I marched around our extended family Christmas dinner announcing that I had “seen Santa and his elves” in our driveway the night before. Of course, the joke was on me, and I remember a vague feeling of frustration and confusion as to why I was only intercepting smirks and over-my-head glance exchanges rather than the expected “oohs” and “aahs.” But the thing that fascinates me now is that I truly convinced myself that I had seen Santa — I even remember where he was supposedly spotted in my old driveway (under the cherry blossom tree, by the right-hand-side garage door). The magic of Christmas (its stories, its promises, its traditions) continues to hold an inexplicable, powerful sway over me: I just.love the holidays and their attendant cozy, vaguely excited, rather decadent, curled-up-in-front-of-the-fire feeling. For that reason, I am positively ecstatic to begin to plan my holiday wardrobe, and particularly thrilled to be on the hunt for festive frocks and merry little cocktail dresses. This post will, accordingly, be all.about.the.dress. The cocktail dress — the centerpiece of my wardrobe. There is nothing I love to buy more than a happy little cocktail dress. For this holiday season, I’m coveting LRDs (little red dresses), and this Anlo silky dress with its ribbon-accented neckline is just about as good as it gets ($278, Thistle and Clover):

I’d add some sparkly druzy studs (swoon over these Pade Vavra finds — $200, Charm and Chain) and gold heels (these are happily named after one of my favorite celebrities, Giada — Kate Spade, $325, FootCandyShoes):

I saw this inexpensive frothy concoction ($65, Dorothy Perkins) and fell in love — and can’t stop imagining how amazing it would look with a pair of classic gold Louboutin peep-toes ($795, Barney’s):

The only thing this look needs is a glitzy pair of shoulder-grazing earrings ($38, Nordstrom):

I’m also bananas about this brocade-effect Moschino dress (love the Lanvin-esque draping at the shoulder – $1,495, Moschino), which would look beyond adorable with this gorgeous heel (a.dore the oversized, ruffly bow at the toe — Badgley Mischka, $200, PiperLime)

(These puppies also remind me of the gorgeous Miss Cha Cha Christian Louboutin pumps, which are far pricier.) I like the idea of finishing with this crushed velvet bow clutch ($325, Kate Spade), which reminds me of a crushed green velvet dress I wore a couple of Christmases in a row as a miniMagpie, these sparkling gold clips ($115, Ylang23), and this stack o’ bracelets ($88, Zappos):

Do you not die over this Tibi number ($385, Net-A-Porter)? Perfect for the holidays with its shimmery, glimmery goodness, especially when paired with unexpected emerald green accents, like these gorgeous studs ($205, Ylang 23), and a pair of classic gold pumps (Louboutin, $585, Brown’s Fashion):

I’d add this dramatic corresponding green cuff bracelet (the tortoises are so precious — $275, Kate Spade) and this roll clutch ($998, Amanda Pearl — but you can get the look for less with this Nordstrom house brand variation):

Go “full glitz” with a pair of “snowflake” style earrings (check it out in all its various stone options — $88, M. Flynn), this gilded lace Milly dress ($400, Net-A-Porter), and some glam gold peep toes ($160, NineWest):

I’d add an oversized-stone bauble or two — loving this chunky bracelet ($98, Ann Taylor), a crystal ring ($78, Henri Bendel), and this smooth roll clutch ($74, Lori’s Shoes):

For more casual affairs — perhaps one of the three cookie exchanges I am heading to in the next few weeks? — I like the idea of a gold top ($525, Marni) with some skinnies and some festive gold flats ($225, Kate Spade):

I’d add these darling earrings ($125, Kate Spade), this chunky bracelet ($68, Ann Taylor), and this precious ivory satin clutch (I want this in every color it comes in — $88, J. Crew):

And though I’ve been doing some major lip service to gold glitter, let’s not forget about glitzy silvery sparkle, as in this darling sparkle stripe dress ($238, Dusen Dusen):

You could go one of two ways with this dress, either dressing it up majorly with a blingy necklace ($325, Charm and Chain), a glitzy bag ($128, J. Crew), and some glam heels ($135, Heels):

OR dress it down a touch (making the get-up more appropriate for day-time activities) with a glitzy headband ($52, Wink) and these kicky flats ($189, Pretty Ballerinas):

Finally, consider pulling something otherwise straight-forward out of your closet, like this sandy-colored neutral sweater dress (Marc by Marc Jacobs, $270, Net-A-Porter), and glam it up with some champagne pumps ($114, Lori’s Shoes) and a glitzy bag (d.i.e. over this Marc Jacobs piece — $1,012, Farfetch):