It is a lovely lie to tell ourselves when we’re shopping, that other people will remember what we wore last Christmas. However, unless it was a luminous lime green catsuit, to be honest, it’s pretty unlikely that they actually will. So this holiday season (as they say across the pond) I will be rolling out the same outfit I wore last year for some events because a) It’s smart. And b) It’s relatively warm….
It amazes me how many Christmas outfits have the tiniest of spaghetti straps for the MIDDLE OF WINTER folks! Often the only other alternative in the shops is the Christmas jumper, which isn’t always appropriate. (Though I have to say Tescos this year have some really nice stylish Christmas jumpers.) So I was very pleased when I spotted this black top with the silver moon and stars, and straight away knew it would work as a seasonal outfit with the right skirt. I bought it from Monsoon in the black Friday sale last year, but had to wait till Christmas to wear it because I bought my daughter the same one in pink as a present! It’s knitted, but it isn’t like a jumper jumper, if you know what I mean – more like a woven top. It’s loose enough to layer over a thermal if I need to, but usually I wear it on its own as I have to admit, it does sometimes get warm at these events.
It is handy to have that Christmas outfit though that you know will keep you a bit warmer. I bet you have a relative who keeps the heating down to an absolute minimum; or a school play to watch in a draughty hall; or a church service where you know you’ll end up by the door. Or maybe, like me, you thought it would be a good idea to heat your house with wood for your central heating!
I love the silver moons and stars on this top; so it can be worn throughout the year, not just for Christmas, but the sparkle gives it a festive touch. I admit, I wish they went over the back of the jumper too – it feels like Monsoon were being cheap for not doing so, and for the price of it, that was no excuse! Also, it probably wouldn’t be Christmassy enough just worn with jeans – your lower half needs to be a bit special too. I went with this silver midi skirt, which I bought second hand from ebay, but was originally from Next. This complete outfit is what I wore on Christmas day last year, and is perfect because the skirt has an elasticated waistband!
It’s a shame that we took these photos on rather a dull afternoon because the skirt really does have a shiny quality that hasn’t really been picked up very well. It actually almost looks like a pvc skirt in real life, which is quite interesting, and probably not something I would go for myself! It’s good to try something different though!
We were away in America at the time, and I only had packing space for two items of footwear, so the black ankle boots won for this outfit. Ordinarily I would go for something much smarter to match the feel of the outfit – I have a pair of smart suede ankle boots that would have been better; or see if I had a pair of heels. The flat boots here are too flat really. If I’m wearing a midi skirt I usually go for a heel if I can, to avoid looking frumpy.
By the way, if you’d like to see the outfit in action, I was wearing it for the How to decorate the perfect Christmas tree video!
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