In partnership with AG.
Unpopular opinion: Denim is the fabric of holiday-party dressing.
Fun test to prove said opinion wrong: Style three looks on three different members of the Man Repeller team that incorporate denim as the hero piece. Establish that said outfits that are so holiday-party themed, we may as well change our names to “Etta James Holiday Pandora Station.”
Am I the only one who still listens to Pandora Radio?
I know I’ve said that jeans are dead, but I take it back. I’ve ultimately surmised that jeans can’t die. What has probably died is how I feel about myself in jeans. How the ones I own make me look, how they pair with T-shirts, and heels, and big sweaters. The solution, perhaps, is to investigate how to wear denim like I have never worn it before. How to turn it into the centerpiece of a look that does not say off-duty but instead shouts, “I’m here to party.”
Which, by the way, I totally am. On the last Friday before Thanksgiving, our social media editor, Harling, our integrated marketing strategist, Jasmin, and I went to Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle Hotel on the Upper East Side. This place is a mainstay of the neighborhood and the unofficial center for ~holiday vibez~, what with its moody, golden light, piano and the sound of clinking champagne glasses, which you can hear even when it’s closed.
AG jumpsuit (styled with Prada shoes, Isa Arfen shirt, Lelet NY crown, Roxanne Assoulin choker and hoop earrings, Judith Leiber bag)
Harling — dressed for a holiday party whereby you must think quickly on your toes after a full day of laborious work — wore a jumpsuit by AG, punctuated by a metallic, long-sleeve crew-neck shirt and gold sandals. Not especially practical when it is cold, but you do what you have to do to remain in spirit. A headpiece, uneven hoops and choker were icing on the cake that is a comfortable outfit destined to support you through the long hours of a hazy, if not magical, evening.
AG jeans (styled with Alix bodysuit, Rachel Comey skirt, Manolo Blahnik shoes, Gucci glasses, Jennifer Fisher and Lizzie Fortunato gold cuffs)
Jasmin, our resident left-brain thinker, wore a velvet turtleneck bodysuit with a pair of jeans as though it were any other day at the office, but added a sequined skirt and swapped loafers for satin, bedazzled pumps when she remembered that she had agreed to attend a holiday party that called for “festive attire” that evening. Thank heavens she does not have 20/20 vision, right?
AG shirt and shorts (styled with Racil jacket, Miu Miu shoes, Jennifer Behr earrings and headband as choker, Lelet NY crown, Roxanne Assoulin bracelets)
And finally, here I am in what I call a new age, Palm Beach tuxedo. Did I anticipate I might want to wear khaki shorts to inaugurate the holiday season? Not really. Did I think I could wear said shorts with a denim work shirt and still feel comfortable in the context of gold and glitter, sequins and balloons? Not necessarily. But with the addition of a metallic blazer, shoes that confirm women are certainly the superior sex and a bunch of accessories that don’t know how to whisper, anything is possible.
Which is always the bottom line, and perhaps the real meaning of this story. Anything is possible, people. You can prove this by doing a number of things. If you’re not convinced, a good place to start small is in your closet.
Now, we wish you a merry everything.
Styled by Leandra Medine; photos by Krista Anna Lewis.
Special thanks to Bemelmans Bar for hosting our party!
