le soir avant

The night before Christmas Eve was an essential evening for a quiet dinner with my husband at one of our favorite restaurants. Yipee a reason to get dressed up! Viola-this adorable, easy, stylish, pleated dress that is flow-y and girlie yet sleek and elegant, thanks to the pleats and fabric. It's silky and hangs just right, with little pleats also on the shoulders which give it a puffy blouse feel, the waist is not tight, but cinched in enough for a bit of definition. I was going to throw on a sparkly belt for added definition, but rather decided to go head to toe black without any eye interruptions in between. The belt would also be adorable.

Opaque tights for warmth on this windy cold evening, and these cute cute ankle tie shoes (which look like booties with the tights on) kept me warm and completed the straight up black look. From car to restaurant I opted to stay extra warm with an easy throw on cape. I bought this one in a larger size so it really has a nice swing feel to it, the pockets are easy to reach, and it sits on my shoulders just right so I don't feel the need to button it. I love it. The gray breaks up the black and the wool is heavier and a nice contrast to the silky fabric of the dress.

The black and gray needed a pop of color so I grabbed this satin red clutch which has some sparkle on the clasp and the knots on the bag give it a bit of dimension and texture. It's the perfect holiday clutch in size, fabric and color. My jewelry was also simple - two special bracelets I have, which accented the sleeves and helped draw the eye down from my mini-puffy sleeves.

It feels nice to put on a dress I have to say!

I truly hope everyone is finding something to make them smile a little this holiday season, and that the memories of good times in the past and the promise of good times to come will follow you through into 2021.

Joyeux noël and bonne année mes filles!!

Clothing brands and links:

Pleated dress - A.L.C.

Suede ankle tie pumps - Loeffler Randall, poshmark

Wool swing coat (vintage), wolfandbadger, zara

Knotted clutch - White House black market (vintage), therealreal