20-40-60—Etiquette Question and Answers

Posted by Helen Ford Wallace

on December 23, 2009M at 10:22 pm

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ETIQUETTE QUESTION: This question came to us during a holiday party.

YOU ASK—WE ANSWER —YOU DECIDE!

Your Question: I love the glitz of the holiday season. The more sequins on dresses, the better. The light-up jangly earrings are my favorites. But, I have noticed that not everyone is wearing the bejeweled Christmas sweaters and the beaded, metallic, shimmering dresses to the parties this season. Am I committing a fashion faux pas or am I really making a holiday statement?

Linda’s answer: (Linda Miller is fashion editor of The Oklahoman and has her own fashion blog called “Fashion Matters” on NewsOk.)

You can still shine and shimmer this holiday season without adorning yourself in head-to-toe glitz. Leave that to the Vegas showgirls. What looks more fresh and modern is a sweater with a beaded collar or a top with sequin straps; crystal earrings that reflect the light rather than light up; a matte sequin dress that’s subtle rather than in-your-face shine.

Bejeweled Christmas sweaters are in a class all their own. It’s not a look I have ever liked, but plenty of women do, and nothing anyone says will change their mind. So, go ahead and make a holiday statement. Just adjust the wattage.

Lillie-Beth’s Answer: I’ll defer to The Oklahoman’s Fashion Editor, Linda Miller, for the real answer to this question, but I’ll give it a shot.

I love the glitz of the holiday season, too, and it’s still there — in elementary school, at least. For Christmas caroling the last day before the fall break, I saw it in full force at my children’s school, where the teachers and staff were decked out. They wore an array of glitter and red and green, which of course the young students loved.

As for parties, I have seen ruffles and soft things in stores, which to me are just as much fun as the glitter, albeit understated. However, I just saw the sequins and flash as part of a feature at www.elle.com about what to wear for New Year’s.

Callie’s Answer: I LOVE the sequins this season! If you are asking about the jeweled THEMED sweater, WAY OUT SISTA! But I think only certain people can go all out when wearing sequins! Remember the phrase, “Keep it simple, stupid!” A little bit of glitz goes a long way!

Helen’s answer: I just love the light up, sparkly look! Probably I would wear light-up earrings, necklace, bracelet, along with the bedecked Christmas sweater over a sequined dress. Sounds a bit much, doesn’t it? Well, if I’m not careful, I could add glittery eye shadow and shimmery body lotion, too, because I like the sparkle. To quote a friend, “glitter is good.”

Someone during this party season, wore a beautiful black cocktail suit with a silver sequined shell blouse, and she looked very pretty. So, maybe, this year, glitz could take a vacation. But don’t throw it all away. You never know when there will be a comeback. I did hear about a party last week that the suggested attire on the invitation stated: “Wear your oldest Christmas sweater.”

(Callie, a college sophomore, is a debutante this year and has been in many new social situations recently. Lillie-Beth is a former debutante and currently the assistant features editor for The Oklahoman. Helen has written a social column for The Oklahoman for many years and has been on various local Ball committees.

This group does not always agree (via age differences), but they ALL see the need for proper behavior.)

Ask a specific etiquette question and you will get three answers…Then you decide for yourself how you would handle the situation. The answers have information for every age range….Callie is 20-something; Lillie-Beth is 40-something, and Helen is 60-something.

Please email us with your questions and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and daily blogs. We will try to answer your etiquette questions weekly on the Parties Extra! blog. Sometimes we will ask other people for their opinions. Look for us!

helen.wallace@cox.net…lbrinkman@opubco.com… calliezok3@aol.com