Stark Raving Chic

Though I generally complain about the winter season and how much I absolutely loathe the snowy and cold weather, I must say that there is a least one redeeming thing about this time of year, and that one thing would be the holiday season. Like all small children, when I was a little girl I always loved the magic of Christmas, despite never liking the cold, an this still holds true to me today. However, now that I am long past my years of believing in Santa Claus, I still love the festive and joyous mood that this time of year seems to put mostly everybody in.

I also particularly love the holidays because I have a huge family, and pretty much only get to see all of them at once spanning from Thanksgiving to Christmas. And generally at my family's get togethers, we all tend to get a little dressed up for the occasion. However, the outfit in this post was not worn for a family affair of mine, but it was actually worn to attend a dinner cruise on Pittsburgh’s Gateway Clipper. But before heading to the docks to board the boat, I made a pit stop at Old Economy Village to take some photos on their beautifully decorated grounds.

Fashionably Festive

The reason why I chose this gorgeous lace dress from StyleWe for my outing on the Gateway Clipper is because the dinner cruise itself was a black tie affair, so I felt that this dress was a perfect choice due to its chic and modern nature. However, though this dress is a bit more on the modern side, it also has a very elegant and classic feel to it as well. So, when faced with a decision of what to wear to a swanky dinner party, this dress gives you the best of both worlds, which is a total win in my book!

As I mentioned earlier, this dress is from my lovely sponsor and affiliate StyleWe, and though I have talked about them loads on here before, just for my new readers, I will give you a quick run down. StyleWe is an online clothing retailer specializing in women's clothing. And though they do sell some more casual pieces, their main focus is on business, evening, and cocktail attire. Personally, if you have a formal affair to attend, or are looking for some new dress clothes for the office, I would suggest shopping with them because they have a fabulous selection of clothes and a variety of unique designers. And since they have some many unique designers, you are guaranteed to have a fresh and stylish look no matter what the occasion.

And this dress is no different in the unique department. Though everyone I met at the dinner party was fabulously dressed, there was definitely no one there wearing anything remotely similar to this piece, which was great because who wants to ever look the same as someone else? The dress itself also holds up to StyleWe's pristine standards. Much like every other piece I have modeled and reviewed for StyleWe, this garment is incredibly well made. The under slip of the dress is polyester so it has a semi-satin feel making it very comfortable. And the outer shell, lace portion of the dress is actually quite thick and heavy which is great, because this will help keep the dress fro getting snagged or torn. This garment is also true to size and fit me perfectly.

To style this beautiful lace dress, I decided to go with classic accessories and jewelry due to the nature of the event. Since this dinner cruise was black tie, I did want to go overboard on jewelry, or add a pop of color by wearing colored pumps, so I went the one hundred percent classic route: some plain gold hoops, a simple gold bracelet, a small evening bag, and my black Kate Spade heels. These accessories were practical and kept me looking classically chic for the dinner party.

Lastly, to complete my classic evening look, I decided to have my hair done in a simple twist, thank you to my local beauty salon, The Cut Company, located in Baden, Pennsylvania, and paired it with some simple makeup. The makeup I chose to use for the occasion was my classic bareMinerals kit, my Maybelline City Minis palette, and my Kat Von D lip liner and lipstick. The reason I chose such a neutral palette is because I really wanted stick with a classic, sophisticated feel. And though I do love bold makeup looks, I just felt it wouldn't be right for this occasion.

One Last Look

What looks are you styling for your swanky holiday events? I'd love to hear about them! So, let's chat in the comments below or you can tweet me about it at @StarkRavingChic. Have a fabulous holiday party look you just need to show off? Feel free to tag me in your Instagram story at @StarkRavingChic. Later, dolls.

Xx, Bree

P.S. Psssssst! In case you haven't heard, I am now a proud member of the rewardStyle and LIKEtoKNOW.it family! Meaning you can shop straight from my Instagram feed when you click here or here. Don't know what LIKEtoKNOW.it is all about? Learn more, here!