Holiday Party Dressing Part I: The Company Christmas Party

'Tis the season...for sequins and lace and fur, faux if you prefer! My favorite time of year, throw some metallic my way and I'll be dancing in the street. However, Muse does understand certain occasions require a fair amount of clothing restraint a la the company holiday party -- but don't fret, there is a holiday outfit for everyone and every occasion. A few to start off with...

The company holiday party:



Remain understated, do not see this as an opportunity to display parts of your personality or anatomy that you wouldn't normally want your boss to see. This issue is only exacerbated by drinking too much and really making a fool of yourself. That said, there is no reason to be a stick in the fondue. Play up the festive with fabrics, a pop of color and/or statement accessories.



A few suggestions:

• Velvet pants, cashmere sweater and dramatic earrings


• Winter white pants and white or black top - layered gold necklace


• Black pants, tuxedo-esque top


• Knee length sequin skirt with black turtleneck


• The all classic sheath dress


• Lace Skirt and sweater

Places to look - Mix and Match at: The Express (I know, so college, but their holiday stuff is cute), Ann Taylor (again, I know, avoid anything to matronly), J. Crew, Club Monaco, and even Newport News (I love this dress in the photo).

And Please Remember -- no pantyhose - never, don't do it, if we stop buying them, eventually they will stop making them and the resistant will have no choice but to get on board.

First Lady Style

The frenzy has died down a bit today, and now I can turn my attention to the "dress" that Michelle Obama wore election night. Shockingly, the Muse didn't see this as the most important issue of the evening. In fact, I don't think it enters top 10 or more. There is so much to discuss, so much change, but this is indeed a blog on style, so I will not focus on the politics of the evening but rather what the next first lady will demonstrate in terms of style. And even though the Muse is an ardent feminist, I can still get down with wanting a first lady (or first female President) to have the style and grace of Jackie O.

As the Obamas prepare to journey to the White House the comparisons to Camelot are plenty and rightly so. Michelle Obama is young, vibrant and beautiful and I think that we'll see four years of grace and style (I hope).

That said, she didn't get it right on election night. Yes, kudos to her for choosing Narciso Rodriguez an amazing American designer, but that dress was just wrong. I believe in taking fashion risks, it is what makes fashion fun and style personal. But it is also the thing that makes us laugh looking back at old photos -- that perm, those leggings, booties! Any of our photos last a lifetime, but for the next First Lady they will have a different kind of permanence -- historical. Considering, there are museum exhibits of Jackie's Presidential style, Mrs. Obama has quite the shoes to fill to be considering in the same company.

For this reason, I believe the dress was a mistake. Aside from the unflattering fit, and unfortunate cardigan. The dress itself was bold, too bold for election night. For a night that will go down in history books. When in doubt go classic. Always. There is a reason that certain items like the Little Black Dress have surpassed the trends, they fit, they flatter and they let the woman shine through (cheesy but true). While I'm not saying she needed to wear an LBD or something so simple, all the lines, the cardigan, the colors - it was too much for such a momentous occasion.

Andre Leon Talley, the editor at large for Vogue said in an insightful NY Times piece that Michelle “is not sitting around going through fashion look books and having confabs. She is just going through her closet and picking out what’s right for her.” While I'm not one to argue with Mr. Talley -- stylist or no stylist -- someone of this stature, of this public nature, needs a second and third opinion. And we cannot just believe she didn't plan, the entire Obama family is in perfectly matched shades of red and black.

Maybe she should have a shopping date with Carla Bruni who seems to be playing the card just right these days. Regardless of her choice Tuesday, I look forward to see her choices moving forward and am excited for the Inaugural Ball gown. And I think the message for the rest of us is that for the big moments simplicity let's the moment shine through.

Design Hive

I was recently introduced to this new Boston/Cambridge design project called Design Hive - where local designers go to show their new designs.

It runs from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays through Dec. 20. at the Maria L. Baldwin School, 28 Sacramento St., Cambridge. For details visit www.designhivemarket.com.

And check out the article from Boston.com for more information on the brainchild of it all!

Creating a buzz for new styles

When Val Fox was in New York last year, she loved frequenting the designers markets that adorn city blocks from SoHo to Brooklyn. She especially relished finding one-of-a-kind pieces from aspiring fashion designers.

"It was just much more interesting than going into H&M and picking out something that everyone else is already wearing," said Fox, 39, an e-commerce marketing consultant from Cambridge. "I know Bostonians would love to have markets like these and we really don't have any, at least not any that are exclusively about fashion and design."

So Fox took matters into her own hands. She dialed up local design schools, including the Massachusetts College of Art & Design and the Rhode Island School of Design, and she invited them to help her create a designers market that would transcend the typical shopping experience.

The result is Design Hive, a showcase for aspiring and established designers from all over New England. Held at the Baldwin School in Cambridge every Saturday through Dec. 20, the bazaar will feature DJs and more than 40 vendors selling one-of-kind wares, including modern and vintage clothing, handbags and accessories, jewelry, housewares, and pottery.

"It's not a craft market by any means. About 80 percent of the merchandise is clothing and jewelry that is fashion-forward and edgy," Fox said. "At the same time, it's very grassroots, democratic and accessible."

Her blueprint for the Design Hive was based on The Market, a wildly successful designers' market in the Nolita neighborhood of Manhattan. Every Saturday since September 2002, The Market has transformed a local gym into a colorful bazaar where talented, yet-to-be discovered designers showcase their latest styles.

"The Market is held in a gym, the Design Hive is in a school cafeteria, so it'll have a similar feel to it," Fox said. "We'll feature about 100 different designers spread over the eight Saturdays that are either unknown or little known. It's really a platform for people who are just getting started in the world of design."

Fox sees it as a great opportunity to catch a rising star early in their career - sort of like seeing U2 at the Paradise before they started selling out arenas. "You could discover the next Luella Bartley or Anya Hindmarch," Fox said. "And you could be among the first to check out their styles before they get picked up and go big box on us."

By KATE M. JACKSON