Holiday Fashion Trends 2007

Trends: Holiday 2007

The holiday party season is upon us. And with that comes the best opportunity for us guys to step outside ourselves, escape the fashion norms, and display our inner peacock. The first step in deciding what to wear to the party is determining the dress code.

Dressing Appropriately

Black Tie means just that. Formal wear will be required.

Dressy Casual means that you have to leave your denim at home. A pair of black slacks and nice shirt with a sport coat will suffice.

Most house parties will include the terms Festive Attire, Holiday Attire, Cocktail Attire or, my favorite, an open invitation to Dress to Impress. This is your cue to have some fun!
Color

Although the winter color palette is trending more cool and sophisticated this year, the holidays are carte blanche to bring out the jewel tones. Rich burgundy, deep purple and emerald green are totally cool and indicate that you are confident, bold and in control.

Silver and gold, while appropriate throughout the season, are a sure fire hit when worn for a New Year’s Eve celebration. These colors can be very bright and are best done in moderation. What you don’t want is to look like is your great Aunt Gertude’s Christmas wrapping paper. Try pairing these colors with a black velvet blazer. It will tone down the brightness of the shirt. Remember, you want to catch her eye, not blind her.

The monochromatic look of black-on-black always indicates a class act if done correctly. If you go monochromatic you should select a European or athletic cut shirt and trousers. This look is all about the line. And if you can’t create the lines with color you have to create it with the cut.
Bling

Don’t be afraid to pimp your outfit. There are some great wovens this year featuring jewels or metal studs. The Fender Guitar label does this with a great sense of style and a hint of rock and roll. A blinged out belt buckle, shoes (yes, I said shoes!) or chain under an open shirt will accomplish the same effect.





Texture

How many times a year do guys get to wear velvet in Florida? The answer is usually…once. And, this is it. So go for it! Velvet blazers are a nice touch, especially when the lapels are satin. It gives a somewhat formal look in a dressy casual situation or a funky, hip, cool look to your favorite pair of denim. If funky, hip, cool is what you are going for, try pairing it with a tee shirt. You have quite a bit of latitude here. While a crew neck will work just fine, V necks will put you on the front end of cool. You can make a statement with a colorful tee or be that cool guy with the basic white tee.

You’ll also see velvet flocking on long sleeve woven shirts this year. If you’ve got the nerve and the body you can go with a sheer shirt that has a solid texture pattern. Again, if you lack confidence in your masculinity you shouldn’t try this. You’ll be worried about how you look when you should be hanging loose and having fun. The Couture label out of Los Angeles has perfected this shirt.

On A Final Note

Check with your date before you select your attire. Chances are that she has been planning her holiday outfit a whole lot longer than you. (I’m speaking to all those guys who run into my stores an hour before a date needing to look fly. Don’t worry, it’s a total guy thing.) If she shows up in a bright red dress with silver accents and you show up in burgundy with gold, you will not look good together. She is likely to spend the evening on the opposite side of room, and the night on the opposite side of the bed. While you don’t want to look like you coordinated matching outfits (ick!) you do want your attire to complement hers. Help her look good and your holidays will be a lot more cheerful.

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