Lately, when I go to Christmas parties, the  theatre or the ballet, I look around and feel kind of sad.  I know that we have a new world and that life is more casual than it used to be, but I miss the days of dressing for special events.  I think it shows respect to the artists and performers when you take a little time to wear something special to an event for which many have been  preparing for months.  I love thinking about ladies in opera gloves and opera coats and like to imagine that one day they will come back into vogue!  I think that holiday parties should feel festive and extraordinary and not like a night out for pizza.  It doesn't have to be elaborate or excessive, just a simple black dress with nicer shoes would be nice! I think that deep down, we all long for the Mad Men days of clothing because we know that as superficial as it may be, clothing brings definition to the occasions of our lives.
                                                                                                               

Many will argue that it is a class issue and that casual attire makes the arts accessible to everyone.  They believe that dress codes are taboo and prevent people from all walks of life from participating fully so they should be done away with.  I think that thought process is insulting and assumes that because someone doesn't have a trust fund, they don't have the ability to dress more formally for special events.  It's not a class issue, it's an attitude issue.  It's the same concept as "dressing down" for PE in school, it gets you in a certain mind-set to dress appropriately for different events.  Ask any girl about her Senior Prom and she will most likely tell you that the best part wasn't the dance itself - the best part was picking out her dress and getting ready with her friends. The ceremonial hair appointments and make-overs at cosmetic counters while laughing with your best girlfriends is what really makes the prom more than just a dance.
                                                               
Whenever I took any one or all of my 4 daughters out to dinner, or to a performance of some kind, I would talk about how we were going to some place very special and that they needed to wear very special clothing.  As if transformed by fairy godmothers, my active, very silly little girls became perfect princesses and their manners rose to the occasion with their clothing.  Children today should have opportunities to dress for special occasions and understand that some things are worth getting out of jeans to attend.  When I was a child, and yes, I am dating myself, I wore little white cotton gloves and a brand new bonnet every Easter. I would have shiney black patent leather shoes with lacey white socks and my dress would be starched and much stiffer than my Sunday school dresses. I can still remember the feeling of trying to walk a little differently and sit more purposefully.  Even when the crinoline started to itch and the shoes felt a little tight, I knew that I didn't need to complain, because this wasn't just an ordinary day. On that particular Sunday, I was someome different, someone about to embark on a day that would be in a category much different than those of my every day childhood experiences.

                                                                   
Many will argue that dressing up is a financial issue, but frankly, I don't buy that.  You can find a beautiful dress much easier than good jeans at re sale shops and thrift stores, and getting dressed up doesn't have anything to do with where you purchased your clothing.  It is just a way of indicating that you put thought into your clothing becaus  the event you are attending, restaurant, your are patronizing,  or home you are visiting is worthy of something a little "special".  Putting on heels and leaving your flip flops at home makes you walk a little bit taller and a skirt makes you sit a little differently, no matter what your financial situation is at the time. You don't have to be Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn to dress beautifully and you certainly can do it on a budget!  Even if you wear the same dress every year or to every special event, that dress itself becomes synonymous with celebration and festivity, and that will set it apart from the others. 

                                                                     
Many will also argue that they don't have the time to get dressed up for anything anymore.  Well, I don't buy that either, as I see the tremendous amount of thought that goes into those outfits that are supposed to look like they were "casually thrown together. " I think that one of the reasons I love vintage clothing is because it conjures up images of a time when people dressed for dinner and no one would think of going downtown to go shopping without a hat and gloves.  You could tell the difference between a woman going shopping at the grocery store, or one going out to dinner, and today, that's not as easily done.  Today, women go from the gym to the grocery store and then sometimes even right to the theatre.  It probably says a lot about our society that we don't take the time to change our clothing between the gym and the ballet.  The casual people should know that, since I work from home, I'm often in workout clothes all day long too.  I love jeans and must have 20 different pairs to suit my mood and water weight gain.  But I do believe that we have lost something important in our haste to become more casual.  Instead of defending the casual lifestyle, I suggest that we defend Dressing Up and get back to creating red carpet moments for all of us, regardless of status, economics or area of the country in which we live.  As an incentive, if you are reading this blog and want to purchase a party dress or formal dress from our website, enter the code blog at checkout and get a 15% discount through December 20th!

                                                                      
                                                         
Every Christmas eve, we host a dinner for 20 - 30 people at our home and the dress is black tie.  Some of the younger men are rebellious and refuse to actually wear a tuxedo, but most comply and all look forward to something set apart during the holidays that says, this isn't just another day at the gym.  Most of us wear vintage dresses and my husband sometimes wears his dad's Christmas eve outfit, and no one cares about labels or trend.  I look around the room every year in amazement at the spectacular glow in the faces of my family and friends dressed to the nines in their very best attire. What we all know as we eat in candlelight, is that on this night before Christmas, we all took the time to get dressed up and make this night extraordinayr. On one magical night, when raindeer fly and children dream of sugar plums, we all feel just a little bit more beautiful.

                                         Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and have fun .. Be brave, and play dress up again!