I am straying a bit today from DIY and design to talk a bit about fashion- what to wear to holiday parties. I will be the first to tell you I am not fashionista or fashion blogger, but what I am is a woman who believes in supporting local businesses, especially other women entrepreneurs. When the ladies of Silk & Burlap approached me about collaborating with them, I was thrilled at the idea, and I asked my talented friend Eddie of Jalapeno Photography to come and do a shoot for me. I thought it would be great for you to see someone who is no fashion model dressed to the nines by Silk & Burlap, and it would show just what their clothing and sense of style could do for a normal human being.
Shopping at Silk & Burlap is an experience like no other…. it’s not at all like heading into a department store and grabbing some items to try on and seeing what works. Angelique & Saule know what they are doing, and hand select each of their pieces. They have a keen eye for what will suit their client’s body shape as well as personality. I arrived in my standard long sweater, leggings, and black boots. I should have taken a before photo! Angelique and their manager, Jenni, worked to gather several outfits as we wanted to create looks for all sorts of holiday soirees.
The ladies at Silk & Burlap knew my size just by looking at me, and knew what would looks good on me. I admit that several of the pieces they selected wouldn’t have been something I would have pulled off the rack, but once I put it on, I was in love! Like I said, they know what they are doing! Not only were they great at choosing flattering pieces, but they made me feel like a queen for a day. And as I was trying items on, I overheard them helping several other customers, making them all feel like queens for a day… it’s just the sort of service they provide, and something you can often only find in smaller businesses.
Anyhow, we put together several looks for you to peruse, and the good news is that Silk & Burlap has an online store as well. But if you are in the Frederick/DC/Baltimore area, I strongly recommend paying them a visit in person. I am going to give you my honest feedback about each ensemble as well.
New Year’s Eve
Let’s start with the outfit that I would have easily picked on my own… a chic tee (The Love Eye Tee) and a black midi skirt! I would have easily chosen this to wear to a New Year’s party- it’s comfortable, stylish, and flirty and fun.
All photos by Jalapeno Photography. Although I hired a professional photographer to shoot, I did all the editing myself and I have purposefully not corrected any wrinkles or done any air brushing… These are photos of a real girl in beautiful clothing.
As you can see, we paired it with this fabulous python clutch which adds a nice amount of edge and pattern as well.
We also accessorized with these earrings. I wore the blue (and bought them that day because I was in love!), but only the clear crystal is still available.
Another outfit I would have easily selected for myself is black skinny jeans paired with a gold sequin top. It’s fun, comfortable, and says New Year’s Eve to me as well. Silk & Burlap carries James Jeans and I love how these fit. I have thicker legs and have always been a little bigger in the thighs, and have a hard time finding pants, let alone “skinny” pants that I feel good in. These are the best that I have found. And the top… so comfortable, and SO fun. I think it speaks for itself.
And I thought I’d share this photo with you because A) I am not very good at taking myself seriously in photos. (You can ask Eddie!). And B) It shows just how movable these jeans are… not constricting at all!
So had I been out and shopping alone, I think I would have gravitated towards these outfits above, but the ladies at Silk & Burlap supplied me with several other options. And I was absolutely shocked at how much I loved them.
Holiday Ball
This dress. Oh this dress. Angelique wanted me to try it on, and I was unsure, but I trust her opinion and so I put it on. It fit like a glove and was the most comfortable dress I have ever put on. And when I looked in the mirror, I was honestly shocked.
It’s so elegant, but what makes this dress particularly special is the back with the sequin band.
I wish that I had an event fancy enough to wear this to. It would be perfect for a military ball.
Mother-Daughter Nutcracker Date
These next two outfits are generally a little more conservative than my style, but again, once I put them on, I really loved the look.
The Maxine Beaded dress looks super short on the model online, but it’s a great length! I am about 5’7″ and it was not super short on me. This dress was really comfortable and such a classic… I felt like Jackie O or Audrey.
Of course, I don’t have the natural grace of Jackie or Audrey, so this next photo seems sort of perfect… you can put the klutz in a beautiful classic dress, but she might still be a klutz. I was tripping and laughing here.
The details on this dress are what really make it shine. No need to wear any jewelry with this one, as it has all the jewels it needs. We paired it with a simple gold clutch.
You already saw this skirt in the New Year’s Eve inspired look above, but in this version, Angelique gave me this sparkly sequin houndstooth top. It’s glamorous, but classic as well, and perfect for a day at the ballet.
Girls Night Out
Headed out for an evening to celebrate with the girls? The stand still top is perfect for that! It’s fitted, feels great, and defines curves and angles just right. I am not one who usually picks fitted tops… I tend to gravitate towards the bohemian flowy shirts, but this one changed me. I felt confident in this top.
When I showed Chris all of the photos, this was outfit he wanted me to purchase. He loved this top, too.
Office Party
Do you have to attend an office party? Or perhaps your husband’s office party? I will be attending Chris’ work party this week and I always feel a little unsure about how I should dress for these types of events. This stretchy brocade dress is perfect for an event like that… it’s sexy, but plenty conservative for an office party. It’s fitted, but not skin tight, and the blue shines to give it a unique magical look. This dress was Emmy’s top pick out of everything I wore.
The cut of this dress has a great avant garde feel, and it is honestly SOOOO comfortable! I would be happy wearing this all night! And look at how the blue catches the light…
All photography by Jalapeno Photography
I had so much fun putting this post together for you. The women of Silk & Burlap knew exactly what would work for me, and I left their shop feeling like a changed woman. As Eddie and I headed to lunch together after shooting, I said to her, “I think I need to be a fancier human being.” While clothes don’t make the woman, clothing that makes you feel incredible combined with a positive shopping experience can completely make the woman more confident in herself. I am looking forward to shopping with Silk & Burlap more in the future and I think my New Year’s resolution may be to become more fashionable… Maybe I can get a head start on it with the holiday party season!
I was provided with store credit from Silk & Burlap in exchange for writing this post. I was not otherwise compensated and all opinions are my own.
