Breaking out of my party wear rut

I am not a girl who enjoys dressing up. Sequin mini dresses, velvet skirts and big blow drys do not get me hot under the collar. When it comes to party events, I’ve always been that girl in culottes and heels, possibly braving a leather mini if I’m feeling super adventurous. I haven’t always been anti glam – when I was 18 and hitting the town at every given opportunity, it was sacrilege to even consider stumbling into vodka revs in anything more than something way above the knee. However, many, many mistakes later, I fell out of love with that interpretation of “less is more” and fell in love with the simpler look.

When you find yourself going down the more ‘classic’ route, however, things can tend to get a bit boring. Going out is stressful for me now. Where I used to relish the experience of pulling on something very tight and very short, I now find myself rifling through a thousand chunky knits, thinking ‘can I really tuck a rollneck into an old denim skirt and act like I don’t give a shit?’ Hours later, I’ll find myself slipping into my regular uniform. Black paperbag shorts, a body or tee of some sort and black boots. And it’s the same every time, all the time. I’ll buy playsuits and sexy, satin dresses in the hopes of popping them on and starting a party wear revolution in myself, but it never comes, and every new piece is quickly relegated to the back of the rail, unworn with tags still in tact.

Well, the jig is up. I’m bored of being bored with party wear. You may not see me donning thigh high boots and a lace up mini any time soon (which, by the way, I LOVE on other people), but this post marks the start of me trying something new, of me dragging myself, kicking and screaming, out of my comfort zone. And what better way to start, than with a party wear post? (Come on, you knew it was coming.)

“Good evening Madam, can I take you to your table?” Yes, this jacket is giving me strong maître dee vibes, and I’m so into it. I shot this look with the fabulous photographer Michaela Tornaritis, and as soon as I took up position outside of this very *Pinterest* café in Notting Hill, I was like “Shit, Michaela, I look like I should work here”. Nonetheless, I’m all over it. A white blazer is most certainly out of my comfort zone (“Will my arms look fat? Will I look like I’m trying to hard? Won’t black be better?”), but in challenging myself, I’ve found a really classic look. Paired with a pair of badass sunnies and super skinny black jeans, I can transfer this blazer from day to night in no time, and that, my friends, warrants it mega wardrobe points.

Wide leg trousers are always something I’ve shied away from, too. Not because I don’t love them, because I’m OBSESSED, but because I’m a short girl with big thighs and so I’m brewing a cocktail for disaster. So many things could go wrong – they could be too long, they could make me look even shorter, and the worst of all, they could cling to my thighs but be wide at the bottom, negating the point of them at all. My fears were quickly assuaged once I popped these high waisted babes on, however. They are so flattering. I’m all for high waisted pieces on petite girls and these trousers nip in at the slimmest part of my waist, before flaring out into fluttery, fluid loveliness. I love the smart-chic aesthetic of pairing them with the blazer for a makeshift suit, but I’m also excited to wear these with a tight, long sleeved body and super slick hair for minimal elegance.

Admittedly, this outfit is hardly me diving straight into a pool of sequins, but, it’s a step in the right direction. I’m trying something new in the party wear department without straying too far from the look I love. And it’s time for you to do the same too! Join me in pulling youself out of your party wear comfort zone, and make sure you let me