Blog: Crossroads Style

New Year’s Eve is the biggest fashion holiday of the year. Anything goes: sequins, velvet, statement pieces, prints, metallics! But after 6 weeks of indulging, family and friend parties, traveling, and holiday stress, dressing to the nines might be a bit overwhelming.  Not to fret, it is possible to dress comfortably and festive to celebrate the last of 2018 and welcome in the new year.  Take a look at 5 ways to go from comfortable to comfortable chic with a festive twist for New Year’s Eve.

A metallic silk slip dress with strappy heels may sound perfect for kissing the year goodbye, but save yourself the pain of sore feet and bitter cold by pairing a slip dress with sneakers and a chunky knit.

Sequins are an essential part of New Year’s Eve. Skip the too tight mini dress and go for a comfortable midi skirt and a seasonal knit with simple sneakers.

Nothing says holiday like the luxe feeling of velvet. Find a relaxed fitting velvet suit and pair it with flats or, you guessed it, sneakers, for a festive outfit that feels like pajamas.

An easy way to add drama for a celebratory New Year’s Eve look is to layer a sheer dress over pants or biker shorts over a bralette.

Add metallic accents to instantly elevate your outfit from casual chic to casual festive.

Have the holidays snuck up on you with no time left to even think about all the outfits you still need to put together for parties? This time of year is about spending time with loved ones, appreciating and reflecting on the year, not about stressing through wardrobe choices for a white elephant gift exchange or Christmas dinner. Putting together a festive holiday outfit can be less stressful than you think if you keep it simple. For your inspirational pleasure, take a look at my 6 tips for putting together the perfect last minute holiday outfit.

Focus on a Statement Piece
Find your favorite statement piece and let it shine by pairing it with a neutral palate.

Play With Textures
Go cozy this holiday season by pairing your fuzziest sweater with a teddy coat, or a cable knit over a silk slip dress.

Add Some Shine & Sparkle
When in doubt, sparkle and shine are the right choices for a festive holiday look.

Accessorize an LBD
Has an LBD ever steered you wrong?

Mix Festive Prints
Mix plaid and festive graphic prints to create a celebratory outfit for any holiday occasion.

Stick to Basics
Forego all the frills! Stick to your regular outfit formula and add a festive pop of color.

The holiday season is officially upon us, and for many that means traveling to visit family and friends. Traveling in general, no matter the time of year is stressful; planning, preparing and packing, and the actual act of the travel whether via plane, car, or train is the most painful part. The holidays tend to put an extra edge on traveling, but there are ways to lessen the impact. Ease your travel stress by eliminating packing stress and remorse with these 5 simple packing tips.

Make a List
Make a list and check it twice! The simple act of writing things down will help you remember to pack them, and double checking to be sure will help avoid anything important is left behind.

Plan Outfits Ahead Of Time
Have a habit of throwing pieces into your suitcase and not knowing how to put them together once you reach your destination. Save yourself time and dressing stress by planning your outfits for each day and activity ahead of time. Take it a step further and take pictures of your planned outfits so you don’t forget!

Use Packing Cubes
Packing cubes allow you to separate items by category (toiletries, intimates, active wear, etc.), events, or people (if you are sharing luggage). They also ensure everything you pack stays organized throughout the manhandling your luggage will inevitably receive during travel.

Pack Trusted Pieces
It’s always tempting to shop for new clothes for your holiday getaway; who doesn’t want to go home and impress their family and old friends? But you don’t want to be stuck with clothes you’ve never properly worn before and potentially being uncomfortable not knowing that your new sweater was so itchy or those new jeans stretch out too much after only an hour of wear. Pack trusted pieces that you know you look and feel good in.

Weigh Your Luggage
Portable luggage scales are inexpensive and eliminate the guessing game of how much your luggage weighs before getting to the airport. Knowing your luggage weight beforehand will give you a chance to reevaluate what you’re packing without having to struggle at the airport with rearranging between bags, buying an extra bag, or paying avoidable fees.

With Halloween right around the corner, it’s time to start prepping the ultimate costume if you haven’t already! The great part? A lot of these outfits can be re-created with what you already have in your closet! So, whether you’re staying at home watching Hocus Pocus with the gals or trying to win for “Best Costume,” there’s a Halloween costume for everyone.

Check out a few of our favorite blogger costumes for some inspiration:

How cute is Julia Engel as Belle from Beauty and the Beast? We’re loving the book props as well.

Animal ears and a dress isn’t exactly reinventing the wheel for Halloween, but we can’t get over how simple it is to recreate this costume!

Skip wearing a Halloween costume this year and opt for a Halloween tee instead!

How cute is this Little Red Riding Hood costume? The plus side? It’s a great way to reuse that picnic basket that you kept from summer!

Never underestimate the power of a shimmery mermaid to turn heads on Halloween.

Channel your inner Daisy Buchanan, and dress up as a flapper for the night! You already own a little black dress and a pearl necklace, now you just have to find a fur coat and a headpiece!

Hint: absolutely!

The antiquated no-white-after-Labor-Day rule appears to have originated in the late 19^th century, when white was considered only proper for summer vacation attire (before bare arms and legs were appropriate, color and fabric were often the only difference between seasonal clothing). After Labor Day became a federal holiday, it unofficially signaled the end of the summer and vacations, meaning there was no longer a need to wear vacation clothing—so all white clothing was put away until the next year. Darker color clothing was a signal for the end of summer and a return to work.

Thankfully, somewhere between then and now, this arbitrary fashion rule has become outdated. Fashion and lifestyle have evolved and there are many more ways to keep cool in the summer besides lightweight white pieces. Lucky for us, that means we get to wear our favorite white pieces year round.  Take a look at some of the most chic ways to wear white after Labor Day this year!

When updating your fall wardrobe, pick up a cozy cable knit sweater in white or cream.

A white denim jacket brings a fresh perspective to a those gloomy fall days.

Blazers are the perfect transition piece. Dress down a white blazer by pairing it with jeans and sneakers.

Add a trendy pair of white wide-leg pants or denim into your fall wardrobe rotation.

Don’t pack away your silky slip dresses just yet. Layer a blazer or an oversized sweater to get more wear out of them.

Dare to wear an all-white outfit with dark accessories for a chic autumn look.