New Year’s Eve: Alternatives to the Sparkly Dress

New Years Eve is a big night for everyone. There is a ridiculous amount of planning that goes into picking the venue, which group of friends to go with, and who that lucky person receiving your 12 a.m. kiss will be. New Year’s Eve is an overrated, over-planned, and over-hyped night when it comes down to it. However, those factors only add to the fact that we need to dress fabulously. Tired of the typical sparkly dress? So is Valley. Here are many alternatives to dressing as a human disco ball:

This season, “it’s all about mixed media,” says Veronica Burk, store manager at Mr. Charles Shop. Mixed media implies the use of more than one fabric in a garment or even an outfit and the prevailing fabric incorporated into most pieces is leather. At the fall tradeshow Burk attended, vendors were showing racks of leather mixed with knits and lace. Leather was gone for a while, but “is now back with a vengeance,” says Burk.

This is a great fabric to sport on New Year’s Eve and amps up the little black dress by making it edgier and sexier. Because most dresses this season are made with the mixed media technique, you won’t make the mistake of choosing a full leather dress.

There are other ways to pull off the mixed media trend for New Years Eve. You can pair printed or brightly colored slim-fitting pants with a simple top. The juxtaposition of the two pieces will balance your outfit. Even though you’ll be wearing two pieces instead of the typical dress, the pants will pump up the volume in your outfit just like a dress would.

Voluminous skirts are also all the rage this time of year. Mini skirts are falling to the back of our closets while longer and mid-length skirts are getting more use. Since you’re given room for creativity when picking out a New Years Eve outfit, take a fashion risk.

Try a mid-length tutu skirt made from tulle. Though the skirt may read ballerina, it can actually end up looking like an amazing piece Carrie Bradshaw would show off in the streets of SoHo. Go for a light-colored tulle skirt and pair it with a tucked-in simple top.

Another skirt trend is a longer skater skirt. Pairing skater skirts with crop tops when going out at night has picked up momentum, so raise the volume on that exact outfit for New Years Eve. Chose a skirt with more length and sturdier fabric. Mid-length skater skirts are both extremely on trend and standout pieces. Wear the skirt with a top in a different texture or pattern to also achieve the mixed media look.

Photo by Lauren Johnson