Recently, I decided to repurpose a white silk pantsuit that was worn fifteen years ago rather than wear a formal gown. The jacket needed alterations by taking in the sides. I wore a pair of fabulous earrings and black swede sandals.

This suggests that classic designer styles stay timeless when taken care of. This pantsuit was placed in a fabric garment bag and spot checked for stains. Necklaces were not needed since they would have dated the garment. Let me tell you humbly, the pantsuit rocked!

Recently, I was a victim of wedding dress party guest nightmare after going through ten dresses along with multiple pairs of evening shoes. However, the reality is that going to a wedding as a guest and not as a member of the wedding party, what to wear is not dictated by pictures, which is good. Also not having to wear a long dress makes it easy to pull something from my wardrobe.

These are the following tips I learned to help avoid having the wedding dress party guest nightmare:

• Many stores do not have all their dresses in stock…order on line.
• Dresses that look great on the hanger…chances are that they won’t look good on you.
• Be sensitive to your body shape…buy a dress that will enhance it.
• The dress must be comfortable…no matter how great it looks on.
• Long dresses are really long…be prepared to spend upwards of $75.00 for alterations.
• Be sure you have a pair of shoes to wear for alterations.

If you follow these six guidelines, I guarantee that shopping for a dress to wear to a wedding will not be a nightmare. It even might be fun.

Women this year at the Oscars decided elegance trumped shock and too much skin. The colors went from vibrant jewel tones to pale sparkles. Full length ball gowns appeared to be in the majority.

It is interesting to note that no matter who they are, women all over have the same challenges on what to wear and how to be comfortable for the evening. Of course, if one actually gets to a red carpet, a statement must be made. Diamonds in earrings and bracelets were the statement this year. Also, there were not too many necklaces on those wearing strapless dresses.

Men’s evening wear, especially the tuxedo jacket color, has been pushed to be more fashion forward over the past few years. The celebrities on the Red Carpet at the Award shows (Oscars and Golden Globe) have led the way.

This year we have seen the white jacket popping up as evening wear. (It used to be worn only in the summer and during the day.) Now we see Navy (Armani) on the rise, replacing the conservative, traditional black. We will occasionally see purple or plum. (It takes a bold man to wear a purple or plum jacket!).

I still favor the man in the black tux with a hand-tied (no clip-on!)bow tie. Men cannot go wrong with this. Add a touch of elegance with gold studs and it creates a stunning look.

Holiday parties are the time to celebrate relationships and a good time to take the stress out of this busy time of the year.

To ensure you have fun:

• RSVP at least a week in advance unless otherwise specified in the invite.

• Let the hostess know if you have any food or animal allergies.

• Make sure that a hostess gift does not get too close to food that needs to be served or too near flowers on the table.

• Arrive no later than ten minutes after the start time.

• Mingle and introduce yourself to new folks.

At the Academy Awards, many of the actresses wore full sequined gowns. Barbra Streisand and Halle Berry wore them. Adele even performed in one. Ms. Berry was the only one who looked slender. For Barbara and Adele it added weight to their appearance.

If you are shopping for a gown, you will notice that many of them contain various colored sequins. My suggestion is not to purchase one. A gown made of shiny or sequined material will only add pounds on you. Besides that, they are very heavy to wear.

If you want sparkle on your dress, look for those that feature sequin trim that’s around the neck or lightly woven through the grown. You want to focus on your face and not the extra pounds a dress might add to your appearance. You can always wear a sparkly necklace for glamour.