A French Woman’s Guide to Dressing For the Party Season

By Fanny Moizant, Managing Director, vestiairecollective.com, the luxury resale clothing site
A French Woman’s Guide to Dressing For the Party Season
In Paris we don’t have a big tradition of dressing up during the party season – it’s not that we’re humbugs exactly, of course we adore fashion, but you won’t find many groups of girls dolled up to the nines for the office Christmas party. I love the effort British girls make to look festive, it’s fun and celebratory, but there’s no denying that the showy ‘sparkles and sequins’ look year on year can get a bit tiresome.

Here are my thoughts on how you can inject a little Parisian ‘insouciance’ into your outfit to create a point of difference.

Minimal bling. As Coco Chanel, our unofficial French patron saint of minimalism famously said: “Before I leave the house, I always remove one piece of jewellery so I don’t look overdone”. A good amount of glitz seems only right at Christmas so at least one eye-catching piece of jewellery is a must, but ‘earrings and no necklace’ or vice versa is a good fashion mantra to follow.

Masculine tailoring. This is sure to make you stand out amongst the sea of sequins at the boss’s Christmas do. A crisp white shirt can look great tucked into a pair of tuxedo trousers or a bright silk vintage skirt. The more feminine you are, the more impact a masculine aesthetic can have. Keep it really feminine with bright red lips and a soft hairstyle.

A small chic clutch. An oversized Hermes bag can look smart while you’re out shopping but it isn’t right for the evening – you never want an accessory to overshadow an outfit. A small quilted Chanel-style bag on the shoulders or an envelope clutch will work with whatever style of party outfit you’re wearing.


Fashion Classics.
The French may occasionally be criticised for being a bit too classic; we definitely don’t jump on new trends each season. I have a few classic little black dresses from different eras in the wardrobe I revive for parties, and love leopard print which is fun and timeless.

Experimental but muted. The French tend to favour blacks and navys for evening dresses rather than ‘look at me’ brights. We do however love to experiment with all shapes and styles, so if you’re wearing an evening maxi dress or jumpsuit then try keep it to a dark base colour and let your accessories or your sexy fur stole create a bit of added drama.

For more luxurious and vintage French party looks from brands from Isabel Marant to Maje, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and more, check out the partywear section on the homepage of vestiairecollective.com.

 

Dress for Success Celebrity Online Auction on VestiaireCollective.com

Frost Loves that Rachel Weisz, Davina McCall, Trinny Woodall, Sophie Dahl, Jasmine Guinness and Bay Garnett donate treasured pieces from their wardrobes to women’s charity Dress for Success with an exclusive online auction on Vestiaire Collective starting on December 21st

 

This Christmas, UK A-list celebrities Rachel Weisz, Davina McCall, Trinny Woodall, Sophie Dahl, Jasmine Guinness and super-stylist Bay Garnett are offering the opportunity to buy coveted designer pieces from their own personal collections. The celebrities are partnering with online fashion retailer VestiaireCollective.com, the destination online store for pre-loved high-end designer fashion and the platform to sell and update your wardrobe, with all proceeds from sales going to the charity, Dress for Success.

 

From the 21st December to the 31st of December, visitors to Vestiaire Collective will have the opportunity to buy one amazing item per day  – with a new item becoming available for sale each day. Details of which items are available for purchase each day and at what time, will be available on the Vestiaire Collective site.

 

Proceeds from the sale will go entirely to Dress for Success – the charity that helps women on low incomes get back into employment and become financially independent. Dress for Success provide interview clothes and interview training to help women feel more confident and start to believe in their own ability to succeed and move on with their lives. One in two of the women the charity helps, gets the job.

 

Among the items being auctioned are Bay Garnett’s Joseph leopard fur wrap, Jasmine Guinness’ vintage leopard-print jacket, YSL heels from Trinny Woodall and a custom-made leather jacket, designed by Michelle Banarse for Davina McCall.

 

Whether you are a celebrity, a Vestiaire Collective community member or a client of Dress for Success, the confidence and self-esteem gained from smart clothing is something we are unified in understanding’ said Shannon Edwards, Managing Director, Vestiaire Collective UK. ‘We are grateful to our Style Advisor Bay Garnett for bringing together an inspiring group of women donating to our charitable partner, Dress for Success London’

 

‘In my years as a stylist I’ve seen the transformative impact of clothing on the self-esteem of even the most confident women in the world’, said stylist and Vestiaire Collective style advisor Bay Garnett, ‘so to be able to support an organisation that provides this type of head start to women in need is a great reward.’

 

For the opportunity to purchase one of these unique one-off pieces please log on to Vestiaire Collective on the 21st December to check out the sale www.vestiairecollective.com

 

Buyers will have until the 31st December to purchase a celebrity item and support a worthwhile cause – but you’ll need to be quick as there’s only one piece per day! With the New Year approaching we hope to help those looking for new opportunities to change their lives.

 

www.dressforsuccess.org.uk

Find haute couture from the finest French wardrobes

UK SHOPPERS FLOCK TO vestiaire collective TO FIND haute couture from the finest French wardrobes

 

Vestiaire Collective, the pre-owned, luxury, fashion website today celebrates its first six months in the UK by announcing quadruple digit growth in UK members and record sales to UK consumers. The cult French fashion site has grown its base of users in the UK by 1200% since adding English and sterling to the site in March 2012. The site now boasts over 1.2million members and 12.2 million monthly visits globally.

 

The attraction of previously owned designer labels from the finest French wardrobes has attracted British label hunters who are now spending an average of £300 per shop as they rush to snap up the latest from French luxury brands.  Some of the treasures grabbed by UK shoppers in the past six months include a Yves Saint Laurent bag for £1,000, a Shamballa jewels item for £1500 and a men’s IWC watch for £1,100.

 

Across the channel, the fashionable French are clearing out the designer items at a rate of 25,000 items per month. In fact initial statistics for October reveal a 20% increase in items submitted for sale since the UK came online in March. It’s not only the fashionable woman on the street clearing her wardrobe, Vestiaire Collective is also home to French and British celebrities who are actively using the site to empty their wardrobes for the upcoming season.

 

Some of the French ‘bargains’ available today include a Valentino python and sable bag for £4876, about half the original price for the sought after bag. The sale list also includes more than 720 Isabelle Marant shoes, handbags, coats and dresses for up to 70% off. Unlike other pre—owned and vintage fashion sites, Vestiaire Collective checks every item for authenticity, so British shoppers know that what they are buying is absolutely genuine.

 

“We are seeing a wave of interest and excitement about the contents of French wardrobes from our British community,” says Vestiaire Collective’s UK MD Shannon Edwards. “On average British women are spending 30% more than their French counterparts and whilst we are shopping, the French are selling. We have seen more than 400 brands added to the site which are being snapped up here by women who are used to buying vintage and love that classic French style.”

 

Vestiaire Collective was founded by French internet entrepreneur, Sébastien Fabre who alongside five co-founders has developed the business by integrating a strong social community with ecommerce. The site gives consumers a platform to share, discuss and review fashion trends, labels, brands and items, yet closely monitors the buying and selling of goods to ensure that each piece is authentic, in excellent condition and is beautifully presented and delivered to the end consumer. The site manages all financial transactions to ensure that the seller has absolute peace of mind with items that often have a very high ticket value.