Party Season Dressing by Anna Byrne

by Once Was

We asked Herald Sun Fashion & Lifestyle Reporter Anna Byrne to curate her take on the new OnceWas collection and items for the party season ahead. Enjoy her tips and pick from the available collection from OnceWas to make it through this busy time and be wardrobe ready. 


  

Tis the season... for parties, barbeques polo and more. With the calendar filling up with silly season soirees and summer festivities, the key is to curate a wardrobe that will see you through the yuletide cheer...

- Anna Bryne, Herald Sun Fashion and Lifestyle Reporter 

CHRISTMAS PARTY DRESSING


Pop the champagne, it’s time to jingle and mingle. Yes, the year is winding down, the sweet smell of holidays (or is that just my pine cone candle) is in the air, your out of office is finally on, and you have many an invite, and excuse, to go out. But for a festive frolic, one needs a festive frock.


Enter the Nectar Embroidered dress. Sure it’s not red or green, but the combination of ivory and gold in a linen blend definitely harks yuletide cheer! With a flippy hemline and flutter sleeves, it’s not too flirty for the work Xmas breakup, but add some strappy sandals, drop earrings and some hairclips and you are ready for Christmas cocktails with the girls.

 

CHRISTMAS DAY DRESSING


So often, people put so much consideration into what to wear to their Christmas parties that they forget all about the big 2-5. I get it; unlike Europe or the U.S, we don’t have adorable, wintry go-to styles like snowflake sweaters and mittens. Our only Christmas day tradition is a paper hat out of the bonbon which is guaranteed to clash with our outfit every year.


Your ultimate goal should be comfort, without looking dowdy. I say, go for a floaty frock with an elastic waist that allows for a double serve of pudding. The Rarity dress is perfect with its shirred waist, while the dusty blue hue and ruffled hemline keep it fresh and youthful.  Be sure to add some sandals and a boater hat to accommodate for an afternoon session of backyard cricket.

 

NEW YEARS EVE DRESSING


So you have spent the days following Christmas snacking on leftover ham, sipping aperol spritz,  sleeping in, and having absolutely no idea what day of the week it is until someone mentions those three little letters: N-Y-E. This New Year’s Eve marks not only the end of the year, but the decade. Yes, ten years ago there is no way you would have been catching an Uber to your celebrations; you had not yet experienced the love triangle of The Hunger Games; and you wouldn’t be checking your Tinder app throughout the night, because that didn’t arrive until 2012! So how you do bid farewell to a decade that delivered so much? Eclipse the glitzy decorations in a sleek pant-top combo.

 

With just a sprinkle of festive gold, the Pollen embroidered tulle blouse is perfect with some statement earrings and a sparkly clutch. And as for opting for the wide-leg Nectar pants over a frock, well,  I’ve always found it much easier to drop-it-like-it’s-hot on the dancefloor in some slacks, and let’s face it, between all that ham snacking you have been doing, you probably won’t have been bothered to fake tan. So it’s a win win.

 

POLO DRESSING

 

It’s known as the sport of kings, but we all know it’s about the queens at the polo field.  In recent years, socialites have swarmed to the uppity sport, and fashionistas have indulged in the chance to dress up in summer’s refined best. Think all-white ensembles, braided espadrilles and floppy hats.

 

So, what’s the best pick for summer ’20 to stomp some divots? Jump-to-it in the colorful Nectar jumpsuit; because while it’s perfect for the polo, it’s also the perfect summer investment. Whether you wear it back with a wedge, a flat sandal or a sneaker, this jumpsuit will see you far beyond the ponies. 

 

 

BBQ DRESSING

 

Is there anything more Australian-summer than spritzing on some aerogard at a backyard barbie on a balmy night? But as much as these alfresco invitations are a part of our lifestyle, they also call for a very unique form of dress-code: laidback but not casual; relaxed, but not sloppy. 

 

Firstly, nothing says relaxed chic like a pair of pockets, and secondly, nothing says summer like bare shoulders in a bardot neckline. Showcase that décolletage in the Morphic dressby dabbing dome shimmery highlighter along the collarbone.

 

MORPHIC LINEN BLEND TIE SLEEVE BUTTON FRONT DRESS

 

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