#MyFashionLife: International Stylist Courtney Smith Shares Her Tips For Festive Season Dressing

Coming up to the Christmas fun, are there any staple pieces we should be investing in?

A killer faux fur jacket. It’s the perfect way to add some luxe into your wardrobe and it always makes a statement. Asides from that, I’m still on the search for the perfect over the knee boots for the party season!

What is worth spending some good money on?

Bags and Shoes! Investment pieces that are iconic in style that will also be timeless. It’s the only thing I really splurge on.

We see you’ve been rocking a lot of suits, will they be a big player in your party wardrobe?

Absolutely. I’ve always loved suits and wore one on a collaboration with DKNY a few seasons back but it’s the Scribe by Roz collection I adore at the moment, especially in the run up to Christmas. The suits are incredibly made but have the most gorgeous fabrics and colours to keep them feminine and sexy.

We see a lot of velvet, leather, and sparkles, are these things that will only be suitable for Christmas time?

Velvet definitely does have a little more of a time limitation than leather and sparkles. My advice is if you want to buy into velvet then do it with accessories rather than clothing. Leather and sparkles can see you through spring/summer too though if you buy smart. A sequin dress for example can be given a summery look by inserting colourful accessories and leather will basically always be on trend even in summer. Just look at the catwalk trends to see that leather is always in!

Let’s say we’re not feeling body confident. We don’t want to wear minis and we want to cover up our tummies. What should we be looking at?

Well lucky for you the mini skirt isn’t really having a moment. This season the midi skirt is the length to look at, it’s a lot more ladylike and you can really channel a more elegant look. Team with a silky or lace chemise-style top tucked in. It will still look dressy and accentuates your waist and disguises your tummy area.

What if we’re completely flat-chested and under confident in low-cut tops? What can we do?

Embrace it! Stars like Nicole Richie, Kate Bosworth and Alexa Chung are style icons and have all embraced their waif-like frames. You can still look ultra feminine with low cut tops and you can actually wear more daring necklines than busty girls can get away with it. Learn to be confident with what you have and enhance that with how you dress your boobs.

What trends will be big during the Christmas festivities?

Seasonal sparkles always come out around Christmas time, I’m expecting to see a whole lot of shiny shimmering and glittery outfits. It’s all part of the festive style and it’s a bit fun! Also, a lot of fur.

Any tips for shopping in the sales? Are they worth waiting for?

Honestly I’ll be killed for saying this but I hate Christmas sales! I think you should only go sale shopping if there’s something specific you have had your eye on that you know is being reduced. Otherwise for the most part people get over excited at discounts and buy things they don’t want or need and more often than not, they don’t even fit them.

Any particular sales we should keep an eye out for?

The only sale I ever really check out is the Brown Thomas shoe department because you always get incredible designer discounts. Again I usually go in with a specific shoe in mind that I really want.

What’s on your Christmas wish list? What do you have your eye on?

I have fallen in love with a brown shearling coat in Belstaff. It costs about three times my rent though so it will probably remain on my wishlist for a long time! Unless Santa thinks I am a really REALLY good girl this year.

Where will you be shopping yourself?

I recently hit up Kildare Village and found some amazing gems. It’s a gorgeous shopping experience too because the Christmas lights are up and if you go in the evening when it’s dark and walk around with a hot chocolate it feels really festive. Other than that Brown Thomas is always my go-to for treats and finally I love online shopping so I’ll be checking out Asos and theoutnet.com. High street wise, H&M and River Island are my faves.

With so many nights out on the horizon, any advice for dressing to impress?

Be yourself, there’s nothing more impressive than self confidence. For Christmas you can always add a little sparkle and glamour to your look but make sure it’s still your own personal style. And if all else fails a pair of reindeer ears will complete the look.

Can you give us three fail safe party outfits?

For me personally it’s the leather pants, killer heels and sparkly top combo; the slick tailored suit like a Scribe by Roz one or this season I love the over the knee boots teamed with a little shift dress… simple but it works!