Its no secret that I love this time of year. The weather, the lights, the food, and now the parties. I love it all and it tends to make me smile for no reason other than it is Christmastime. Yet this year marks the first time that I’ve been unmotivated to take part in many, if any, festivities. Even gift shopping has felt more like a chore than a joy. I believe that part of this is linked to my depression and anxiety, however with the end of the year fast approaching, I have taken time to do some major introspection that has only worked to further dampen my mood.

I’m an overachiever and a workaholic so its not really surprising that I am disappointed by how short my personal list of supposed accomplishments for this year seems to be.  My negative feelings were felt among my coworkers and friends who made a point to check on me abd cheer me up the best they could. Then came the news of our office holiday party and that caused a buzz as everyone went about prepping for it. I’m an empath so I found myself becoming just as excited as those around me. 

Nothing beats having friends that are there for you.

The theme of the party was “Hollywood Holiday” so that meant that everyone was expected to be red carpet ready with their holiday best. I went for this sapphire blue strapless dress that was actually part of the “Own The Night” FTF x Essie & Kelly Holiday Capsule Collection from last year but I managed to get it for a steal at the Fashion to Figure sample sale this spring. I had it hanging in my closet since then, thinking up ways to style it within my comfort zone while building up the courage to actually wear it outside of my bedroom.

With a fit-and-flare silhouette and a plunging sweetheart neckline that accentuates cleavage on the front,  I was worried that the dress was a bit….too much for me. Soon after getting it though I found this navy mock-neck body suit and thought that it would minimize the skin-baring part that this dress brought on. Mesh/sheer bodysuits were a major trend that I never thought I would get into but here we are with my second bodysuit just a little over three months after the first. Most people have made great use of this trendy piece to wear over lacy bralettes or tanks, yet I find that wearing them under something provides the same kind of sexy appeal.

I had formulated the plan that I was going to wear the bodysuit with my navy bra for support because let’s face it, my bust really doesn’t provide much room for going anywhere without a bra. But then I got inspired by an unlikely source – my mother. I modeled this intended outfit (sans accessories of course)  two weeks prior to the event, asking for her take on the fit as it seemed that I had actually lost some weight since the first time I tried it on and I was worried that it was a little big. Her immediate response (tafter fawning over the sapphire blue velvet fabric, that is) was that I needed a strapless bra. My mother, the uber- conservative, wanted me to go strapless. I fought hard against the idea until I was getting dressed to head out to the party and realized she had a point – the dress looked better without the bra straps. So armed with my push up strapless bra from Torrid I see out to party.

I paired the dress with a rhinestone detail silver belt to define my waist as well as add some shine to the look. I also made sure to extend this holiday shine to my feet by adding some bling to my footwear. These white and silver shoe clips made buying new shoes unnecessary as they brought a new spin to my suede wedges. All together this was a look that I know even last year I wouldn’t have dared to try on, let alone wear out so it wins major points for that.

The party was great fun and spending time with my friends outside of the office succeeded in steering my feelings and thoughs away from the all the self-imposed negativity. I’m not completely out of my “Christmas Blues” yet but I’m getting there. To quote Jonquel, “even the small achievements count for a lot” and while they may not meet my standards I’m learning that they are worth celebrating, in style of course.

~Get the look~

Desiree Sheer Mockneck Bodysuit (Size 2) | Fashion to Figure (similar here and here)
Sweetheart neck Velvet  Dress ( Size 2) | Fashion to Figure (similar here and here)
Silver Rhinestone Metal Elastic Waist Belt | eVogues Apparel via Amazon
Uboldi White Nubuck Shoe Clip | ALDO
Suede Wedges | ALDO (similar here)
Faux Leather Drawstring Pouch | Tracee Ellis Ross for JCP

I will hopefully be sharing some more holiday looks on the blog before the year is out, but until then I wish everyone a happy holiday season!