With M&S being on such good form this season I’ve been waiting with interest to see what they’d bring out for Christmas. I’ve seen glimpses in various press releases and then I just happened to be in the Oxford Street store when they were putting it all out. It meant I was able to spend a happy couple of hours playing around with everything – dresses, tops, skirts, accessories… and there are some great party finds at M&S. This is the last of my Christmas style posts so I’m going to do an M&S interpretation of the pillars of Christmas style that we’ve been talking about. They challenged me with putting two complete Christmas outfits together from their latest drop so I’ll show you my great party finds along with the rest of my shortlist.
Great party finds at M&S
Black tie
In my view M&S have one of the easiest solutions for black tie – the beautifully cut and very well priced velvet suit and it was good to see it in classic black which is the wardrobe stalwart that I’d choose over a little black dress any day.
Black velvet jacket; waistcoat; trousers
Here’s a reminder of how it looked on me in teal blue back in September, this colour is sold out online now but it is available in pine green.
Great party finds – Christmas smart casual
When it comes to a slightly more relaxed version of dressing up for Christmas – a trip to the theatre… a Christmas lunch out… I think I’ve found my favourite outfit of the season here. This stopped me in my tracks when I saw it in store – well you know it would because it’s my favourite colour at any time of year but especially at Christmas and despite having a good collection of party skirts, I don’t have one in red. So let me talk you through it.
The coat is a very simple midi cut. It isn’t a lush pile, more of a twill but for the price that isn’t surprising. The skirt is described as a pencil skirt online but I’d say it’s straight which is a good thing – it makes it easier to move about in. The thing I like about the sequins is that they don’t have a metallic finish which would have made it look a bit cheap. Instead they have a glazed sugar effect, as if you’ve been iced like a toffee apple. They’re quite heavy which makes it hang beautifully and it rustles slightly as you move which pleased the boys when they were home last week, they said I was like a walking Christmas installation.
Red coat; sequin skirt; turtle neck jumper; patent shoes; silver necklace; Christmas earrings
I love the jumper too, you can’t beat a half sleeve, it’s so much more flattering on the arms than a short sleeve and you need some bare skin because the knit is quite warm. It has my favourite raised neckline and a subtle metallic fleck running through it. The pile is deep and soft so it adds great contrast to an outfit – I’m tempted to buy it in black purely for this reason. You could wear it tank top style, layered over a long sleeved top too. I’ve tucked the front into the skirt here to break up the horizontal line – remember we talked about moving the eye around the waistline using quick wins like this in my autumn style tips post?
There are some fabulous party shoes at M&S this season – these are quite racy, you can see they have an elongated winkle-picker toe which picks up the season’s 60s vibe. You’d think they’d be uncomfortable but they aren’t at all, you could easily wear them all night thanks to the low heel. They’re such an easy and affordable way of lifting any kind of outfit for Christmas. I’m wearing a 12 in the coat and skirt, M in the jumper and my usual 7 in the shoes – they’re all true to size.
Sequin skirt; turtle neck jumper; patent shoes; silver necklace; Christmas earrings
The other department that’s on fire is jewellery, there are some really great and very well priced Christmas earrings. These little bows are part of a pack of three that includes a pair of reindeer studs and holly leaves too. There are lots of other designs and I can’t help thinking of those of you who have small children in your lives – I can imagine the delight on little ones’ faces when they see you wearing them. You can just about see the sunlight picking up the sparkly flecks in the jumper here as well.
The necklace sold out in the space of days which isn’t surprising because it has such a twinkly crystal effect, it’s just been restocked so be quick – but just in case it goes again…
Turtle neck jumper; crystal necklace; Christmas earrings
…here’s an alternative.
Great party finds – relaxed Christmas dressing
For the second outfit I wanted to put something more casual together and I’ve had a few requests for neutral colours (I must remember that not everyone likes brights). I was immediately drawn to this coat when I saw it in the London store but as I said I seem to have lost the ability to shop in person, I’m much better ordering things to try at home. Anyway here I was trying to look at it objectively to work out if it suited me or not.
It isn’t often that you find a long faux fur coat in a slim cut, they’re usually deliberately oversized which always makes me feel like a yeti. I love the pale honey colour of this – just a few shades darker than winter white so it’s uplifting on dark days and will require less dry cleaning than my ivory wool coat. It reminds me a bit of the teddy coats that were around a few years ago but it’s more elegant. This is how I wore it last weekend for shopping in town, the weather’s been lovely and sunny but it’s suddenly turned cold here so I really appreciated its warmth.
Faux fur coat; Embellished cable jumper; Gold mini; Reindeer earrings
Sticking to neutrals, underneath I had a more relaxed daywear outfit. The cream cable jumper has pearl embellishment on the front which makes it more special than an ordinary knit but not so party themed that you couldn’t wear it in January. And you know I love a metallic mini so I was drawn to the gold straightaway. It has an A line cut which means it looks best worn with a slightly more fitted top to balance the lower volume. I tucked the jumper in at the back so it works but it’s quite a loose fit so if you’re going to wear it like this I’d recommend sizing down. I found the skirt a bit neat in the waistband so if you’re going to be enjoying a few mince pies, size up on this one.
Faux fur coat; Embellished cable jumper; Gold mini; Reindeer earrings
And you’ll see that I’ve added Christmas earrings again – reindeer this time – just because.
There will be some people who don’t see this as a casual option but in my world at Christmas it is – this is how I wore it later on for a dog walk through the increasingly wintry looking lanes. It really did feel as if we should be popping into a warm tavern for a Boxing Day drink.
Faux fur coat; Embellished cable jumper; Gold mini
More great party finds at M&S
Out Out tops to pair with jeans or a skirt
So as this is an edit of partywear at M&S I thought I’d go through the other pieces that stand out because there’s a lot to look through. Starting with tops that you could use to dress up an otherwise plain outfit…
- Black sequin and feather cami – this has such great texture with both sequins and feathers, it’ll look great underneath a cardigan or jacket, also available in nude
- Gold tweed jacket with sparkle – if you’re looking for a party jacket to throw over everything in December this is the one you need, a great bomber cut with beautiful detail
- Ivory sequins with cami – I don’t often include crew necked sequinned tops because they can look very ‘PTA mum’ but this has a more delicate scattering than usual and the sweetheart neckline of the cami adds to the look
- Ivory sequins with black bows – (selling fast, also available in black) – this is a real standout look, at the moment there’s a throwback trend to every decade of the 20th century and this is Grace Kelly in a Hitchcock movie
- Bronze lurex top – an understated shimmer to wear on a day when you want to acknowledge the season without screaming ‘party,’ also available in a pine green
- Red high neck blouse – such a simple top but the slight transparency makes it alluring and the coral shade of red will be kind to a lot of winter skintones
- Black velvet cut out top – reviews say this comes up big but it’s great for anybody relishing the return of Boho – it’s selling fast though so be quick
And while we’re on the subject of tops, the shawl collar dinner jacket that you sometimes see me wearing is back this year. It has a long line for wearing with narrow trousers, one of those forever pieces.
M&S are definitely thinking along the same lines as me when it comes to the usefulness of party skirts. We discussed them in the style tips post but looking at them like this helps you to see how easy they are to dress up and dress down with different tops and shoes.
Party skirts – great party finds at M&S
- Hand trimmed skirt – I haven’t seen anything like this anywhere else, the strands of silver beads are trimmed by hand and they create movement as you walk
- Foiled slip skirt – another one for the neutral lovers, this would be easy to wear in summer with a white t-shirt too
- Silver faux leather skirt – a cost-effective way of doing the leather metallic look this season, easy to dress up or down
- Sequinned ivory skirt – set yourself apart from the black dresses in winter white sequins
- Asymmetric tassel skirt – a great way of referencing the mini without showing too much leg, this will move with you beautifully too
- Foil tassel skirt – such a pretty skirt – I can imagine how good this would be to dance in
- Lace trimmed slip skirt – a way of standing out amongst the seasonal colours, there’s a cashmere jumper to match for the perfect column outfit
- Tulle and jersey ruffle skirt – reviews are suggesting you size up on this one, a low key way of wearing the ruffled skirt trend
I could write a whole post on accessories at M&S this season. As I’ve said there’s a lot of nostalgia for all of the 20th century decades (not surprising that we’re all looking back over our shoulder really!). You can pick your favourite or even just mix them all together. Plus the Christmas earrings make me smile – like the M&S Christmas ad they’re just about simple, affordable joy.
Great party finds at M&S – the best accessories on the high street
- Flat gold Mary-Janes – with an Insolia lining – this is how to have comfortable party feet (non-leather, leather version here)
- 80s style black and gold bag – you can imagine Princess Di carrying this, prepare for a huge return of 80s fashion next year (thank you Rivals… or not?)
- Christmas tree earrings – spread a little joy as you’re trundling around the supermarket with your trolley
- 70s style silver bag – you wouldn’t even need to try if you were carrying this – wear any old thing and you’ll still look festive. I can’t believe how good the party bags at M&S are.
- Red sequin grab bag – just one more – also available in black, green and gold if you’re quick
- Snowflake earrings– a touch of Christmas that’s more low key
- Beaded scarf – a great way of livening up a crew neck or lessening cleavage with a low cut top
- Black sparkle party boots – you know how highly I value a good party boot, these are a cost-effective way of trying them out
- Reindeer headband – slip this on as you sit down for Christmas dinner – much easier to keep on than a paper hat, silver snowflake version also available
- Red ruffle shoes – just so glamorous – also available in black
- Silver Mary Janes – leather with Insolia and freshfeet technology, great for all night dancers
And that’s it from me for Christmas style this season, hopefully you’re feeling fully prepped for whatever festivities you have. I’m moving on to gift ideas this week so look out for posts tomorrow and Friday – I haven’t bought anything at all yet so I’ll be shopping with you as I go. I love this time of year and the anticipation of special moments spent with family and friends… not long now…
Disclosure: ‘Great party finds at M&S’ was commissioned by M&S but as always, I had full control over what I chose to feature. Thank you for supporting the brands that help me to keep Midlifechic as a subscription free blog
Good Black Friday offers running now
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Hush – up to 30% off knits and tops here
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Liberty – 30% off everything here plus 20% off beauty
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