Dressing Room Diaries- Talbots Holiday

‘Tis the season for velvet, shine, glitter, and all things dressy. If your lifestyle is uber casual like mine, you may not have many opportunities to get all dressed up in festive finery. That shouldn’t stop you from enjoying the fun stuff, so today’s looks include subtle ways to enjoy party-type details without the party.

If you’re new here, welcome. A dressing room diary is when I go into a local store for a try-on session so you can see what’s new and how it looks on a woman over 25. For reference, I am 5’4″ and weigh around 134 lbs. I have broad shoulders with straight hips, a long torso, and long arms. I often buy one size larger on top. You’ll see me try on clothes in colors and shapes that may or may not flatter me because I want you to see what’s in the stores and get some styling ideas. I tell you what sizes I am wearing to help you understand how things run.

I tried this dress on in petite first, but the waist seam was too high on my torso, so this regular is a better option for me. This would be great for party season or a nice outfit to wear for dinner out. It’s got a slightly retro vibe in a substantial ponte knit that you could dress way up or dial down depending on your accessories and footwear.

These straight-leg stretch corduroy pants come in ten colors, this is the classic red. They’re super soft, and the 2% spandex makes them very comfy. The cashmere sweater is a crewneck with 3/4 sleeves. I can ordinarily wear a small in their sweaters, but this was snug on me, so I find it runs small. It’s a blend of reds with pink on a black background. The plaid shirt has tiny black polka dots sprinkled on it in a cotton/rayon blend. It would be cute with a black skirt for a casual holiday party.

This quilted velvet jacket has a removable faux fur collar. I’m not sure I like it combined the way I have it here, but the jacket is pretty cute.

Here’s a casual way to wear sequins…down the side of your jeans like a tuxedo stripe! These jeans have a very high waist and full straight legs. The sequins are deep blue, but you could coordinate them with any color. I paired these with this tulle dot sleeve top that could go to a party or the grocery store…why not? It also comes in ivory. The faux fur vest has a drawstring tie at the waist to be snugged up. The fur has a quilting pattern, yet in a small, I found the look bulky.

This skirt also gives me retro vibes, and the color is so fun! I’d pair it with a tiny kitten heel in nude. It would also be fun dressed down with a black turtleneck, black tights, and black shoes. The petite is a full 3″ shorter, which I think would be much better on me.

For those of you who can’t wear wool, this fair isle pullover is a winner. It’s a machine-washable synthetic blend that feels super soft and luxe. I paired it with these straight-leg velveteen pants with a classic 5-pocket jeans styling. The pants come in six colors, I’m wearing black.

This fair isle sweater does contain a small amount of wool and comes in this toffee color or red with pink. I paired it with the same velveteen pants and added this ivory moto jacket. It’s a warm jacket but more like a blazer than a warm coat.

Same sweater as above, this time with a coordinating scarf and Portland pants. These are a 6 petite, and with this slim of a riding pant, I’d personally prefer the 6 misses for the additional length. They come in six colors, this is caramel.  There’s also a coordinating hat and gloves to finish the matchy/matchy alpine vibe.

Here are the same sequin side stripe jeans as above, this time paired with a velvet shirt and faux fur vest in the same deep indigo blue as the sequins on the jeans. This shirt also comes in a rich garnet shade that’s stunning. They’re calling this a tunic, but it’s only 1″ longer than their shirts, which isn’t a tunic to me. The faux fur vest is also deep indigo, is fully lined, and has all important (for me) pockets. It’s cuddly and warm but not heavy.

Whether a little or a lot, Talbots is mad for plaid this time of year- here’s what I found

Do you wear festive fabrics for casual wear?

Thanks for reading, and remember to wear what makes you feel confident.