Fashion Forward by Renae: Holiday Parties

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

The first couple weeks of November are like the calm before the storm. Sooner than we expect, we'll be in the middle of Thanksgiving meal preparation, shopping for holiday gifts, traveling to visit our family and friends and making the rounds to all of those holiday parties. Even if your office has chosen to forego the holiday party due to the economy, there's sure to be plenty of get-togethers that will need your RSVP ASAP. There are two essentials that you'll need to ensure you're prepped for this year's round of soirees: good host/hostess gifts (for house parties) and a few fabulous dresses to wear (or suits for the guys).

Instead of bringing the typical bottle of wine to a party, why not stand out with a fabulous foodie gift? My suggestion is to visit The Spice House (1512 N. Wells) in Old Town for a themed spice gift box. For about $20 you can get a box that contains four full jars of unique spice blends. (Hint: If you buy 10 or more gift boxes you'll get 15 percent off during the month of November.)Walk down the street to Old Town Oil (1520 N. Wells) for oils and aged balsamic vinegars from around the world. Rumor has it they're going to carry smaller gift size bottles for the holidays. Perfect!

Now that the hostess gift is figured out, what are you going to wear? Guys, now is the time to sport your finest attire. Put away the jeans and go for a suit! Why not? Just be sure it fits properly. If you're short on time, pay a visit to Halo for Men (21 W. Elm St., 3324 N. Clark St., 1655 N. Damen Ave.) to get your hair trimmed plus custom tailoring right in the salon from Halo's partner, Custom Suits You.

Ladies, still searching for that fabulous dress? Head to Wicker Park and visit Le Dress (1741 W. Division St.). Hate it when you go into a store to find a dress and there are only a few to choose from? Not at Le Dress...it's a clever dress-only boutique. If you can't find "the" dress here, well, you're just out of luck.

To get a jump start on your holiday outfit, come meet the owners of Le Dress this Thursday, Nov. 13, at the weekly Diva Series at Madame Tartine (22 E. Hubbard St.) from 7-11 p.m. Sip on kir royales as you get complimentary holiday style consultations and enter to win Le Dress giveaways!

Renae Placinski is the managing partner of Maven LLC, a hybrid publicity and promotions company featuring clients in the lifestyle industry. From fashion to restaurants to nightlife, Maven is on the cutting edge of what's going on in Chicago and beyond. Visit www.maven-chicago.com for more information.

Labels: chicago, fashion