For years party season was my favourite time of the year to shop. The prospect of office parties and drinks with friends, coupled with my penchant for anything glitter or feather adorned, meant that I was only too happy to spend my November paycheque on a party dress or two.
Of course, much like with winter wedding guest outfits, you couldn't be tagged in the same outfit twice, so I'd merrily buy 3-4 outfits for December, which I'd carelessly forget until the following year, at which point my appetite for sequins would only be satisfied by buying something new, and so the cycle continued. But my shopping habits and general approach to fashion have changed in the past few years.
In short, I'm trying to take a more considered approach to dressing, buying less but better, and and avoiding unnecessary purchases in a bid to be a little more sustainable.
Case in point: the Fashion Awards which I attended at the start of December, during which I wore a stunning Solace London dress, rented via Hurr (main picture). And I will absolutely rent dresses for other occasions such as my office Christmas party. If you want to do the same, here is my edit of gorgeous dress you can wear and send back.
Party dress rentals
The boom in online clothing rental sites means it's never been easier to borrow gorgeous designer dresses, for a fraction of the retail cost. If you'd rather see the gown IRL before renting it, you're in luck, because of slew of rental pop-ups have opened, just in time for party season. Most sites will let you borrow dresses for a minimum of 3-4 days , so plenty of time to wear.
Rewear what you already own
It sound blindingly obvious, but as the intro in this article suggests, I have many party dresses that I've collated over the years to choose from. My friends and family don't care if they've seen my outfit before, so why should I? The more trend-led pieces, I've loaned to rental platforms so that they can bring a bit of joy to someone else this season, but I've kept a few pieces for myself.
My top tip if you're looking to invest in a forever party piece? Keep things simple. My most worn outfits are a black blazer from Toteme, a feather-trimmed pyjama set from Sleeper and a silk dress from Realisation Par.
Sustainable fashion brands
If you DO want to go ahead and buy a new outfit, that's obviously fine too, we all deserve a treat now and then. But it might be worth going about it in a more mindful way, for example by buying from a sustainable fashion brand. Whether the label is all about producing in small quantities, investing in sustainable materials or ethical practices, it's a far better choice than your regular fast fashion fix.
Whatever you choose to wear, I hope you have a wonderful festive season.
