Attending an endless stream of holiday parties is not, as one would think, all play and no work: With a full social calendar comes the commitment to look nice for said events. Making an effort to dress up about three times more than you usually would during a typical week is not easy, especially with a budget and full workdays. To simplify things, this edition of Take Five sees Wilhelmina model Mackenzie McCarthy taking the ultimate staple — a little black dress (a mere $99, courtesy of J.Crew) — to five NYC stores, where staff members created different (yet festive!) looks with the store’s offerings. See how Calypso St. Barth, Pas de Deux, Maryam Nassir Zadeh, Edon Manor, and Dalaga NYC styled a J.Crew LBD ($99) in our slideshow.
Pas de Deux
Store buyers Tiffany Bainbridge and Ashley Cohen of Pas de Deux, Odin’s retail sister, went straight for Alexander Wang’s Chloe sandals ($525) when they saw Mackenzie’s outfit.”It’s a simple black dress, so we wanted to kick it up with a heel,” Tiffany explained. Next, they added an Isabel Marant Étoile Fred jacket ($285), as both a pratical layer and to inject a bit of edge. They finished the look with a Giles & Brother by Philip Crangi necklace ($275) and bracelets ($85 each), a sterling silver Kara Ryan bracelet ($125), and an Alexander Wang pony hair clutch ($475).
Maryam Nassir Zadeh
Sales Associate Lili Schulder created the illusion of mulitple-piece outfit through some tricky layering. She put an Electric Feathers reversible Forty Thieves top ($391) over the dress to create the look of separates, and topped things off with a Susan Cianciolo one-of-a-kind long coat ($345). Because the coat, crafted out of vintage textiles from Japan, is a statement on its own, she kept the accesorries simple, choosing the Samma Flat Peak bracelet ($1265) and Jasmin Shokrian circle clutch ($253). Robert Clergerie x Opening Ceremony Guy platform shoes($224) and Maria La Rosa thigh-high stockings ($124) rounded out the look.
Dalaga NYC
Owner Michelle Mangiliman chose a feathery Friend and Nemisis Fury Necklace($275) and an In Living Color cropped jacket ($89) to create a bold statement on top. From there, it was the more accessories the better: She piled on a Street Level Gold Trim Convertible Clutch ($65), Seychelles t-strap heels ($98), By Boe Knotted leather ring ($35), Chris Rann spartan ring ($30), and a Hooting Brothers Rebound cloche hat ($48). The finishing touch? Some of her own Sephora lip stain in Always Red.
Edon Manor
At Edon Manor, sales associate Vanessa McCabe embraced the festive theme and went straight for a pair of Giambattista Valli red velvet pumps ($622). To play off the velvet shoe, McCabe picked out Fogal fishnet tights ($45) and an Alaïa Leopard clutch ($1500). The Satya Twna Tavas hat ($318) added another pop of color. She then cinched the dress with an Alaïa Cuir Entrelace belt ($1700), which she says, “makes anything look good and gives an outfit more dimension.”
Calypso St. Barth
At the newly opened accessories store, the Calypso team picked out sparkly, speciality pieces. They chose a Chan Luu mirror cuff ($135), Em Design large cocktail ring ($1250), Suzanna Dai Copenhagen earrings ($195), and Anniel glitter ballet flats ($195) to add some shine. A Nada Sawaya Duomo clutch matches the playful, feminine vibe ($1095).
