The Girl's Guide
Issue 100: Evie's Ultimate Guide to Christmas Party Season
Welcome to Issue 100 of The Girl’s Guide! Thanks for coming along on the ride — I can’t believe 1-0-0 is already here!
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Evie’s Guide to Christmas Party Season
Well, it’s December 1, which means that no one but the most miserly Scrooge would say it’s too early to wish you all a Merry Christmas!
In today’s very special 100th issue, I want to share my top tips for surviving Christmas party season. Thank you to friend of the ‘stack Melanie Meyers for suggesting this topic!
You can’t go to every event.
If you’re beginning to feel more exhausted than exhilarated by the Christmas season, you may need to remind yourself of one simple fact: you can’t go to every event. Even if you’ve figured out a way to MacGyver your social calendar so that you can squeeze in every cocktail reception, dinner party, and gala, you’re going to spend more time looking at your watch than actually enjoying yourself.
By now, you’ve probably received most of the formal holiday party invites you’re going to get. Pick the ones that are most meaningful for you to attend and RSVP yes. Your best friend is throwing a festive dinner party? You’ll be there. The group that funded your internship is having a cocktail reception? You’ll be there with business cards. A group with an acronym that stands for something you don’t remember invited you to Christmas karaoke? You can go ahead and decline that one. Don’t wait to RSVP to an event just to see if something better comes along – if you’re not feeling it now, you probably won’t be feeling it when you need to call an Uber and it’s freezing outside.
You CAN outfit repeat.
You do not need a different outfit for every Christmas party! I repeat, you do not need a different outfit for every event! I have been the girl who bought holly-patterned blouses and red velvet dresses — which I had no interest in wearing once Christmas season passed. Save yourself the money and closet space by making sure you have one little black dress that always makes you feel amazing. Anything in brocade, silk, or velvet is sure to feel festive. If you accessorize it differently, you can wear it to as many events as you want (even once the holidays are over).
I love the Mila Kunis look below because the stylist has created a really unique outfit with a simple black shift dress. I especially love that the outfit includes a pop of Christmas red with the panythose (if you want to know how I feel about pantyhose, read Issue 98 of The Girl’s Guide). Of course, some events are worth splurging on a special dress… and if money were no object, I’d want this sumptuous gown Lily Collins wore on the red carpet in October.
Have a hair hero.
You’ll often find yourself leaving the office at 5 p.m. to get to a party at 6 p.m. Your hair looked great when you left home this morning, but now it’s a bit bedraggled, to put it lightly. Have a “hair hero” ready to save the day – a simple updo or accessory that can quickly refresh your hair. My hair hero is a black velvet Lele Sadoughi headband (I believe it’s worth the $49 price point because of how comfortable it is, but I actually found mine at a consignment store).
When I’m going to an event, I default to wearing my hair down and curled. It just makes me feel fancier. But sometimes your outfit actually looks more cohesive if you wear your hair up. For example, if you’re wearing any kind of interesting neckline, you’ll want your hair pulled back to show it off. Learning a basic updo is a skill I’m working on — I’m not a hairstylist for a reason! But hey, since balletcore is in, why not master a cute top knot? Here’s a guide from Vogue with ideas for matching hairdos and necklines.
Prep your hostess gifts early.
If you’re invited to an event at someone’s home, bringing a hostess gift is always a good idea. Even though I love to bake, I like to give something savory as a hostess gift at Christmastime because most people are all sugared out by the time December 25 rolls around! Buy a case of 8-ounce ball jars and fill them with pickled red onions or hot pepper jelly. Then you can just snag a jar from your fridge, add a festive ribbon, and you’re on your merry way. I highly recommend following Alison Cheperdak of Elevate Etiquette for more tips about being a great party guest (or host!).
5. Be ready to mingle — and graciously end conversations.
Have you ever been chatting with an acquaintance or stranger and realized you’ve completely run out of things to talk about? You’re not doomed to be locked in small talk with this individual forever. If the conversation has run its course, there are many ways you can politely end it and move on to the next. You can check out this great Southern Living article for tips. The other person may be relieved as well when you end the conversation — he or she may have needed a bathroom break just as much as you did!
Another tip for young single ladies — there will always be guys at these events who don’t catch hints that the conversation is over. You don’t need to let someone hijack your night by talking industrial policy at you for an hour. If he’s not sensing that you’re ready to exit the conversation, say that you see someone you need to catch up with — and don’t wait for his reply.
The Haps
Christmas at Graceland Goes Live
Lana Del Rey and Kacey Musgraves were among the stars who paid tribute to Elvis Presley in NBC’s “Christmas at Graceland” on Wednesday night. I enjoyed the special — I don’t know why they had to do it live though, because the performance quality always suffer! You can read a recap here.
Of course, I couldn’t help thinking about the business side of things, especially since Sofia Coppola’s new film Priscilla portrayed Elvis in a less-than-flattering light. Check out my thread on the PR side of the special here.
Here are some more links to what I’m reading and writing lately:
Exclusive: Country Singer Madison Hughes Reveals What’s Next After The Voice: I interviewed Madison about what inspires her music for Evie Magazine! Even if you don’t listen to country music, you’re sure to enjoy Madison’s velvety voice.
Dolly Parton Walks the Cultural Tightrope: In The Conservateur, Patricia Patnode writes about the “lifelong ambassador of Appalachia.”
Wish is just a Disney commercial: Madeline Fry Schultz reviews Disney’s latest in the Washington Examiner.
Keeping cards close to a well-covered chest: Helen Roy of
discusses digital modesty in our modern age.
Media Moment: State of Play
If you’re looking for the most paint-by-numbers political thriller ever made, might I suggest 2009’s State of Play? Nick and I watched it on Netflix recently simply because it’s set in DC. The film has a great cast — Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Robin Wright, Rachel McAdams, and Helen Mirren all star — but somehow, it still falls flat. Crowe and Affleck play old friends who end up on opposing sides. Crowe is a reporter for The Washington Globe (soooo different from The Washington Post) and Affleck is a military hero turned congressman.
What’s interesting is that you can see glimmers of iconic future characters many of these actors would play. Affleck is an unreliable narrator who doesn’t know how to handle the media when his girlfriend is in an accident (remind you of Gone Girl?). Wright could have considered this film her audition for House of Cards as she plays a long-suffering politician’s wife. And McAdams is a reporter cranking out copy much like her character in Spotlight.
Internship Hunting?
Are you looking for a spring 2024 internship in DC? The Fellowship for American Statecraft is unlike any other program in Washington.
American Moment organizes and pays accepted Fellows $3,000 per month for the summer and places them at an internship either on Capitol Hill or in the public policy non-profit sphere in Washington, D.C. The stipend is designed to be livable and not require outside housing supplementation, and Fellows are placed with American Moment allies to develop on-the-job skills and key early career credentials.
APPLICATIONS CLOSE AT MIDNIGHT, SUNDAY DECEMBER 3, 2023. Click here to apply.
The Lana performance was soooooooooooooooo good