Sumèr is proud to announce our 2011 Holiday Giveaway series, which kicks off today! There will be three prizes awarded to three lucky winners throughout the month of December, so check back frequently to see when our next giveaway is being held.
Today, we are pleased to start the 2011 Holiday Giveaway series with Lee Heyward’s book Simply Effortless Style: A Real Woman’s Guide to Making Style Easy & Fun. Lee Heyward is a style expert and owner of Charleston Style Concierge, LLC, a company which specializes in teaching women how to achieve easy and effortless style.
We absolutely love this book because it offers great tips and advice on how to dress with style in your personal life and in the workplace.
To help illustrate Lee’s exceptional effortless style expertise, Lee has written a guest feature on Survive the Holiday Season in Style. After the feature, you’ll see details for entering to win Lee’s book, Simply Effortless Style: A Real Woman’s Guide to Making Style Easy & Fun
Survive the Holiday Season in Style
By Lee Heyward
Start with your holiday invitations. Most invitations will specify a dress code. If not, just ask the host what the “dress” for the party is. If you are going to a work party with a mystery dress code, talk to your colleagues. Find out what others are planning to wear or what they might have worn the year before. In any professional party setting you can never go wrong with an outfit that exudes class and sophistication. This should give you a good place to start planning your outfit.
Demystify Party Attire
Cocktail Attire is fun because, as a woman, you have so many options. Typically, women wear short elegant dresses or separates and men wear dark suits. For women, dress pants paired with an elegant top is also appropriate.
One great option that may already be in your closet is your little black dress. Or, have some fun with color. Wear a great dress in a vibrant color. If you have a favorite basic dress you can make it festive by adding fun accessories. Play up your bag, shoes, and jewelry to add pizzazz to a basic dress.
Most of us have some type of dressy or evening top in our closets. Pair that with dress pants, a skirt, or even a suit for a more conservative office party. Your shoes can play a big role in dressing up your look. Metallic shoes, or shoes with lace, satin, patent leather, and embellishment are a great way to dress up your outfit.
Festive Attire is another common dress code found on invitations this time of year. Festive attire is not as dressy as cocktail attire but more dressy than casual attire. Festive attire is meant to evoke a fun, flirty, party atmosphere. Think metallics, beading, ruffles, bows, velvet, holiday colors, etc. This is a great time to have a little fun with your wardrobe and the party will probably be pretty fun, too.
No matter what the attire, don’t forget about your bag. Leave your day bag at home and opt for a clutch or evening bag. Bags are a great way to play with color, and can do wonders to tie your outfit together. Remember that your bag doesn’t have to match your shoes. That is an old, outdated rule.
Remember the Office Party Rules
- When it comes to office parties, no matter where they may be, you are always at work. Your actions, even at a party, affect your professional image.
- Dress for the job you want. This is a great rule of thumb to strive for all the time. Imagine the disappointment you would feel if you were passed up for a promotion because of an inappropriate outfit you wore to last year’s holiday party. Yes, people do remember what you wear, so leave the revealing and non-professional clothing at home.
- Keep your outfits simple and show your personality through the details of your accessories. Accessories are a great way to add a festive flair to your office party outfit. Bold jewelry and a metallic shoe can completely change the look of an office-appropriate little black dress.
- If you aren’t sure what to wear, ask someone who attended last year’s party. The venue and invitation can also give you cues as to how dressy the party may be. When in doubt, always dress up. If you arrive to the party feeling overdressed you can always remove a piece of jewelry or switch out a shoe to feel more casual.
- Remember that confidence is the best thing you can bring to an office party. Choose clothing that makes you feel good.
About Lee
Lee Heyward is a style expert and owner of Charleston Style Concierge, LLC, a company which specializes in teaching women how to achieve easy and effortless style. She has also published her first book, Simply Effortless Style: A Real Woman’s Guide to Making Style Easy & Fun. Lee works with clients one-on-one, virtually, and hosts monthly seminars. Lee believes anyone can have great style with a little knowledge and an open mind.
DETAILS BELOW ON HOW TO ENTER TO WIN A COPY OF LEE’S BOOK: Simply Effortless Style: A Real Woman’s Guide to Making Style Easy & Fun
Prize
There will be one winner in total for this contest. The winner will receive a copy of Simply Effortless Style: A Real Woman’s Guide to Making Style Easy & Fun, by Lee Heyward, free of charge. NOTE that the book is expected to be available at the beginning of 2012.
To enter for your chance to win, you may choose to follow Package One Entry Details or Package Two Entry Details. You only have to choose ONE entry package to enter for your chance to win:
Package One Entry Details: All you have to do is follow one quick and easy step. See below:
Comment on this blog post telling us why you would love to receive a copy of this book.
OR
Package Two Entry Details: If you would prefer to enter our contest using Twitter, then all you have to do is follow one quick and easy step:
Copy and paste the following tweet into your Twitter post field and submit: “I just entered to win a free copy of “Simply Effortless Style” by Lee Heyward from @writtenbysumer. Enter here: https://tinyurl.com/7nrl3vw”
Additional ways to enter (you may choose ONE additional way to enter the contest from the list below):
1. Sign up for our newsletter, OR subscribe to this blog (via RSS feed or email, which can be found on the sidebar of the blog).
2. Blog about this contest with a link to this post.
3. Like us on Facebook. (If you already Like us on Facebook, then great! You’re one-step closer to winning our webinar series.)
4. Mention the contest on your personal Facebook page or your company Facebook page with a link to this post.
*****Comment on this blog post each time you do one of the above additional steps to notify us of your additional entry. Your name can be entered up to two times in total.
Dates:
The contest begins today, Wednesday, December 7, 2011 and ends next Thursday, December 15, 2011, at midnight (Eastern). The winner will be chosen via Random.org on Friday, December 16, 2011, and will be notified via email or Twitter direct message (depending on how the participant entered the contest).
Terms & Conditions:
No compensation for commenting, tweeting, or promoting this contest will be given in either cash or products unless you are a chosen winner. Sumèr, LLC, will not be held liable for any participant’s comments or tweets, and the participant states that by commenting and / or tweeting, and associating himself / herself with a specific business that he / she has the right to publish a comment on behalf of that business without compensation of any kind. All comments submitted become a part of Sumèr and can be published in the comments section of the Sumèr blog. The winner also agrees that the mention of his or her name on the Sumèr blog as the winner is acceptable.
Should an incident arise where the book cannot be sent to the winner, Sumèr, LLC, cannot be held accountable and is not obligated to provide any compensation of any kind to the winner.
We wish you luck!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I would love to receive a copy of this book because I have always struggled with my style. Right now, I am a young solopreneur. I look and sound much younger than I am, so when it comes to meeting with clients and vendors I always get “you look so young!”. I guess I struggle with dressing my youthful frame professionally.
I have liked you on Facebook with my personal page “Amanda Walls”
Thanks for entering Amanda! I hear you on the struggle to look young while dressing professional! I think this is a common problem for many female entrepreneurs.