FASHION & BEAUTY110 • DECEMBER 2021Bec Oakes discusses her sartorial plans
for this year’s festive seasonW
hen it comes to
Christmas Day style, you
likely fall into one of two
camps. You’re either
dressed to the nines with a full face of
makeup and perfectly coiffed hair or
you use the holiday as an excuse to
spend the entire day in your pyjamas.
I have always been the latter,
forgoing getting dressed in favour
of staying cosy in a pyjama set—I’m
gifted one from my parents every
year—and bed socks. Christmas in
my family has always been a small,
laidback affair spent at home with
Buck’s Fizz and The Sound of Music
and I’ve never seen the point in
making an effort for it.
For the 2021 festive season,
however, I’m making a change. I’ve
had this sudden urge to dress up, to
break away from my PJs and embrace
all the sequins, sparkle and finery thatcome with the festive season.
This sudden change of heart is
due in part to a job I started recently
at Selfridges. Within the Women’s
Designer Galleries is the dress edit—a
curated collection of classic designer
pieces, alongside occasion wear
by some of the best contemporary
brands. Being exposed to impeccable
gowns by Galvan and Alexander
McQueen and perfect party pieces
from the likes of Dion Lee and The
Attico on a regular basis has certainly
inspired me to up my style game.
I suspect the pandemic has
also played a role. During various
lockdowns I've missed a lot. And
with that, came missed opportunities
to get all dressed up; tailored suits,
cocktail dresses and a black lace
number from Self-Portrait being
relegated to the back of my wardrobe
and replaced with yoga pants,
sweatshirts and slippers.
So now, as the opportunities to get
dressed up return, I want to grasp
them with both hands.
Behavioural psychologist Dr
Carolyn Mair, author of Psychology of
Fashion and founder of the website'Tis The Season To Embrace
Frivolous Festive Fashion
Bec Oakes is a
Lancashire-based
freelance journalist
with particular
passions for fashion
and culture writing