Page 144 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2023

SHOPPING
story by
Barbara Travis
The holidays are your special time to dress with extra shimmer and shine. You can blatantly and unabashedly don sequins, plush and
luxurious velvet, and eye-popping metallic accessories whenever and whyever you like. It’s party-time and whether you choose to go classic and sophisticated or contemporary and upbeat with your holiday wardrobe choices, it’s all about shining your personal light.
SEASONAL FASHION NOTES
While classic plaids remain a staple in the 2023 holiday fashion scene,
monochromatic all-white is also a stunning choice this year made especially chic and dazzling with accessory pops of color via shoes, jewelry, scarves, or handbags. Red remains the headline color this season; use it as a mainstay or as a starting point for a holly, jolly combination with greens, golds, and a palette of neutrals.
GIVING BACK
Beautiful holiday fashion is a wonderful thing. Elegant ensembles make us feel
especially confident and good about ourselves as we enjoy festive events with friends, family, and co-workers. But the opposite side of that holiday happiness coin is the fact that these lovely garments can do double duty when passed
along post-holiday to a worthy fundraising cause or well-researched non-profit organization. Traditionally worn only once or twice, these special occasion outfits would make well-received and greatly appreciated donations.
OPERATION DEPLOY YOUR DRESS
After you enjoy your beautiful holiday dresses, remember others can benefit
from them. There are local non-profit organizations who would be more than happy to pass your lovely dresses along to deserving girls, teens, and women. Another excellent option is a national organization benefitting military women, spouses, and daughters. Operation Deploy Your Dress (ODYD) seeks to improve the quality of life of military families by offsetting the high cost of attending formal military functions, especially for junior service members. ODYD currently “deploys” dresses from 13 brick and mortar shops at installations around the world, solely run by military spouse volunteers.
Check out their philanthropic story, work, and accomplishments at www.operationdeployyourdress.org.
144 | December 2023 www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living