A little shimmer to make New Year’s shine

The week after Christmas is always wrought with anxiety for the most social of fashion devotees.

By this point in the season, we’ve already debuted our favorite festive outfits. And with the biggest party night of the year tonight, our closets are looking less appealing than ever.

So, to paraphrase the great Ella Fitzgerald song: What are you wearing New Year’s Eve?

I asked around at a few of my favorite local boutiques and got a few answers — and some great suggestions.

Meg Morris, owner of Habit, the boutique on Bandywood Drive, says that while she’s not hitting the town on NYE (“I’m eight months pregnant — cheers to a light at the end of the tunnel!”), she is art directing a few of her best customers’ head-to-toe looks.

“I’m advising them to embrace the sweater dress look,” she said. “The best way to go is to pick a lightweight fabric such as cashmere that has a bit of sparkle or special beading to make the outfit really special.”

Habit carries versions by Rebecca Taylor or Ella Moss.

Instead of going the bare-leg-and-stiletto route (yawn), Morris is urging clients to embrace wearing their dress with boots and a pair of substantial tights — a look that’s proven to be a real boon to lovers of this season’s super-short dresses.

“When you wear thick tights, you don't worry too much about the length,” she said. You also don’t have to worry as much about being cold in a drafty restaurant.”

As this is Music City, one can’t address dressing up without including a jeans option.

To make them look like supermodels on NYE, Morris sends vertically challenged shoppers to her stash of dark-wash trouser jeans. Topped with a fitted sweater or blouse (remember: volume on bottom calls for a slim top, and vice versa) and anchored by a pair of high heels, she says it makes them look long and tall.

Just remember to keep things sleek and sophisticated, said Morris: “Don’t go too bohemian on top.”

She recommends a black silk Ya Ya top with cool metal grommets.

The heavy metal route is also one that Sophia Underwood, the owner of the high-end Belle Meade women’s boutique Via Runway, recommends following tonight.

“Gold and silver — as well as their cousins bronze, pewter and anthracite — are always a gorgeous way to stand out at a party,” she said.

For parties, Underwood is particularly fond of a pewter tank dress from Alexander Wang, on sale at her store for $295, from $334.

She likes that the Wang dress isn’t a wear-it-once piece.

“This dress is so shiny it will also work perfectly over (less dressy) black skinny jeans,” she said.

Layered properly with a turtleneck and a cardigan, you can wear it during the day for the rest of the winter season; this spring, it’ll look great alone.

Neon is another big dress-up look that’s sure to wow the crowd on NYE, Underwood said. “I’m planning to rock this look myself in an Alexander Wang electric blue hologram dress,” she said.

She plans to pair Wang’s surfer-inspired A-line dress with opaque hose (again with the dark hose!) and similarly dark footwear. (The bright trend looks best when only one piece of neon clothing is used against a neutral backdrop.)

Happily, one doesn’t have to make a big investment to work super-bright fashion. An inexpensive neon accessory is all you need to dress up any of the Little Black Dresses already in your closet.

For a quick, cheap LBD update, hit Target for a pair of their acid-colored tights or a thin patent belt in a bright hue (personally, I love a pop of electric pink or blue in an otherwise all-black outfit). You can also add color via a slouchy beret — they’re in all the department stores this season — or a long fringed scarf that you loop around your neck a few times in lieu of a necklace.

Underwood likes the idea of injecting hue via a handbag. For instance, one of her store’s stock of colorful Marc Jacobs numbers: his “Fergie” style is a very au courant fold-over clutch.

“The best thing about the clutch is that it’s made of lightweight patent leather,” she said.

“It’s a breeze to carry and, best of all, waterproof” — the perfect stylish antidote for sloppy champagne toasts.

Happy New Year, everyone!

CORRECTION: An un-Groove-y mistake

In my East Nashville shopping story, due to some lazy reportage on my part, I gave you guys some bad information pertaining to the store hours of East Nashville’s newest music Mecca The Groove.

The store is not, as I reported, closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays; indeed, it’s open every single day for your auditory shopping pleasure.

Here are The Groove’s very groovy, very accessible hours, per owner Louis Charette: Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., and Sunday 1-6 p.m. You’re welcome to drop in on them at 103 S. 11th St., or give them a call at 228-2745.