Glamorous Nails for New Year's Eve Parties

If you are pondering what to wear for your New Year's Eve bash, don't forget that you can get a lot of bang for your buck with some daring nail polish. The colors available for the season are scrumptuous and enticing. The best part of spluring on nail polish is that it fits into the tiniest of budgets.

OPI is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and the stage they set is full of imagery of bold, feminine statements:

A fresh, effortless glamour rules the runways. In addition to fitted, feminine suits and new takes on the 'little black dress", we'll see romantic full skits, ruffles and dresses that accentuate a woman's curves. Little jackets with slim skirts or skinny trousers are big, as are sweater coats and blouson jackets. Cardigans combine with ball gowns to offer a perfect example of this new look at glamour.

Plaid is everywhere, including worn with houndstooth-print jackets. Luxe embroidery, beading and fur make an appearance, as well as utterly feminine layers of lace. Cocktail dresses are fabulous now, especially with coordinating coats. Menswear influence is seen in neckties and military details.

In counterpoint, look for dark colors and sleek, spare lines -- a primal urban look that is glamorous in its lack of embellishment and elegant in its toughness.

For fashion as for make-up, deep, dark, sophisticated colors are the choice of the season, including rich browns, cinnamons, cognacs and brown-reds, black, shades of wine and deep greens.

Here's my favorite color from their new collection, and it's perfect for upcoming New Year's Eve parties, a satiny silver for $8.50.

The color below is going to be one of my new favorites. It's a shimmery gold piled on with deep burgundy reds. It's bound to add drama to any of your outfits, even after the parties are over, and with a name like Divine Sin, who can resist this $5.50 indulgence?

Finally, Sequin Sash, a soft, muted champagne color to match the bubbly. This from Essie for $8.00.

Depression Era Fashion Statements

It's all about the flair and the glamour. Consider what worked for Greta Garbo, film star from the 1930s in movies as classic as Mata Hari (1931), Anna Karenina (1935), and Conquest (1937):

The first and most important of MGM's remarkable pool of female stars during the classical era, Greta Garbo personified the studio's notion of glamour and style. A beautiful but large and ungainly woman, she was most often photographed either from a distance or in closeup—the better to display the elegance of her surroundings (she often appeared in costume dramas or in exotic locales) or, more importantly, to capture her exquisite face and ethereal personality.

The Garbo flair can be yours too. Here's how Epoch Times describes the key:

Perhaps the most commanding style advice we can glean from the exhibit is that whatever the garments, if they suit a woman’s personality, boost her confidence, and help her shine, then she will be surrounded by luxury. Look beautiful, be natural, and don’t be shy to gaze straight from the heart.

We all have something in our closet that makes us feel extra feminine, even sultry, don't we? For me, it's an angora, black scarf that I carelessly toss around my neck. To make the look more alluring I pair it with a low cut top. Works every time.

Here's some glamorous accessories that can fit in nicely, at a great price.





Mimsi-Bags has these plush, boa scarves starting at $20. They can even customize them in your favorite color.

The daring cap tilted to the side look? Not only is it affordable, but it can be done in cashmere. Bluefly has this chocolate brown cashmere knit cap on sale for only $18.95.

This beautiful, grey silk and cashmere scarf is going to feel soft and luxurious no matter what you wear with it. The Pashmina Store has it on sale for $29.99, too!

Depression Era Divas

From Style.com comes a reminder that depression economics is not pretty, but the divas of the 1930s depression were beautiful nonetheless.

Jean Harlow, Greta Garbo, Josephine Baker, Myrna Loy -- stylish depressionaire divas. Read more here.

More photos here.

1930s Style and Silhouettes

Curious about how the Depression era styling may affect current fashion? No need to worry. The transition from 1920s, flapper look, characterized as boxy, androgynous-looking, gave way to a soft, feminine, modest but sultry look. Good news for us Divas!

A softer, more feminine style replaced the boyish, flapper look of the twenties. At the beginning of the decade, hemlines dropped dramatically to the ankle and remained there until the end of the thirties. Necklines were lowered while torsos were sensuously moulded beneath squared shoulders. Darts were replaced by soft gathers. Dress waists returned to the natural waistline. Moderately full skirts accentuated a small waist and minimized the hips. Dress bodices were designed with inset pieces and yokes. Necklines received dramatic attention, often with wide scallop-edged or ruffled collars.

Sounds lovely.

As for silhouettes, Fashion Template (fabulous site for inquiring designers), shares the following from Skaro.com: