SEATTLE — She's one of the most stylish ladies we know and she always has the best suggestions for clothes and accessories.
This time she's tackling your questions about style! She joined the show for a special holiday edition of "Ask Darcy!"
Ask Darcy Holiday Edition
Question: "Where can I find affordable family pajamas for every age that aren’t necessarily Christmas themed?"
Darcy’s Answer: My family does matching family pajamas every year too, so I do a lot of research into various brands. I have two great recommendations for you: one, a company called Primary (primary.com), they have super adorable non-holiday-specific gender neutral winter prints. You can mix and match patterns in a the various color sets, which allow everyone to have their own look but still be coordinated, and have more sizing options. They’re certified organic cotton, great quality, and 50% off. And secondly, I also think the Wondershop collection at Target is great (target.com). My family did a print with rainbow colors and penguins, which we can wear all winter long.
Question: "My New Years Eve dress is beautiful but it’s sleeveless. Is there a stylish way to make it warmer without ruining the look?”
Darcy’s Answer: I’ve got a hot trend solution for you! Try a shrug. Wearing a shrug is like adding sleeves and color/pattern without covering up the body of the dress. You could do something in a sweater material for warmth or something really fancy. I also love a satin blazer with a dress, and Express has my current favorite at 40% off. (express.com)
Question: "I’m doing a gift exchange with my girlfriends and the spending limit is $35. I love these ladies, and I want to get bring something really special to the party. Any ideas?"
Darcy’s Answer: When I was in Paris, I discovered the most amazing body oil. It’s like a golden moisturizer that is great for skin and hair, it’s super luxurious, and it smells amazing. This year I was delighted to find out it’s available on Amazon. You can Prime a bottle for under $30 and it lasts forever! I’m getting this for many of my girlfriends this year. (Nuxe Paris Multi Purpose Dry Oil, 3.3 oz, amazon.com).
Question: I’m getting ready for a big event in a few days and I feel a zit coming on! How can I get rid of it?
Darcy’s Answer: Been there! I’ll share a hot tip I learned from some models I worked with this year. Mighty Patch by Hero Cosmetics. It’s like a little sticker that you put over your pimple. Wear it overnight and it sucks out all the gunk! You can find them at Target and Ulta. (Mighty Patch Blemish Hero, $8.99, target.com)
Question: I’ve never been to the Nutcracker at McCaw Hall, and I’m going for the first time this week! How dressy is it? What should I wear?
Darcy’s Answer: I went for the first time this year too, and I took my 8 year old! It was amazing. Typical to Seattle, you’ll see some people wearing jeans, but mostly everyone was dressed to the nines. This is your chance to go all out, so pull out your fanciest outfit and have a blast. Here’s another hot tip: you can pre-order drinks and snacks to be waiting for you during intermission (something I didn’t know and will be doing next year to avoid the lines). PNB.org is a great resource for Q&A on attending The Nutcracker. Also, shout out to McCaw Hall for providing wine for purchase in recyclable cups with pop tops to enjoy during the show.
Question: My husband and I are invited to a black tie wedding on New Years Eve. I say he *must* wear a tuxedo, and he says a regular black suit is fine. Who is right?
Darcy’s Answer: You’re both (sort of) right. Black tie generally means tux (Black Tie Optional incorporates suits) BUT! I always say “a great suit always beats a bad tux” so if you’re deciding between wearing a really nice fitted black suit or renting a cheap tux, go with the suit and jazz it up with a really nice tie, pocket square, and shoe. May I offer a third option? Since it’s the holidays, he could do his black suit pant, a white dress shirt and a velvet tux jacket (also called a Dinner Jacket). A company called Opposuits does a GREAT velvet jacket for $140, less than the cost to rent a tux at Men’s Wearhouse. (opposuits.com and nordstrom.com)
Question: I host a small New Years Eve party at my home for family and a few close friends. It’s an annual tradition, but this year I want everyone to dress up with me. How can I convince everyone to wear something fancy even though we aren’t really going anywhere?
Darcy’s Answer: I love it. This reminds me of the last scene in "The Holiday," where it’s just the family but everyone is in their party dresses. Share your wish with your family, tell them what you’ll be wearing, and hopefully you’ll inspire the group — but remember two things: 1) You can never control what other people wear and 2) You want everyone to have fun and be comfortable in your home. So put the idea out there, wear what makes you happy and then release it.
Darcy Camden is Founder and Chief Stylist of Styled Seattle: Your Personal Wardrobe Stylist.
Segment Producer Suzie Wiley. Watch New Day Northwest at 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.