3 Of Our Favourite Party Dressers Share Their Killer Looks For The Festive Season

Is there a particular item hanging in your wardrobe that makes you feel like the best version of yourself? A certain pair of shoes that as soon as you slip into them you feel powerful and more magnetic? Or maybe a favourite dress that transforms you from the reticent wallflower to the one who has to be dragged off the dance floor as the lights come on?

Party wear has the capacity to enhance our mood and our mindset, boosting our confidence or allowing us to tap into an entirely different character for the night. Call it a Christmas miracle but the swish of satin or glint of sequins can alter the very way we carry and present ourselves.

As the festive season fast approaches, we called upon three girls who know their way around a party to discuss how they switch up their style and asked them to share their ultimate party look. So, if you're still in desperate need of some wardrobe inspiration for the Christmas period, friends Nellie Eden, Phoebe-Lettice Thompson and Taiba Akhuetie offer up a host of styling tips with their personal spins on party wear below.

Nellie Eden, 27, cofounder of creative agency Babyface, considers herself to be "probably overdressed 99% of the time so party season is actually me blending in. I think I definitely chuck more accessories at an outfit and wear more dressy boots. Layering can look fancy too!" Stylist and Illustrated People creative director, Phoebe-Lettice Thompson, 27, conversely, thinks her festive party look doesn't differ that much from her regular evening look apart from "the addition of an obligatory sparkly eye". Taiba Akhuetie, 28, cofounder of cult salon Keash Braids, finds the festive season the perfect opportunity to amp up her look: "On a standard night out I like to feel comfortable – baggy jeans, Converse and a cute top are my go-to. When festive season hits, you'll find me rummaging through my mountain of trainers to find the one pair of heels I own and whipping out one of my mum's old vintage garments."

Scroll on to see the girls' party picks, featuring everything from Topshop to Gucci, and to discover the one song guaranteed to get them dancing before you can say "Wild Thoughts".

Who are your style heroes and why?
I think it depends what mood I'm in as I'm not always inspired by one particular person. I guess my mum is one of my style heroes! I look at old photographs of her and she wore so many amazing two-pieces and she would colour-coordinate everything.

Where are your favourite places to go out?
For me, nothing beats a dingy warehouse party. I like to be in a space where I feel like everyone is in their own little bubble rather than feeling the pressure to fit in with certain surroundings. Having said that, my dream night out would be to go to a party as iconic as the ones Mr. Gatsby hosted, wearing crazy diamonds and an iridescent gown. Imagine... solid gold water features, crazy performances, fireworks, fizz and dancing on that scale!

What's your makeup look for the festive season?
I'm not really much of a makeup person but I have to say there is something about festive season that gets me in the mood to add a bit of extra shimmer to the palette. I definitely go heavier on the eyeshadow or the lip. I adore a bright bold shadow and this is something I experiment with more in party season.

What's the song that gets you on the dancefloor in a flash?
Kayne West "Fade". Purely because my friends all chant my name and encourage me to dance like Teyana Taylor does in the video. Let's just say the outcome is no way near as impressive.

Who's your style hero and why?
It would have to be the late, iconic Anita Pallenberg because her style was so effortless and sexy.

Where's your favourite haunt and what would you wear on your dream night out?
Probably Skeehans, this lovely local Irish pub at the end of my road, it does great Thai food too. Dream night out would be some sort of delicious dinner on a balmy evening in Europe somewhere with all my mates, and then somewhere lols for drinks and dancing. For this I would probably wear a mini dress and thigh-high boots.

What's the song that gets you on the dancefloor in a flash?
Any '00s banger. Blu Cantrell, Twista, etc etc.

What's your makeup look for the festive season?
Either heavy brown, green sparkly eye with a few individual lashes or a red lip.

Who are your style heroes and why?
Monica Bellucci because she makes a cardigan look like lingerie. Bianca Jagger because Bianca Jagger, and Neneh Cherry because "Buffalo Stance". Viv Albertine because she never gave a cent what anyone thought, and Ali MacGraw and Cher for beauty. I could go on...

What's the song that gets you on the dancefloor in a flash?
"I Can't Go For That" by Daryl Hall & John Oates. Smooth!

What's your makeup look for the festive season?
Big, baby blue bug eyes!

Why did you pick these dresses by Simone Rocha and Ashish?
Normally I'm led by my mood. Sometimes I just want to wear a tracksuit. Most of the time I'm in Levi's but if I'm out and making an effort, probably a really sexy little dress. Then I go for cut (I have a red Max Mara suit that makes me feel incredible) and colour (pink, yellow, green...). In all honesty, I just know what I like, I'm a very disorganised shopper and dresser. It's very hit and miss.

Which brands make you feel your most confident?Prada, Levi's, and anything I've bought from the car boot sale that no one else owns and has become part of my core wardrobe. I have a raw silk, pink bubblegum coat jacket that cinches in at the waist, that's secondhand and it's irreplaceable. I also like wearing young London brands like Aries, Mimi Wade, Ashley Williams and Marques' Almeida.