COCKTAIL DRESSES Accessories express your individuality

Dressing up and looking special is this year's mantra. Show off personal style with dazzling accessories.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
While the just-around-the-corner holidays aren't really supposed to be about slipping into a little dress and sipping sophisticated party drinks, the season certainly provides a good excuse for those of us who like nothing better.
And this year, we're thrilled to report, the cocktail dress is having a very glamorous moment in the spotlight.
Talk about cocktail dresses, and more than a few women will say they won't buy them because they don't have anywhere to wear them. We say, maybe just this once, get the dress of your dreams and, more than likely, you'll create an opportunity to wear it.
Personal style
Cocktail dressing, unlike the uniforms of work or the who-cares clothing of home, allows a great way to truly show off your personal style.
"It's more of a chance to show what you really want to wear," says Christy Silverman, ladies' associate manager for Mark Shale at the St. Louis Galleria. "It's an opportunity to express your individuality."
Having said that, some trends definitely emerge when it comes to cocktail dresses this year. Women are seeking elegant, fairly bare dresses that retailers are calling a return to "feminine" dressing.
"People are feeling more festive," says Gregg Andrews, Nordstrom's fashion director for a region including the Midwest. "Last year, I think people were feeling a little more somber. This year, it's about dressing up and looking special."
Andrews advises that a fresh look in cocktail dressing involves layers of detailing. That means that a little intricacy on a dress, along with stylish shoes and fun jewelry, is just fine, as long as the whole ensemble looks pulled together.
"In the '80s, if you were wearing a sequin dress, it was all sequins," he said. "Now it's about great detailing as opposed to strong statements."
More specifically, it's OK to go for a saucy little dress with minimal beading, shoes with lace-up ribbons, a petite handbag with a novel silhouette and a multi-strand necklace. But make sure the overall look is still sophisticated. The key, again, is to layer the details, not smother yourself in them.
The right accessories
Thanks to the Yves St. Laurent and Gucci runways, strappy shoes with ankle straps or ribbon laces are bound to be a good footwear choice, and a cross hanging from a multi-strand necklace or a beaded bracelet is a popular accessory.
In earrings, Andrews advises that chandelier earrings -- which drip with dangling stones or crystals like, well, a chandelier -- or matchstick earrings -- a linear, minimal look with a long, straight post and often a bob at the end -- are the way to go.
If you're looking to do something really fun, try a handbag in a structured shape, such as a mini bowling ball design, or one decorated with feathers. Yes, feathers (really, they're cute).
And, regardless of trends, cocktail dresses are one area where sizzle is still definitely allowed.
A different color and cut
The easiest way to attain it is to show a little skin -- or at the very least, put on a color or slightly unconventional cut to attract some attention.
A slinky red halter dress from Hot Pink in the St. Louis area fits the bill, though it definitely isn't for the untoned.
But sales associate Laura Hunt points out the gown has some flattering features, including a hem that rises in the front, lengthening the appearance of legs.
"We went with a dress with a fishtail hem, which creates the illusion of height," she explains. "It has a plunging 'V' in the back, which draws attention away from the waistline."
This dress has a twist of fabric in front, an unusual hem and one eye-popping solid color.
"Solid is simple, and simple is sexy," Hunt says.