Decorating the tree...or me

The eternal conundrum...why does it feel too soon to be thinking about Christmas in general...yet the perfect time to begin thinking about clothes for seasonal parties? And why am I even considering new party clothes when I have a track record of buying something for a specific event and, in all honesty, not exactly wearing it to death? Clearly, given my past history, any potential new purchases should say "party" in a less obvious way to allow for wearability in non-festive times. Which is where Philip Lim's holiday collection enters the picture...

As I'm naturally inclined towards the jazzy skirt/plainer top combo I fell hard for his magenta brocade skirt and off-center, tie-necked cardigan. On a side note, you see very few cardigans in this style but it's one of my personal favorites...I have an off-center, zip-up cardigan from APC and, even though it's plain black, it gets a lot of attention because of the lack of symmetry. On the dress front, I'm drawn to the pleated cranberry dress with built-in capelet but I know deep in my heart that this would be another one of those pieces that I probably wouldn't get too much wear out of post-party season...I also have a nasty feeling that, in person, all those ruffles and flounce may look more "Sugar Plum Fairy" than "belle of the ball".