Le Smoking Section

It's the most wonderful time of the year - or at least that's what Andy Williams is singing about. Lights are twinkling with seasonal hubaloo, the stores are jam-packed with fashionably-frivolous finds, little tykes are crossing their tiny fingers that they've made it on to Santa's Nice list, and you are mapping out your New Year's Resolutions to start 2014 off with a boisterous bang. But what to wear to the spectacles of the season? Go out on a whim and rock a tuxedo this New Years Eve!

Through the decades, this menswear staple has become a womenswear sensation. Pioneered with femininity by none other than the legendary Yves Saint Laurent and coined Le Smoking back in the swinging 60s, the tuxedo was a symbol of female empowerment. A proverbial middle finger raised to conventional societal standards, Le Smoking threw a curveball to the mainstream fashions women were expected to wear.

Circa 2014, style influencers flock to the tuxedo to liven up their look. A-listers from Alexa Chung to Rihanna have all dared to wear variations of le smoking. And let us not forget about the superlative Janelle Monae - she breathes palpable glamour into the tux and it has become synonymous with her singular image.

How to take on the tuxedo? I've gotchuuu. First, I suggest nixing that sleek Armani you've been eyeing and doodlebopping over to H&M for a friendlier fix. The jacket in this Outfix is a mere $50 - I repeat, $50! To ramp up the glitz, I suggest snapping up this sparkle-strewn Edie Parker clutch ($895). Consider the clutch an investment you will be able to wear with anything - from racy LBD's to pretty pastels this coming spring (come on, this clutch paired with a macaron-pink dress - major!). The leather-look pants give the tuxedo jacket a less formal, more fabulous take. Finish off with an of-the-moment strappy heel and you are READY TO PARTAYYYY!

Don't forget to nix the shirt - let cleavage peak out so you can have that Countdown Kiss with Mr. Right - or Mr. One-Night, depending on your mood (insert winky-face Emoji for sexual connotation here). 

Jacket by H&M

Leather-look Jeans by H&M

Shoes by Shoe Cult

Clutch by Edie Parker

Little Miss Carrie

Let's point the finger at Carrie Bradshaw for the sartorially-sadistic epedemic racing across the psyches of many a fashion-forward woman as they peruse their cluttered closets in search of the perfect outfit. Although she never could have afforded Fendi on a freelancer's budget, Ms. Bradshaw was a fashion chameleon who sauntered around the concrete jungle in Manolos and flitted down West 4th in fabulous frippery slinging a Baguette. 

Her walk-through wardrobe was a glam arcadia of irresistible bits and bobs that she carried well (couldn't resist the corniness, my insincerest apologies). And though she had some sartorial missteps along the way that made us cringe, Carrie Bradsaw seemed to always catch our eye like the rare birds, or shall we say, peacocks at Fashion Week who dare to go there.

Although a fictional visualization of a New York woman, Little Miss Bradshaw continues to inspire legions of fashion-girls who pound the pavement in sky-high heels - albeit with some minor tweaks: they have swapped the Manolos for the Gianvitos and traded the Marni for the Mansur to keep it fresh for 2014.

But it was not the exasperatingly-expensive Christian Loboutins that made Carrie Bradshaw - it was Carrie's inimitable style that breathed life into them. So, rest assured, that you can steal her style for a fraction of the cost.

Incorporate a whimsical stand-out accesory - in this case, a Kate Spade wicker bag in the shape of a kitschy, retro Volkswagen does the trick! - and combine this with another eye-catching piece (a zany polka-dot dress does the trick). Mix these statements in with a classic staple like an ivory blazer and add a choker necklace as a sartorial swap to the semi-ratchet nameplate necklace she wore all six seasons. Come on, would she not wear this to dinner with Mr. Big!

It's the Carrie Bradshaw Redux - on a budget!

Jacket by H&M

Dress by Zara

Necklace by Bauble Bar

Bag by Kate Spade

Shoes by Zara