DOSSIER

The holiday season is officially here! New York is a magical place this time of year, no mater how cold it gets. Along with publishing one gift guide a week until Christmas, there is a lot more in store on DeSmitten this month! Find out more on my December List…

TO WEAR // I’m not a huge fan of dresses these days, so stay tuned for cocktail dress alternatives to wear to your next holiday party. Personally, I love a good party-top, like this one from Isa Arfen. I’m sharing my party-top plans and other cocktail dress alternatives, get excited!

TO SEE // I always love the Pre-Fall 2015 collections because they appear on style.com so sporadically over the month of December, it’s like a little treat every day. It’s not nearly as overwhelming as the main Fall and Spring shows, where there are 50 new shows a day and they all start blending together. Follow my favorite looks on my < runway > Pinterest board. Loving this simple look (pictured) from the Sonia by Sonia Rykiel collection.

TO LEARN // Later this month I’m spilling my secrets on how to build a wardrobe of essentials, over at The Note Passer. I’m breaking down everything including key pieces to buy and what to look for when shopping for closet necessities. This Sonia by Sonia Rykiel look (pictured) is great inspiration for the post!

TO DO // Winter is the best time to browse art galleries and special museum exhibits. The top two on my list for this month include Henri Matisse: The Cutouts at MoMa ( on exhibit through Feb. 8, 2015) and the Cheryl Ann Thomas: Hap exhibit of porcelain sculptures at the Daese / Corey Chelsea gallery (on exhibit, through Dec. 20, 2014). Both so inspiring!