Easy elegance for styling in 2026

Katie’s personal style sense for 2026 is understated elegance. It includes a feeling for vintage while keeping her style sense modern.

Introduction

Happy New Year to all! I wish everyone success in their fashion related endeavors. I am still in the progress of refining my 1930s slopers and approach to inspirations routed in vintage aesthetics. I will be posting about the changes in my design approach once I have my new toiles and patterns ready for release to the commons. In this posting, I am sharing Katie’s New Year’s look.

Personal style approach for 2026

The key words for 2026 are personal style. Style is your own unique sensibility. You bring this to every outfit you coordinate and every wardrobe you curate. As we move into a New Year, I will be introducing the new elements that have enriched my personal approach to patternmaking, styling and the creation of vintage inspired looks for my patterns.

Katie’s New Year’s style is minimal. It is a look created for a professional business woman entertaining guests at home or attending a formal function for work. It is rich, yet understated. It is elegant, yet comfortable. Let’s breakdown the individual pieces in this outfit.

Elements of Katie’s New Year’s Look

Blouse: A simple scoop neck pull-over top with short sleeves begins the look. The understated champagne colored hue and silky surface set the tone for the other pieces. The blouse is made of a stretchy poly-silk fabric. It is unfitted and drapes beautifully. Katie wears a white camisole underneath for modesty and to maintain a professional appearance.

Sweater: The claret colored sweater is semi-fitted through tapering at the side seams. The slight flare at the hipline creates a dramatic flow that harmonizes with the black palazzo pants. The unbroken line creates a flattering silhouette. The sleeves of the sweater are intentionally longer. They can be pushed up or folded at the wrist to create different looks. I went for pushing the sleeves up to create a slightly casual feeling to the outfit. Katie is dressed up and relaxed about it.

The buttons on the sweater are not only a focal point. These large gold toned buttons make a statement about Katie’s values and her message for the New Year. The first button is a sunburst. This symbolizes the dawn of the New Year. The second button is unevenly textured. It looks like waves in the churning ocean. This can be seen as being receptive to intuitive and creative promptings. It signifies looking within for creative expression. The last button resembles a hammered surface. The slight indentations have not damaged the button’s appearance. Instead they lend interest to it. This can be viewed as acknowledging one’s shortcomings as well as one’s talents. Difficulties and shortcomings are always overcome when accepting the challenge. Working through a situation, and asking for help if needed, will bring a resolution. This is how Katie and I interpret the messages these buttons symbolize.

What makes the buttons so interesting is the Rule of Three. In visual marketing odd numbers attract more viewers than even numbers. This rule can be applied to a grouping of three mannequins, three accessories, the use of three different display stands of varying height and so on.

Slacks: The black palazzo pants offer an unexpected element of fluidity and flare to the outfit. They are more comfortable and gentle on the figure. This pair has pleats at the waist and pockets. The slacks rests on the natural waistline. It has belt loops for a 1″ belt. This makes more styling possibilities for future outfits featuring belts or sashes.

Shoes: Burgundy suede shoes with pointy toes and a 2″heel complete this elegant look. I intentionally chose burgundy so that the claret colored sweater retained interest. Burgundy brings the idea to a close and does so elegantly. The outfit is united in colors that work together, but not so coordinated as to be uninteresting.

My source of inspiration

I got the idea for the colors used while reading through a wine list at a holiday party. It was a delightful adventure shopping for these pieces based on the color palette. I never expected that. It proves that remaining open to those inner creative promptings will bring new and heightened sensitivities to color and coordination of outfit elements.

Note: I wrote this entire posting on my own. No AI has been used for refining of revising.
Photo: taken with my LG Android phone

Between Darkness and Light: Winter Solstice Minimalism

Minimalist Fashion for the Winter Solstice: Stillness, Clarity, and Renewal

After Thanksgiving, the nights deepen into their longest stretch, carrying us toward the Winter Solstice on December 20 or 21. In this season, nature calls us inward. While commercial rhythms urge us into a frenzy of shopping and cooking, the earth whispers of quiet, rest, and self-care—reminding us to align with her gentle pace.

The Outfit: A Statement of Inward Movement

Katie’s ensemble embodies this turning inward. She wears a silvery white poly silk top with extended sleeves over the shoulders—an all-in-one short sleeve that drapes softly, symbolizing stillness. Over it rests a sleek, black hip-length sweater, buttonless and fluid. Its long sleeves, gathered at the elbow and fitted to the wrist, can be pushed up for an informal ease.

Her palazzo pants, in medium-weight crepe, flow with theatrical grace. From a distance, they resemble a long skirt, emphasizing movement that is both dramatic and serene.

Jewelry: Lunar Symbols of Transition

Katie’s jewelry reflects the yin and yang of this solstice period, where night expands and day recedes.

–Around her neck: a silver pendant shaped like a waning crescent moon, with a bead glowing green-blue in the dark—symbolizing the ending of the old year.

–On her wrist: a stainless steel bracelet scattered with stars, grounding her in the cosmos.

–On her finger: a silver ring shaped like a waxing crescent moon tipped with a diamante star—signifying the awaiting birth of the new year.

Together, these pieces trace the cycle: death of the old, anticipation of the new, and the liminal space between darkness and light.

Rituals of Quiet and Devotion

To remain grounded, Katie sets aside quiet time each evening and welcomes the dawn on weekends before sunrise. A candle burns beside her, while cell phones and tablets rest untouched until afternoon. These practices keep memories and emotions steady during the holiday season.

Fashion here is more than appearance—it is a statement of boundaries. By honoring quiet time, others are invited to respect the sacredness of the season. After all, the word holiday comes from holy day. We keep it holy not through frenzy, but through devotion, reflection, and sacred readings.

Note: This posting was researched and drafted by me. I used Microsoft Copilot to refine the draft and create the version you read in this post.

Cool, Classic Elegance for the Holidays

What comes to mind when you think of holiday dressing? Bright, bold colors? Gold sequins and jewelry? Satin gowns or silk separates? If you’re wondering how to dress differently this season—while staying within budget—this post offers a fresh approach.

Let’s explore how a Minimalist Fashion Aesthetic can carry you through the holidays and beyond with grace. The key lies in pairing simplicity with richness.

Katie and I began in my closet, searching for a look that would suit both her office setting and an after-hours holiday gathering. We chose a conservative poly knit dress by Jaclyn Smith, made from a lightweight, semi-transparent crepe with a gentle stretch for comfort. To add fullness, Katie layered a one-piece stretch knit slip underneath.

The dress features a bias-cut front bodice with a soft cowl neckline, subtly fitted at the waist in back. A flared half-A-line skirt and short sleeves complete the silhouette. I selected the cowl neckline for its flattering drape—especially for Misses sizes 2 through 8. It adds gentle volume to the bust without drawing direct attention. The dress is shaped by a simple self-fabric waistband that fastens with a silver circular buckle.

To introduce holiday sparkle, we turned to accessories. Navy blue offers a sophisticated alternative to black, and silver—rather than gold—became our festive accent. Katie’s delicate bracelet is stainless steel, not sterling, making it both budget-friendly and beautifully reflective. Her silver slingback pumps pair seamlessly with a statement pocketbook, where a large diamante bow glimmers against a smooth metallic finish. The purse becomes the outfit’s focal point.

You, too, can elevate a simple, well-fitting dress for the holidays with thoughtful accessories. Choose a dark base color, then layer in metallics—silver, copper, bronze, or gold—through shoes, jewelry, and a purse. Keeping the outfit itself understated allows you to move effortlessly from office hours to evening celebration.

Disclosure: I researched the information used in this posting. Then I created my draft. The final step was putting it through Copilot for refinement. The original work is mine, the edits and some rephrasing is by Copilot. The photos were taken with my Android cell phone camera.