Sharon Haver - FocusOnStyle.com holiday posts

Stylist Advice- How to jazz up a conservative red holiday dress

Tahari Belted Portrait Collar Fit & Flare Dress

Dear Sharon: I'm wearing this holiday red shiny Tahari dress with an open portrait neckline to my husband's company Christmas party. I am wondering what shoes and jewelry to wear with it. Thanks! (H.E. via Fashion Advice) I've spent some time pondering if I should sugarcoat this or not, and I need to be both truthful to you and to my professional style aesthetics. I have to be honest here, I don't love the dress. It's a bit matronly in that it has that strange styling combination of simultaneously being both fussy and conservative with not much excitement in the cut-- it most definitely needs some styling work to tzuj it up! FYI: With the right styling, fab accessorizing, and a few nips & tucks,

Just out: Ann Taylor’s Holiday 2012 ad campaign starring actress Kate Hudson What makes my morning soar is to see everyday, real world clothes look glam and gorgeous. Not the red carpet fabulouso outfits that are totally aspirational and inaccessible to our real lives- but real clothes designed for regular women, and that they happen to be worn by a gorgeous actress. Marketing genius, yes. Style strategy to think about-- you bet. Kate Hudson (okay, we won't think about the rumor that she worked out for SIX hours a day to get her post baby figure back in shape) looks marvelous in the clean cut and sophisticated styling of Ann Taylor. What makes these looks pop is Kate's effortless yet styled

Dear Sharon: I am not planning a big night out but still want something special to wear on New Year's Eve. As a mater of fact, I'm never one to really go all out on New Year's Eve but that doesn't mean that I don't like to celebrate in some small way. At best, we are going next door for a champagne toast with a few neighbors, but most likely, my husband and I will hang in and stay cozy. Is there something simple that you can suggest so I feel a bit more glam than usual but still homey? Thank you... love your site! --A.K. (via fashion advice) Dear A.K.: You are not alone in wanting to stay close to

From an institution like Bergdorf Goodman you can always expect spectacular holiday windows season after season and 2011's series of intricate vignettes once again has as us in awe. David Hoey and his team dedicated the past two years to planning, building, perfecting, and collecting antiques for their latest artisanal masterpiece The Carnival of Animals. Each window features a specific material that depicts exotic animals and boasts custom pieces and creations from artists and designers from the likes of Sergio Bustamante, Naeem Khan, Brett Windham and more. Bergdorf Goodman Holiday 2011 Windows- West 58th Street MORE: Holiday Windows Bergdorf Goodman Holiday 2011 Windows- Fifth Avenue MORE: Bergdorf Goodman Bergdorf Goodman Holiday 2011 Windows- West 57th Street Bergdorf Goodman Men's Store Holiday 2011 Windows The men's floor (above) is also represented in

Now that the busy holiday shopping season is coming to an end, and you've checked off all of your gift giving needs, why not spend an afternoon treating yourself to celebrate the end of the year and a job well done. But if you're down to the wire and out & about in a mad rush looking for gifts, take a look at our Holiday 2012 Gift Guides and our Home Style Shopping Guide . With that in mind we've curated a deluxe gift guide just for you featuring some gorgeous little finds and pick-me-ups like from Karen Walker's eponymous cult eyewear come this subtle take on cat-eye frames for an instant update to your daily look that are destined to lift your spirits come

Snowflakes and bubbles and gorgeous clothes with a giant Yeti whose footprints also appear inside the store. MORE: Holiday The theme for this year's whimsical yet elegant holiday windows at Sak's is Land of the Bubblemakers. Based on “Who Makes The Snow,” a children's tale by Naresh Ramchandani of the firm Pentagram who also conceived the window's concept. SHOP: Saks.com But the real star of the Christmas display is the 3-D holiday window projection that veils the storefront and captures the attention of almost every tourist from Rockefeller Center across the street! See Pentagram's site for behind the scenes. [nggallery id45] Photos: FocusOnStyle.com

I'll Have What She's Having: The First Lady goes chic Hannukah blue for an effortless festive look. Michelle Obama stylishly lit up the Festival of Lights looking thoroughly modern at a White House Hanukkah reception in a pleated Rodarte tea dress that had all the makings of a proper ladylike silhouette in an unexpected electric blue metallic fabrication. MORE: Michelle Obama Style Pairing it with a matching blue Erickson Beaman necklace gave the outfit some tonal ornamentation while not taking away from the looks main extravagance- its slick hue. Take a note from her and look for princess shapes that have a quintessentially modern vibe via non-traditional colors and finishes for your next night out on the town. -Naveed Hussain Take a cue from Michelle

MARC BY MARC JACOBS Suvie Satin Blazer at Bloomingdales

Dear Sharon: I'm getting exhausted from trying to figure out what to wear to holiday parties as this season progresses. I still have a few more fetes left- some are casual, some are kind of dressy. What in tarnation can I wear without having to buy something new each and every time I have to show my face at a party? I've been working a black pencil skirt and a black satin jacket but I think that not only am I sick of these two pieces, so is everyone else who sees me! Please help me rework my holiday style. (via fashion advice) MORE: Holiday Yes, there can be such a thing as party outfit fatigue! As holiday parties keep

Day four of our annual Holiday Gift Guide has us considering the best buys you can gift friends with this season and starting at just $25, we hope we've found something unique and considerate for your loved ones. Just think of the merriment they'll feel receiving Fornasetti's cheeky urn (above) from Barneys.com that boasts a playful tongue-&-cheek graphic face. In fact, we may just be ordering one for ourselves too! Need more help gifting this season? Consult our Holiday 2012 Gift Guides or our Home Style Shopping Guide Lite Bright- Georg Jensen's modern candelabra is an attainable yet dramatic find that's certain to be a conversation starter and table pick-me-up for season's to come. Georg Jensen candelabra around $125 at Barneys.com. Take

With the holidays around the corner, celebrate the love and appreciation you have for your pets with some stylish finds like the ones we've sourced for our annual holiday gift guide this season. From an on-trend neon leash by Balenciaga to a contemporary McMansion perfect for your little sea creatures, there's something well-designed, practical and within reach for your pets this season. Need more help gifting this season? Consult our other Holiday 2012 Gift Guides United Bamboo's Ferocious Felines- We can't stop cooing at the over-the-top cuteness of United Bamboo's annual calendar featuring a trove of adorably dressed feline's striking a pose in miniature U.B gear- imagine the response you'll get gifting this to just about anyone, pet friendly or not.

Hermés never fails to serve up luxurious decadence in their holiday windows and this year is no exception. From gold metallic boxing gloves, to an ostrich motorcycle helmet, to a lavender colored crocodile Kelly bag, to a sliver fox and shearling cape, the windows are pure fantasy along with the price tags. MORE: Holiday Leila Menchari the genius window designer, celebrates her fiftieth year working for Hermés and is still pulling out all the stops in creating the fabulous windows. -- Richard Nahem MORE: Hermes Check out Richard's photo gallery of all the Hermes Paris Holiday windows: [nggallery id42] Visit in Paris:Hermés24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008

We all know one. She's up on every fashion trend, a major label queen, and loves instant gratification. She puts the most unexpected pieces together for smashing results, like the model in the Zara outfit above. But, what in living daylights to get the girl who wants everything? Something trendy, of course! Need more help gifting this season? Consult our other Holiday 2012 Gift Guides We've picked some top, of the moment gift ideas under $100... and some are SERIOUSLY under $100! None require a size and they all fit perfectly into a fashion obsessed lifestyle. She may even love these so much that she shares them on her personal style blog! SHOP: Our super cute and trendy fashionista gift

The Printemps Christmas windows in Paris have F-A-S-H-I-O-N on the mind. Holiday cheer is spread not through Santa and his team of gifty elves, but with a little munchkin-cute Karl Lagerfeld doll leading the Chanel team of fabulousness. Take a look... --S.H. MORE: Holiday This year the Christmas windows at Printemps, titled Noel Reves d'Evasion (Dreams of Escape), is much ado about Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel. Noel Reves d'Evasion at Printemps Four windows have Chanel backgrounds from Moscow, Los Angeles, Moscow, and Tokyo with clever and imaginative sets and animated dolls. The other windows display animated Kaiser Karls(as the fashion flock call him); dolls dressed in his signature look of black suit, high-collared white shirt and dark glasses with his

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Stylist Advice- How to jazz up a conservative red holiday dress

How to Glam Up Everyday Clothes? Look at Kate Hudson Wearing Ann Taylor

Ring It In! Stylist Advice on what to wear to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home

Christmas Windows- Bergdorf Goodman’s “Carnival of Animals” is high on dramatic elegance

Treat Yourself- What To Gift Yourself This Holiday Season

NY Christmas Windows- Sak’s Fifth Avenue Frothy Fabulousness

Michelle Obama’s Hanukkah Blue on Blue Streak in Metallic Rodarte

Stylist Advice- Beat Party Outfit Fatigue and Rework a Few Good Pieces

Holiday Gift Guide- What to Treat Your Friends With

Holiday Pet Guide- Gift Your Pets This Season

Christmas Windows Paris- Hermes

Trendy Fashionista Gifts Under $100 – no size required!

Christmas Windows Paris- Printemps ‘Dream of Escape’ has a little Karl doll!

Female Entrepreneurs: Helping You & Your Business Get Out There!