Who said you would not go out during cold season? Maybe someone feel cold and chilly, and (he)she will spend young years sitting under a blanket with a coffee cup, pack of cakes and old movie. But we will go out! To fascinate and enthral, enjoying sights of passing men. How? Read below about it…

A woman’s image consists of many components: these are make-up, hairdress, smile, but the most important place is taken by, certainly, her dress. And not just a dress, but cocktail one, after all we go on reception!

Let’s designate a cocktail dress concept, what’s its difference from an evening one?

Cocktail dress — a truncated female dress for solemn occasions without collar and sleeves. It initially appeared in USA in a heat of “dry law» in the course of evening dress democratisation. As alcohol was forbidden, parties with booze were spent in private houses or coded bars. There they served alcohol, played jazz, people came there to have a good time and get acquainted. It is natural that such actions demanded special form of elegant woman clothes: less formal and smart, than evening, however, more elaborate and bright, than daily. Thus, a cocktail dress was born.

Calculated on a very young person, it hardly closed knees, followed last styles and was sewed from expensive, but not magnificent fabrics. Initially you could dance Charleston in it. Cocktail dresses were accompanied by special accessories: tiny handbags embroidered by bugles for money, powder box and a cigarette case; open shoes with thongs matching a dress colour; long gloves, reaching elbows; tiny hat-helmet. By 30ies, thanks to Coco Chanel taste and persistence, “little black dress” - an example of cocktail dress dress that is “always at hand” - became an invariable component of each woman clothes.

Being a variant of a so-called “formal” woman clothes, subordinated to strict “dress-code”, today a cocktail dress is a standard dress for special cases (not demanding, however, a smart long dress with a loop): a corporate party in honour of firm anniversary, family celebration, national holiday or New year celebration. A cocktail dress is intended for visiting solid night clubs and casino or for appointment at the restaurant and will hardly approach for a disco, friendly sit-round gathering, picnics or children’s holidays. As a rule, it is put on for official solemn actions beginning before 7 P.M.

Today cocktail dress should be little, modest, perfectly sitting, sewed of good fabric (unessentially black or velvet). Style - elegant and womanly. These principles should not be neglected, as dress is a part of celebratory report. Unlike smart evening dresses, cocktail dress is short, without plentiful furnish. Length - approximately to a knee (not below calf’s middle, but also not above a knee). One more important point - it is always made from elegant fabric: atlas, velvet, taffeta, lace or silk.

Usually cocktail dress has no sleeves and collar, however it is not necessary to forget one “magic” rule: the more a dress is opened from below, the more closed it should be from above, and on the contrary. Summer cocktail dress is more open. It is sated by bright colours and made from light silk or chiffon. Traditional winter colours are black and red, however, deep dark blue and violet are also used actively. It is better to choose velvet or atlas.

In winter naked shoulders are covered with palatine. You can put on a silk evening coat or bolero with open dress. Shoes and stockings are very important elements of cocktail attire. Shoes should be graceful, of classical form, with closed toe cap and matching dress color (though golden or “silver” models are also admissible). Do not put on fishnets and also dense opaque stockings with cocktail dress.

Buying a handbag, present yourself on a drink reception: here you stand in a crowd of visitors, with a glass in one hand and bag in another, and see off appetizing sandwiches floating by you on a tray with a hungry look … For this reason we like now handbags on a chain (it is reeled up on a wrist) and flat bags-purses (they are clamped under the arm), leaving one hand free. Handbag should not necessarily be of same colour, as dress. For a successful combination pick up a dress and shoes of one colour, and handbag and palatine – of another. Ornaments should be reduced to a minimum. An ideal variant for all occasions are still sea pearls.

Unfortunately, a cocktail dress, as a variant of formal woman clothes, cannot be cheap by definition. If you consider purchase of a 400$ dress absolutely unacceptable, you can try to hire something. Tuxedo for a gentleman can be bought practically in any wedding salon, in the same place, probably, you will find a cocktail dress. You also can enquire in studio. Cost of dress hire can make 20%-50 % of its price. In a good salon they will also pick up accessories, fast dress adjustment on a figure is also possible. Choosing a dress on hire, examine it on presence of defects attentively: at return you will not manage to prove they presented before.