The stylist talked about the main trends of the New Year's dress code in the 2025-2026 season.

In the upcoming New Year's season, the main trend of festive fashion is becoming a combination of elegance and unconditional comfort. The shift from a strict dress code to the "elegant but comfortable" formula is expressed in the use of festive textures with relaxed silhouettes. Ekaterina Kostromina, stylist of the plus-size clothing brand Lady Maria, told Izvestia on December 8.

Instead of one formal dress, designers propose to assemble an image from several universal items, adapting it to the format of the holiday.

"The key materials for creating a festive look are velvet, velour, sequins and metallized fabrics that beautifully reflect light. At the same time, I recommend abandoning restrained matte textures, such as hard cotton or strict costume wool, in favor of more spectacular solutions that make you feel like a "goddess or queen," Kostromina pointed out.

Ride in the cold: Russians will have a holiday in Egypt, Thailand and the UAE for the New Year

At the same time, the bulk of bookings — almost 86% — are made within Russia.

The choice of a specific outfit directly depends on the celebration scenario. Combination dresses made of silk, velvet models and suits with lace trim are appropriate for a festive corporate event. For a country holiday with walks, the expert recommends insulated pajama—style suits and knitted sets, and for a family holiday at home, functional but not boring dresses and suits in which it is convenient to perform the duties of a hostess.

There are practically no strict restrictions on styles, Kostromina emphasizes. A classic dress can be replaced with silk trousers and a tuxedo-style jacket, and even jeans will become festive if you complement them with sequins or an elegant top. Among the most versatile wardrobe items that will survive more than one New Year's Eve, the stylist highlights a silk slip dress with thin straps and a silk pajama-style suit.

For plus-size figures, the expert calls the choice of tight knitted sheath dresses the main mistake, recommending instead semi-fitting silhouettes with a small volume of air between the fabric and the body. As for shoes, the territory of the holiday has long ceased to be a monopoly of high heels — ballet flats, low-heeled slingbacks, loafers and comfortable shoes are on trend. In order not to overload the image, Kostromina advises to focus on one thing, for example, on bright shoes or spectacular earrings, abandoning the abundance of jewelry and layered makeup.

On October 6, stylist Vladislav Lisovets spoke about the trend for artificial fur coats. According to him, it is convenient to wear jackets under such voluminous sheepskin coats, which are also on trend now, and vintage fur coats from second-hand stores will perfectly fit into the current look. It is worth combining insulated outerwear with elegant shoes and bright accessories to make the cold winter look stylish.

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