Jacket: J. Crew [similar] | Scarf: J. Crew [similar] | Dress: Susana Monaco [similar] | Belt: Calvin Klein [similar] | Necklace: Mica [similar] | Shoes: Madewell

Whenever I go home to Louisiana for the holidays, I inform my mother that December 23 is off-limits for her to make family plans, because it’s my Day of Fun with one of my very best friends in the world. The fact that my friendship with this person began through our mutual love of fashion and beauty, it’s always a fun opportunity to get dressed up.

The challenge, of course, is that we start at lunch and end around 2:00am; I have to find an outfit that goes from daytime into evening and on to night. This guy does the trick. The foundation piece is the dress: simple in shape and color, but short enough and with an unseen U-back to be a bit flashy. For day, a field jacket and a scarf. For night, a long statement necklace. Animal print shoes (my surprise neutral) transition well with the dress.