A proper uniform
But the other reason a fabulous outfit seems perennially on the hostess’s back burner is, along with everything else a hostess has to attend to, dealing with the back burner is part and parcel of the task at hand. Hence my recommendation against dangling appliqué and any dangerous draping of sleeves. The same goes for extra-long dress pants and extreme heels (all the better to tangle up in or trip over when rushing about madly in search of hidden serving pieces or running up and down stairs). What’s more, looking “hot” is particularly difficult when you actually are hot — a natural, hormonal response to both negotiating a crowded room and warming the canapés, ruling out anything in seasonal fabric larger than a tankini. All of which not only takes much of the fun out of party dressing, but narrows down one’s wardrobe options.
Enter the hostess gown. Like something Edith Head might have dreamed up in a black-and-white late-night movie, the classic hostess gown was simple of line for ease of movement, and typically unadorned with any troublesome frippery. Designed for practicality, it was nonetheless sewn from a sufficiently glamorous fabric to look dressed up. A sort of power suit for the home entertainer, it took all the guesswork out of what to wear but made it immediately clear to all concerned who was in charge.
In my view, this was an idea ahead of its time. Fashion designers, obsessed as they tend to be with the “next new thing,” might not yet be on the same page. But if it’s not on store racks this holiday season, clearly we should take to the streets and demand it for Holiday ’09. Considering how much work these “holidays” require, the very least they could do is provide us with a decent uniform.
This article originally appeared in the December 2008/January 2009 issue of More
