how to dress when hosting a party

How Four Consummate Hosts Dress When Throwing a Party

"It makes an occasion more precious when you’re thoughtful about what you’re wearing"

There’s nothing more heartwarming than coming together with loved ones during the festive season, sharing a meal and some quality time. But a party—big or small—comes with its bumps behind the scenes, no matter how seasoned the host. Between putting together a menu, tablescape and seating plan, welcoming guests and playing cocktail waitress—not to mention cooking and cleaning—what’s a party-thrower to wear that won’t get messed up during prep work or bussing dessert plates, but still look outstanding for early arrivers and the last-to-leave alike?

We posed that question to four stylish women known for their fun, fizzy gatherings, and learned a thing or two about how to dress when hosting a party this holiday season.

Jackie Kai Ellis

how to dress when hosting a party jackie kai ellis
Photo: Janis Nicolay

A quick scroll through Jackie Kai Ellis’s Instagram feed is all it takes to understand just how spectacular her taste is. Kai Ellis, who divides her time between Vancouver and Paris, is the founder of Vancouver’s Beaucoup Bakery, the designer behind APT, the Parisian space housing creative consultancy, and host of the advice podcast, You&I.

This year, she will be hosting her annual New Year’s Eve board game night and preparing her go-to dish: raclette. “We tend to have really casual gatherings at our home. I love the kind of party that’s filled with friends that are like family,” she says. “I love when guests feel so comfortable in our home that they can flip off their shoes by the door and open the fridge to get themselves a drink. I want them to feel like they are coming home, too.” This approach extends to her party outfit formula, too: elevated classics. “Comfort is key–the last thing I want is a wardrobe to distract me or my guests from enjoying the evening.”

A perfect T-shirt

Uniqlo white t-shirt
Uniqlo T-shirt, $20, uniqlo.ca. Photo: Uniqlo
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“For a casual party with good friends, I often just wear a classic men’s T-shirt and a pair of perfectly fitted jeans—a classic combination. If we were to host something a little more elegant, an easy dress is my go-to.”

Crisp blue jeans

levi high waist blue jeans
Levi jeans, $128, levi.com. Photo: Levi
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“I consider whether I’ll be wearing an apron, and choose an outfit that works with it—or can bear a few little cooking marks without needing a wardrobe change.”

Shearling slippers

Cadine white shearling slippers
Cadine slippers, $179, shopcadine.com. Photo: Cadine
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“A beautiful pair of shearling slippers from Cadine in Vancouver make a look so comfortable and elegant. I bought another pair to wear on warm early autumn days while running errands.”

 

Amy Yu and Sasha Mei

how to dress when hosting a party amy yu and sasha mei
Photo: Vanessa Cassar

When it comes to hosting stylish parties, nobody does it quite like childhood friends Amy Yu and Sasha Mei. They bring people together for intimate gatherings through their Toronto-based supper club, Yu & Mei, where food and conversation take centre stage.

For their recent holiday party, chef Raphael Ancheta created Filipino-inspired dishes, and the duo channelled the whimsy and wonder of the season into their coordinated sheer, sparkly looks (white for Amy and black for Sasha). “This seems to happen naturally, but we’re also so entrenched in whatever theme we’re envisioning that our outfits become a natural extension,” they say. For them, the key word here is effortlessness: “We want to make sure our looks allow us to move with ease, as we’re constantly bustling about.”

A flowy dress

cos green dress
Cos dress, $450, cos.com. Photo: Cos
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“We gravitate towards dresses or flowy pieces, as they’re more effortless to put together. Pragmatically speaking, they’re also often easier to transport to venues, and require less time to put on in our limited time.”

Standout jewellery

wolf circus pearl drop earrings
Wolf Circus earrings, $160, wolfcircus.com. Photo: Wolf Circus
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“Dressing up is something we love to do, yet feel we don’t get to do enough as Toronto is a very casual city. It makes an occasion more precious when you’re thoughtful about what you’re wearing, and we look forward to wearing something special, like unique pieces from Wolf Circus.”

Stylish flats

maguire silver ballet flats
Maguire shoes, $195, maguireshoes.com. Photo: Maguire
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“For shoes, we tend to stick to flats since we’re running around a lot. We especially love Maguire’s Prato styles because they look so elevated.”

 

Claudia Fancello

how to dress when hosting a party claudia fancello
Photo: Claudia Fancello

The pasta chef and wine director at cool Montreal restaurant Etna Pastificio, Claudia Fancello’s mantra for hosting a soirée is “the more the merrier.” While others may fuss over centrepieces, food is the main character of her tablescapes. “The table is always arranged with a beautiful selection of natural wine and nibbles: crudités, bacalà mantecato, cheese and crostinis,” she explains. “Once everyone sits down, I serve a plate of my homemade ravioli and my family’s seafood stew.”

But don’t expect Fancello to be dressed in her kitchen clothes at dinner. “I’m hustling a big part of the night, so I need comfort and practicality, but I also won’t shy away from a bit of glamour.”

Colour-blocking

partow colourblock dress
Partow dress, $920, net-a-porter.com. Photo: Net-a-Porter
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“I love colour blocking—and nothing black. We live in dark times, and it gives me hope wearing and being surrounded by colour.”

Glam gold jewellery

jenny bird gold necklace
Jenny Bird necklace, $250, jenny-bird.ca. Photo: Jenny Bird
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“For these special nights, I love draping myself in as much gold jewellery as I can muster.”

A trusty apron

our place blue apron
Our Place apron, $60, fromourplace.ca. Photo: Our Place
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“The most important thing is investing in an apron that you love. I have a classic dark denim one that I wear all the time. I whip it off after the first service and join the table with my loved ones.”

 

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