It seems that on top of everything this holiday season, you’re bound to be the victim of shrimp sauce gone awry or the wrath of a free-falling glass of merlot. But instead of admitting defeat and donning a Christmas brooch ala Phoebe in Friends, we’ve got you covered. Here’s how to deal with the inevitable fashion disasters and why they’re really not such a big deal.
What: Run in tights
How to cope: At least once on the holiday party circuit, your tights will fail in their mission to stay together and you’ll be faced with a glamorous look tainted by badass “ unless that’s the direction you want to go in. So as such, you can handle this one of two ways: 1) you can head to the bathroom and spritz hairspray on the tear and bank on stopping it, or 2) abandon your tights completely. Unless your dress is super short, the bare-legged look is not necessarily a faux pas.
What: Winter fury
How to cope: After you’ve spent the night primping, the last thing you want is to ruin your hair and makeup with winter’s wrath, but during storms, showers or even wind, there’s not much you can do other than don a hood and hope for the best. Makeup can be touched up (always throw the essentials in your bag before you head out the door), but hair treatment might require a little extra TLC, so regardless of what the forecast says, stash a couple bobby pins and an elastic in your bag in case you need to adopt a makeshift granny bun. An updo can always be adlibbed, but a Christmas party is no time for storm-induced dreadlocks.
What: Red wine spill
How to cope: Like fighting fire with fire, it’s been proven that white wine will take out a red wine stain, provided the stain’s still wet. (And if not, then salt should also help do the trick.) Of course, this route should only be taken if you’re without a Tide To-Go pen or another fool-proof stain remover “ but it beats the soda water phenomenon that fails 99% of the time.
What: Grease stain
How to cope: Unfortunately, unless you carry a spot-treatment pen with you, there’s not much you can do to care for certain food-meets-clothes situations. But if you’ve become the victim of a gravy spill, use a pashmina to conceal what needs to be fixed when you get home. When it comes to anything fatty (like butter or grease), it’s best to avoid doing anything other than to scrape off the excess “ if you rub it into the fabric, you’ve got less of a chance of getting it out at home or at the cleaner’s, and that takes the happy out of the holidays.
