Thanksgiving Survival Guide: Everything You Need To Stay Fabulous

Because this week is a short week (hurray!!!) I will be stuffing as much information as I can into two posts.  Today's post is about everything you need to stay looking fabulous.  Tons of pictures are always taken during the holidays, and Thanksgiving is no exception.  Therefore, I've included everything from what to wear/ideas for what to wear (for him and her) on Thanksgiving, to beauty, and dieting--this post will have you covered! Tomorrow will be about food (recipes, planning, and prep), decorating the table, and entertaining.

Karl Lagerfeld's (The designer behind Channel) Fabulous Thanksgiving Dinner with Models.  By Danny at Igor + Andre.

Mens Thanksgiving Style

For menswear on Thanksgiving, I suggest going with something classic.  When I think classic I usually think of JFK or Sean Connery/James Bond.  If you need help with ideas the ones above are classic and fresh look.  They exude a laid-back but still casual and put-together look that's perfect for the holiday and crisp weather.  I found these looks at Express and J. Crew, but you could also probably find something similar in  your closet. 

 Womens Thanksgiving Outfit Ideas

Medi-Skirts; Leather Shorts (add cream or brown matching tights underneath to stay warm); Chunky sweaters; Red pants; Fur vest; "Nerd" faux glasses; and just a cute skirt outfit--All perfect and fashionable Thanksgiving looks.

Every year before I go home I am confronted with the dilemma of what to wear on Thanksgiving.  I want to wear something warm, comfortable and "Thanksgiving-like," but I still want to be stylish and chic.  I look through the internet, magazines and catalogs for what feels like hours to find the perfect Thanksgiving outfit.  So, this year I thought I'd help you out by putting all my favorite looks all in one place (I don't know why more sites can't do this?!).  Above is my selection of fashionable and seasonal outfit ideas, from casual to dressy, for Thanksgiving.  And, below is my favorite "Jenna's Picks" for Thanksgiving from the J.Crew Catalog, November 2008, because it is so autumnal and classic.  Now that you have some great Thanksgiving outfit ideas, the trick is to find similar looking pieces in  your closet!
   

Jenna Lyon's Picks from J.Crew's Catalog, November 2008.

 Thanksgiving Beauty

Kate Bosworth, Instyle Magazine, Nov. 2011.

If you're looking for a fun way to amp up your make-up for Thanksgiving, red lipstick is the way to go (a la Kate Bosworth above).  Not only is it everywhere right now, it will also complement the reds, browns, and oranges in your Thanksgiving outfit.

EXPERT TIP: to keep your lipstick in place on your lips, make sure you use a red lip-liner to line and fill-in where you want your lipstick to stay.  Then lightly add a swipe or two of lipstick to even out the color and add moisture to your lips.

 Diet 

Allure Magazine, Oct. 2010. Photographed by Miles Aldridge.

The holidays is when most people gain weight.  Halloween was the first battle, next comes Thanksgiving.  An entire day reserved for gobbling up mounds of turkey, stuffing, and starches, followed closely by back-to-back December cocktail parties.  To arm  yourself for these gastly days, a little planning and a few tricks can go a long way.

1.  Cut 100 to 300 calories a day in advance. This can be as little as not having cheese on  your sandwich for lunch, or swapping that latte for black coffee or tea instead.  This way you don't have to resort fat-free stuffing and Tofurkey for Thanksgiving dinner.  Just remember to control your portions of the real stuff.

2. Avoid Snacking.  One study found that 9% of Thanksgiving calories are consumed in smack form before the actual meal.  So, if you're cooking Thanksgiving dinner start cooking right after breakfast when you're not hungry or chew on gum while you're cooking to avoid the urge to eat.  If you're not cooking, try to stay out of the kitchen or again, chew gum to avoid snacking.

3.  Avoid Binge Eating.  Don't not eat all day.  That's just setting yourself up for bingeing during dinner.  To avoid binging, eat a low-calorie breakfast and snack on veggies later if you get hungry. 

4.  Toss the Heavy Leftovers.  Once Thanksgiving dinner is over get rid of all the heavy food like the desserts and potatoes, to avoid turning a one time indulgence into a week's worth of excess.  Keep veggies and turkey to eat with a salad later in the week.

-Diet Tips from Allure Magazine, October 2010.



So, there you have it!  Everything you need to stay fabulous this Thanksgiving.  Hope it helped.  How do you stay fabulous for Thanksgiving?