Skirt: Frances Valentine x Atlantic-Pacific Ball Skirt in Wild Cat | Sweater: Frances Valentine Marie Long Sleeve Merino Sweater in Black | Bag: Frances Valentine x Atlantic-Pacific Moire Tassel Bag in Red | Shoes: YSL | Sunglasses: Fendi
The second Frances Valentine x Atlantic-Pacific collection officially launches tomorrow at 9 AM CT, but I’m excited to give you early access before everyone else to shop it ahead of it going live in the morning. It’s such a fun and festive holiday collection, and I was thrilled to pack three of the pieces for our trip to Saugatuck and the Art Coast Food & Wine Festival. After wearing them around town, I can tell you the holiday edit is every bit as joyful as the first one.
If you read my guide to the spring collection back in April, you already know how I feel about this pairing. Blair Eadie of Atlantic-Pacific has an eye for color that I have admired for years. Elyce Arons and the Frances Valentine team make clothes that turn getting dressed into an occasion. Spring gave us rainbow checks and raffia. Holiday trades them in for moire, tassels, sequins and a wild cat print that turns out to be a neutral.
Below is everything to know before you shop, the three pieces I wore, and the styles I think will go first.
What to Know About the Frances Valentine x Atlantic-Pacific Holiday Collection
- Launch: Wednesday, November 11 at 10 a.m. ET
- What’s in it: eleven ready-to-wear pieces and four bags
- Sizes: XXS to 3X
- Prices: $198 to $689
- Where to Shop: francesvalentine.com and the brand’s eight stores
- Shipping: U.S. only for now
If you have your eye on something for a holiday party, I highly recommend shopping on the early side.
The Three Pieces I Packed for Saugatuck
A food and wine weekend calls for outfits that can go from a tasting to dinner without a full change. I built one look around three pieces and wore it to the chef’s dinner and Club Sugar experience.
The Ball Skirt in Wild Cat
There’s nothing better than a statement skirt, and the Frances Valentine x Atlantic Pacific Ball Skirt is fabulous. It comes in the collection’s wild cat print and sits just above the natural waist, which gives it that full, swingy shape I love in a holiday skirt.
What surprised me is how easy it is to wear. Leopard reads as a neutral, so it works with black, cream, red and almost any metallic. I styled it with a sleek tucked-in turtleneck, which paired perfectly with the style.
In terms of fit, I find both pieces to fit true to size, but if you’re between sizes – I recommend sizing up one size to be safe.
The Marie Long Sleeve Merino Sweater in Black
Every statement skirt needs a quiet partner. I tucked in the Marie Long Sleeve Merino Sweater from Frances Valentine and let the skirt do the talking. It is the kind of piece I will wear on repeat with denim and a blazer long after the holidays.
The Moire Tassel Bag in Red
Then there is the bag. How fun is this? The Moire Tassel Bag comes in four colors and retails under $200, which makes it the easiest way into the collection and a very great holiday gift idea.
[PHOTO 4: close-up of the red bag and beaded tassels]
While it was a nearly impossible choice, I selected the red for a dash of color. The beaded tassels are the detail that gets me, and red against leopard is one of those combinations that always looks intentional.
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What Else to Shop in the Collection
You really can’t go wrong with anything in the collection, but here are a few additional favorites that I have my eye on:
The Sequin Swing Coat. The star of spring is back, and if you read my April post you know it sold out fast. This round it comes in a multi floral print and an animal print.
The Column Mini Dress. Blair shared that this was the first style to sell out in spring. It returns for holiday and pairs with the swing coat for a matched moment. It comes in Twilight Floral and Wildcat.
The Column Maxi Dress and Maxi Coat. The maxi returns in a metallic jacquard animal print. The new coat has a high mandarin collar, long sleeves and faux fur cuffs. Together they are the black-tie answer in this collection.
The Diana Tassel Dress. A three-quarter-sleeve maxi in moire with oversized tassels, in pink and in teal. Blair expects the teal to be one of the first to go.
The Cape Tassel Mini Dress. A fitted moire mini with an attached cape and mini tassels, in plum and in red. The red has pockets and is, in Blair’s words, the perfect holiday red.
Frances Valentine x Atlantic-Pacific Sizing and Fit
As I mentioned above, I find the collection to fit true to size. However, Blair and Elyce give two exceptions: if you are curvier or have a larger bust, consider sizing up in the Column Maxi Dress and the Cape Tassel Mini Dress, which is cut more fitted.
How to Shop the Collection
When does the Frances Valentine x Atlantic-Pacific holiday collection launch? Wednesday, November 11 at 10 a.m. ET.
Where is it sold? Online at Frances Valentine and in the brand’s eight stores.
Does it ship internationally? Not yet. U.S. orders only for this launch.
My advice is the same as it was in April: decide on your one must-have before you open the site. Happy shopping and major congratulations to Blair and Elyce on a wonderful collection!