Tuxedo Transformation Time

A luncheon for children calls for confident, striking, and powerful – exactly what tuxedos are made of. And this time for women, and with pockets!

The Event

The Valley Hospital Auxiliary Boutique & Luncheon for the Saddle River Branch is an annual event raising funds for the Butterflies program for critical ill children to support and enhance patient care and comfort in the treatment of cancer and pregnancy-induced hypertension. The Auxiliary has a pledge of $1.6 million towards this wonderful cause and hosts this event with luxury vendors and auction items to bring awareness to the cause while raising funds.

As the Treasurer for this Auxiliary, I felt it was necessary to dress the part of the financial manager in a way that exudes the confidence and prowess for the role while still being comfortable enough to help with the event.

The Look

My vision for my outfit was sleek, sexy, yet…luncheon-y! When one thinks of a luncheon, you assume business fancy with pearls and pastel shades. But for a holiday luncheon, the rules are a little different. All holiday colors are suddenly on the table and the there’s no harm in a little glitz and glam!

After sifting through my closet, I decided to go with an all-black tailored tuxedo jumpsuit by renowned Indian Fashion Designer, Ritu Kumar. It fit the vision perfectly, and the accessories really made it POP!

What I love about this tux is that it’s tapered just the right amount to create a silhouette of my figure while still exuding that business professional feel. The deep cut of the front is highlighted by the satin lapels, leaving it just sexy enough without being revealing for this type of event.

The Accessories

Since the tuxedo was all black, I wanted to bring a bit of glam back to the outfit so I paired it with diamond, gold, & black jewelry, Swarovski studded heels, a bejeweled headband, and a black purse.

My jewelry included statement black and gold earrings with mother of pearl droplets from Van Cleef & Arpels, and a diamond & gold necklace, rings and bracelets from Veeni Jewels. For such a special event, rather than wear my black studded Apple Watch, I went with my black & rose gold Versace watch to match the outfit, but also remember my step-father, my Appa, as he loved children so very much. 

I wanted my shoes and my head to sparkle to offset the black tux. Therefore my heels were a beautiful black satin with Swarovski studded straps and bow from Steve Madden that went seamlessly with the tux. The shine from the shoes truly elevated the look overall, and when paired with my similarly bejeweled headband, it was just enough sparkle without taking over the look. 

As a co-host of the event, one does not really need their purse or coat with them, but I did pair the look with my favorite Burberry accessories: my Burberry black leather purse with signature print on the sides and my Burberry black cashmere jacket to fare this freezing winter we have entered.