Mathias le Fèvre’s Guide to a Happy Christmas

Written by Mathias le Fèvre

Gentlemen, it is that time of the year again: December is here and so are Christmas lunches, free-flowing champagne receptions and cosy evenings spent by the fire. I’m here, your unerringly stylish friend, to guide you through the stuff you should be wearing, drinking and listening to. Let’s celebrate Christmas together and pray for no more lockdowns!

What you should be wearing this Christmas:

The truth remains that whatever happens this winter, buying beautifully made clothes that you’ll want to wear forever will always make you feel considerably better about the world (and yourself). So, without further ado, here are 4 essential looks you must master for the holidays:

The Preppy Christmas Day/Eve Dresser

Every Year, around the 20th of December, I find myself on the plane to join my beloved family in Denmark for the holidays. We celebrate Christmas Eve playing board games, giving each other well thought of gifts and eating all my grandmother’s festive recipes. On this occasion, I go for a smart casual look: a great piece of knitwear with a favourite tie and finish the look with a pair of velvet slippers.

The Eccentric Party Host

As a host you can never be too overdressed! Invite your friends over for a soirée of glitz and glamour, perfect to show off your best bowtie and jacquard silk gown before the year is over. Make this a tradition and you will be excused for getting yourself a new gown every year (you are very welcome).

The Debonair Winter Explorer

A long winter walk is one of my favourite holiday traditions. Spending time with mother nature, catching up with family and burning off the overeating, what’s not to like. Dressing for the cold can also be done stylishly. Think multiple layers, a thick overcoat and a soft cashmere scarf.

The Dandy Bed Head

The holidays are to me one of the most relaxing times of year: the email autoreply is on, time to catch up quality reads and watch Home Alone for the 100th time. And to feel a little less like a lazy couch potato, wear a pair of soft silk pyjamas with a chic print. I’m terribly sorry to announce, but if you don’t have one yet, you’ve been missing out.

What you should be listening to this Christmas:

Come the 23rd of December, a great family tradition in the le Fèvre household is to add the final touches of decoration to the tree while sipping mouled wine and listing to our favourite holiday tunes. My music taste during the season ranges from warm ballades to relaxed jazz and holiday themed classics by the great masters. I invite you to take a listen to my Great Christmas: The Great Christmas Playlist by Mathias le Fèvre

Shake up a Holiday Cocktail

Christmas rarely arrives without poison, enjoy it, and impress the family with your mixology skills by using an effortless yet delicious recipe. The Sidecar is a recent discovery of mine, but a classic among cocktail icons. It dates back to the early 1920s and this crisp, golden-hued libation is believed to be the very first Made-in-Europe cocktail. The story of its origin fuels passion. Some say it was created at the Ritz, the landmark of Parisian nightlife. Others believe it was invented at the iconic Carlton in Cannes. As for its name, Mr Embury suggests that it came from Harry McElhone, owner of the mythical Harry's Bar in Paris, as an homage to the habits of a certain English general who only travelled...in a Sidecar. While the stories regarding the origin of the sidecar are different, the basic sidecar recipe is the same – Cognac, lemon juice and triple sec (orange-flavored liqueur).