Why decking up a Christmas tree is a style statement

When I think of Christmas, the first thing that comes to my mind is a tree - one that is well-dressed, of course. In ancient times, before the advent of Christmas, an evergreen would be hung to keep away evil spirits. Though historians believe it was 16th-century Germans who started the tradition of decorating a Christmas tree with edibles and candles as symbols of the season of joy, it is Queen Victoria who can be credited for making the Christmas tree a de rigueur part of the holiday season. Queen Victoria was married to Prince Albert, a German, and she wanted to make her new husband feel at home in Windsor Castle. The young Queen was considered the epitome of style both in England as well as abroad. And when she was sketched standing in front of a decorated Christmas tree in a popular publication with her husband and children, the Christmas tree became a must-have for the fashionable set in England and America.

At that time, it was the candles that used to make a tree sparkle; these represented the stars. Soon, these candles were replaced with tinsel and lights, and ornaments took the place of edibles such as apples and oranges that were used to add some colour to the tree. The way you dressed your tree began to represent your style and status in society.

Now, you would think that as someone who has worked as a stylist, dressing a Christmas tree would be something I enjoy. I love Christmas, and revel in all the pageantry that comes with it - and so I have to have a Christmas tree. And I am never happy with how my tree looks.

This year, I decided to treat dressing my tree as I would dress a person. There are so many components to the tree - it really is like putting a full look together. I start with deciding what does not work. And for me, that's the tinsel, as I find the look too blingy for my taste.

Just as you dress for an occasion, your tree too works with the space it lives in. The right location is the starting point for any tree, where it can receive attention but does not overwhelm and where the lighting enhances it. And then, you need to pick a theme that goes with your décor. A tree can be a one-time investment (like a little black dress or a cashmere sweater), so buy a good one that you can use year after year. A classic green always works, but if you feel you will not bore of a white one, then opt for that. A good tree will always be easy to assemble and easy to store. My house is mainly in shades of beige with purple and a few metallic accents; a traditional red look will just clash with the purple. A more metallic theme - all my ornaments are in shades of gold - works well for my space. I use baubles in three different sizes and have a few "statement accessories" like clip-on birds and butterflies. (And you need to keep the statement pieces in check - Kris Jenner's tree, complete with oversized candy-striped decorations, for me, is an example of how you can get it wrong).

It's all about layering and you start by putting the lights in place and not the baubles. You need 100-150 bulbs per foot of your tree: any less, and your tree will look naked. Treat the lights as the clothing and everything else as the accessories. After the lights, place special pieces - the fancy ones - and then the fillers. (For years, I did it the other way round and it was a disaster.)

Finally, comes the topper. Just by changing the topper every year, you can give your tree a new look. Like a new haircut gives you a new outlook, a new topper on your tree can just freshen things up. I had a top hat on my tree last year; this year, since I am feeling more classic, I have gone with a star

Source: Khaleejtimes