Life hack: Glam up the holiday season

With the Yuletide season fast approaching, there’s one lingering question to be tackled alongside your Christmas list. In our country’s culture of endless family gatherings and holiday parties, how does your average working guy or girl dress well for the upcoming holidays?

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And since we only have two seasons, layering and bundling up isn’t much an option (unless you’re visiting a colder country). It may feel impossible to put together ensembles for all those Christmas parties. When you’re not necessarily interested in trends for the younger set or don’t have the cash for the latest designer outfits, what do you wear?

Luckily, we’ve got a few ideas that can utilize both the existing items in your closet and a few pieces you can get that won’t break the bank. You can mix and match these two to get you through the “–ber” months. The best part? You don’t have to resort to the ubiquitous red and green to look full of Christmas cheer.

Identify your favorite pieces

Set aside a few hours on a weekend to look through your closet and identify your favorite items of clothing. Maybe you have a pretty dress that makes you feel like a million bucks or a nice jacket that’s your go-to for special occasions. Use these choices as the “base” for your holiday outfits. These items make you look and feel good—very important when you’ve got places to be and no time to be finicky about your style choices.

If you’re a sneakerhead who wants to show off his/her favorite footwear, plan your outfits around the kicks you’ll be wearing that day. Keep it simple with classic, solid-colored pieces that will showcase your shoes as the focal point of your outfit.

It’s all about color

Try to veer away from the dated red-and-green combo with jewel tones. Try looking for pieces in rich plum, burgundy, navy blue, and emerald green for a sophisticated color palette. These simple colors will work well for both guys and girls—they’ll look especially striking when deployed through classics like long-sleeved shirts, skirts, or dresses.

To really stand out from the pack, metallic hues are your best bet. For the girls, add a pop of gold, silver, or bronze in the form of statement pieces, like a gold skirt, or accessories, like shiny silver bracelets and earrings.

If you’re wondering what colors will go together, keep in mind the following no-fail combos: gold goes great with red, silver stands out with dark green, and bronze looks bright with blue.

If the use of color daunts our male readers, you can do these colorful additions in the little things like your tie or even colored corduroys.

Mix up your look with contrasting textures and patterns

In lieu of heavy layers, use different fabric textures to provide depth to your look. For example, pair a sparkly, sequined skirt with a knit sweater on top for the ladies. The gents can try mixing a softer material like a cotton sweater with a rougher fabric like corduroy.

Patterns are also fun to experiment with and provide a no-brainer focal point for your look. For both guys and girls, a plaid pattern, houndstooth, or Breton stripes will always be easy to work with and will look great when paired with your go-to pants or skirts.

You can never go wrong with the classics

Stumped for outfit ideas or got a last-minute party to dress up for? Always remember that you can never, ever go wrong with a little black dress. Think of it as a blank canvas—you can dress it up with a fab pair of heels and some evening accessories or down with a pair of flats and a cute but casual purse.

For the guys, a classic long-sleeved button-down never fails. Pair it with slim jeans in a dark wash and your best loafers or dress shoes, and you’re ready to go! To look even more polished, tuck in your shirt and add a belt in the same material or color as your shoes. If you’re feeling a bit chilly, add a V-neck sweater in a rich shade on top—instant style, instant warmth.

And when all else fails…

Maybe you’re not really into styling yourself for the holidays or you just can’t be bothered to change up your look beyond your closet staples? What’s the perfect, no-fail solution? Devise a holiday uniform. For the guys, this normally means a rotating set of polo shirts paired with slacks or jeans. For the girls, maybe a well-loved dress or a go-to top and skirt combo. In the end, just make sure that you look good and feel good—isn’t that what dressing well is all about?