How To Dress For Holiday Parties

 

We have obviously been delving into holiday season preparation a great deal here – because we are all Mamas ourselves who know that once this season hits, it hits hard. It comes so fast that it’s almost over within the blink of an eye and we quickly move onto worrying about how to shed those holiday pounds. So, instead of finding yourself tearing your closet apart this holiday season, frustrated, not finding that skirt that you know should be there somewhere (Trust me- my husband has fund me crying in the closet around the holiday season, I get it!).  So, let’s outline how to dress for holiday parties and avoid those not so fun closet situations!

How to Dress For Holiday Parties

Take clues from the invitation.

Your invitation should be your first clue for how to dress for holiday parties – it is your map that will guide you to the right garments. Search for keywords such as “cocktail attire,” “black tie,” “cozy event,” etc – as these will guide you and let you know if you are to be planning for a fancy night out sipping champagne or  a cozy night drinking wine with friends.

Ask your host what they are wearing.

If there aren’t any clues on your invite or the holiday party didn’t have a formal invitation, don’t hesitate to ask your host what they are wearing so that you can gauge how dressed up you should be. Better to know…

For the leggings lover…

I TOTALLY get the love for leggings during this time of year! They are so comfortable and simply look great with booties and an oversized sweater. If you consider yourself the ultimate legging lover, and stepping out of those leggings for a holiday party just isn’t an option, follow these steps:

• Leave your cotton leggings as home and opt for a faux leather, velvet, or mixed medium legging for a more special, out-of-the-gym party look.
• Trade your cozy sweaters that you typically pair your leggings with for a blazer and slinky tee.
• Trade your ballet flats or flat boots for something – anything – with a heel!

Keep these items in your closet each holiday season:

•  A fun skirt with an elastic waist – There are so many cute and bold pencil skirts or flowy tulle skirts that add a beautiful pop to your holiday attire and are so comfortable to be worn over your favorite tights and booties. You can also pair one of these skirts with a more casual sweater to get extra usage.
• A tuxedo blazer – These are my favorite for holiday parties because they typically have that shiny tuxedo fabric on the skinny lapel, which instantly makes them a little bit dressier. But at the same time, they can be worn over skinny jeans and leggings with ease.
• A jersey dress – First, these are just so comfortable and figure flattering – bonus! Second, whenever you have one that is a rich, beautiful hue and fits you well, you can easily make it look different with adding different accessories like jewelry and statement scarves to make it work for multiple parties!

When in doubt – dress up!

This is a rule of thumb that I practice for every event that I attend! You will never be in a situation where someone turned to you and says “Whoa – you are way too dressed up to be here – go home!” (Unless you take it to the extreme, but let’s not go there!) But the opposite can surely happen. Whenever you have exhausted all options (i.e. the invitation isn’t giving clues, your girlfriends are of no help, etc) – dress yourself up more! Wear a skirt with tights as opposed to leggings and a nicely styled oversized sweater, bring out that statement necklace that has been hiding in your jewelry box, and bring out some dressy booties or heels!

Attending too many events? Rent your dress!

I understand that not everyone attends a ton of fancier holiday parties each season, but if you do, you definitely don’t want to be photographed in the same thing multiple times! But at the same time, who has a budget for 10 cocktail dresses per season? – Not me! In this case, I stand by my recommendation of opting for renting dresses from Rent The Runway, so you will have memorable dresses from wonderful designers, for a small cost. No strings attached!

If you enjoyed today’s fashion post, we know that you will LOVE our additional holiday guides:

• How to: Inexpensive Party Host Gifts – Because we could all use some help being creative sometimes!
• How to Dress For Black Tie – Etiquette Code – You never know when a black tie invitation will roll in and it’s best to be prepared!
• Holiday Nutrition Survival Guide – Superstar advice from a registered dietician to get you through holiday parties without putting in the pounds.
• Holiday Party Survival Guide – Simple because EVERY Mama deserves to have fun this holiday season, so let’s do it fashionably!

Looking for more fashion tips? I’ve got you covered!

• 5 Reasons Moms Need Fashion
• It’s Fashionable to be Healthy!
• American Girl Abroad: Scotland
• Cashmere Lounge Clothes Now Trending
• Halston Exhibit at the Andy Warhol Museum
• How to Style a Plain White Tee
• Maxi Dresses, Minimum Fuss

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Fashionably Yours,

Allison