Holiday Party Outfit Ideas

Can you believe it’s already holiday party season?  I feel like every year it sneaks up on me and I’m stuck hunting for the perfect outfit at the last minute.  This year I started my hunt a bit early and mixed in some old key pieces that I already have in my closet.  There’s a reason they are key pieces; it’s because they are my go-to for emergencies and classic events like a holiday party.  Today I’m sharing three Holiday Party Outfit Ideas that are friendly for work or non-work parties.  

I find that the older I get, the more formal the holiday parties are to which we are invited.  When I was younger (like upper 20’s to early 30’s) I could get away with jeans and heels for these types of parties. But now that I’m a little older, I like to dress up.  In addition to these evening parties, there are also work holiday functions that occur right after work. That makes changing into something else a little bit hard so I wear that outfit for the entire workday.  I actually don’t mind dressing up a bit more during the day and being ready to go in the evening for a party.

Here are my three Holiday Party Outfit ideas that include a classic black dress, pants and a top, and a skirt and top option.  Besides the dress, you can actually mix and match the pieces to create even more outfits.  Holiday parties are fun, you should be excited about your outfit as well!

Sleek and Sophisticated Look 

Meet the Casey Dress, it’s hands down the dress I turn to when I have nothing to wear.  Its form fitting, with an extra built in lining and is made out of a super soft knit material.  The dress simulates a wrap dress and has roughing in all the right places to cover up any problem areas you may have.  It has an amazing stretchy quality that is like nothing I’ve ever seen.  It can also be worn in pretty much any season, even though I tend to only wear it in winter, fall and early spring.  You can pair it with tights, bare legs, pumps or booties.  It truly looks good with whatever you put on.  

This dress is perfect for just about any occasion, from a work meeting to work holiday party, it can’t easily be taken from day to night.  I love finding pieces that go from day to nigh so easily.  When I was little, my favorite Barbie was day-to-night Barbie.  By day she was dressed in a beautiful pink suede skirt suit with a neck scarf and by night her reversible skirt had pink sequins to match her pink sequined cami.  In an instant she was ready to hit the town.  She also lived in a portable day-to-night office/home, which featured a cool condo on one side and a high power office on the other.  I think she provided me with inspiration for my life today 🙂  In terms of sizing on this dress, I opted to size up, I bought an extra large.  As I’ve said before, I don’t care what size I’m wearing. As long as I look great, that is all that matters.  I personally found that the dress was tight in my chest and bottom and being that I was going to wear it to work and client meetings I opted to go a few sizes up. 

I’ve added one of my all time favorite clutches, its old, but its one of those things I bought when I saw it just to have it.  Some other great clutches to go with this out are this one and this one.

Casual and Cool 

While I love dresses and skirts, some days I just want to wear pants.  These cigarette pants from Banana are perfect for those kind of days.  These pants are made from an ultra stretch fabric that holds its shape all day and stays wrinkle free. They are straight leg ankle pants that actually hit slightly above the ankle on me and look polished when paired with a high, skinny heel. There is nothing that elongates a woman’s leg better than a super skinny high heel.  While they can be uncomfortable to walk in all day, I found these heels are super padded on the inside and offer an extra cushion for the feet.

The top I’ve paired with these pants is a beauty.  The black and white pattern screams holiday chic!  The top alone speaks for itself, the built in tie helps create and define a waist which is always important to do.  I believe that creating a waist in any top instantly cleans it up and makes you looked polished.  The top runs true to size and I’m wearing a 6.  You could add a large sparkly necklace with this top, however I’ve chosen not to as I’ve added a larger sparkling earring to this look.  I tend to do one statement piece, either earnings or necklace with an outfit.  I don’t want to overdo things in the accessory department.  

All Dressed Up

There’s a trend going on…black and white polka dots, and I can’t get enough of them this season.  This sweater from Jcrew is so versatile and comes in so many colors, I can’t even stand it.  You can wear it with a skirt, with jeans, with a blazer or even with black cigarette pants.  It’s as soft as cashmere, but without the fuss.  Once again the black and white pattern makes this sweater look insanely chic and polished.  If I were to create a capsule wardrobe this would be one of the anchor pieces in it, because it’s so versatile and essentially season-less.  In terms of sizing it runs true to size and I’ve wearing a medium.

 And this skirt, I can’t get enough of it.  The rich red color is to die for and is the perfect holiday red.  It’s often hard to find a true holiday red piece in clothes, but there it is.  The soft twisted knot on the front adds a dressed up element to the standard pencil skirt.  I most likely will only wear this skirt around the holidays, but at $79 its a true steal.  Size down in this skirt as it runs big.  Oh, and it comes in black too, which is great for a year round look.  

In terms of accessories for this outfit I’m wearing my everyday key pieces (watch, bracelet and bracelet) along with stud earrings and a Hobo Clutch.  Hobo has been around for years and they have a timeless look.  This clutch I’m carrying is super old, maybe 10 years, but it never goes out of style.  They have similar options here and here.  And the shoes are my go to pump for work and weekends.

There you have it, my top three holiday looks that can be mixed and matched or worn day to night.  You can actually wear these year-round, with the exception of the red skirt, just switch it out for a black skirt and you’re done.  If you loved these curated looks be sure to check out what I pulled together for easy weekend looks or fall/winter everyday outfits.