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Women's Guide to Holiday Dressing

Each year you vow to be more organized when the holidays come around, so this is your chance to get a jump on dressing for ChristmasKwanzaaHanukkah  or any of the wintertime holidays that you celebrate. Rather than showing up for events in your tired work clothes or a frumpy candy cane sweater have a few stylish outfits ready this year. Plan ahead and start shopping now so your outfits will be the last item of concern this year.

Top Picks

Here are the basics you should have in your winter wardrobe.

Black Dress 

Every woman needs one! Look for classic shapes and versatile fabric (woolcrepesilk and rayon  are always favorites).

How to wear:

Cashmere Sweater 

V-necks  are sexy, crew necks  more conservative, and sweater sets  ideal (sleeveless shells can be sexy, but when you add a cardigan  the set becomes demure).

How to wear:

  • Pair with dressy pants or a skirt. Always go with a color that flatters your skin and hair. Pearls look great with cashmere.

Dress Slacks 

A classic dress pant  should fit well and have some drape to the fabric. Wool  and satin pants  should always be lined.

How to wear:

  • Blackwinter white and charcoal  are very versatile colors. For evening, add sparkle with a sexy top and strappy heels. For more conservative events, pair with a cashmere sweater set and flats

Velvet 

Look for 100% cotton velvet in festive colors; jewel tones are great for the holidays.

How to wear:

Shimmer 

When dressing with shimmer, opt for a timeless color like black, silver or gold and leave it to one article of clothing at a time.

How to wear:

  • Less is more. To add some shimmer to a black ensemble, go with an elegant silver  or gold clutch purse  and heels.

Accessories

When traveling to your holiday destination, you've got to be dressed appropriately. There are plenty of ways to make sure that you are warm and looking stylish at the same time.

Winter Coat 

Every woman needs one that will compliment her stylish attire. Consider a wool pea coat  or a hooded jacket  that has a form fitting cut and will keep you warm.

How to wear:

  • Choose jackets the same way that you would pick out a sweater --not too bulky, but big enough so that you can layer extra clothes underneath. Also, check that the sleeves aren't too long (completely covering your hands is probably too much) and that the length doesn't overwhelm your figure.

Boots

If there's snow on the ground, you will definitely want to make sure you have some cute boots  to wear! Trying to trudge through piled-up snow and ice in your high heels could be dangerous.

How to Wear:

  • Bring a change of shoes for your destination so that you won't feel bulky and uncomfortable all night. Make sure that your boots are tall and waterproof so that they won't let snow in!

Accessories 

A hatgloves  and scarf  are all great for keeping out the cold and complimenting your coat or wintertime ensemble. Pick up a  few different styles so you can mix and match!

How to Wear:

  • Having varying colors is fine, but don't go too crazy! Try to match a few of your accessories so that you have a pulled-together, but diverse, look. Don't want to mess up your hair? Try earmuffs

The Baubles

Finding great jewelry to go with your winter look is almost as exciting as getting gifts! There's no need to spend a fortune, either, since costume jewelry  looks pretty close to the real thing without being tacky--and will hold up for long periods of time. 

Necklaces 

Think about your favorite wintery colors like red  and green  (although not mixed together), shiny whitedark purplegold  and silver Now look at which colors compliment each other and plan accordingly. Consider chunky necklaces  that can be layered together or a thin pendant necklace  that will look good on its own.

How to Wear:

  • Match jewelry with the cut of your sweater or dress. If your top has a lower neck, then the space might be good for a fashionable silver necklace or multiple large necklaces.

Bracelets 

Consider classic jewelry to match your ensemble, such as a sterling silver bracelet  or a gold watch If you want to wear bigger jewelry, think about gemstones  or pretty silver bangle bracelets

How to Wear:

  • Wearing bracelets can get tricky with long sleeves; try putting larger bracelets over top of your sweater sleeves and then see how you like the look.

Earrings 

Pretty chain earrings  or silver posts  can be a nice touch to any holiday ensemble. And don't forget about black--black earrings  go with almost everyting and can perfectly compliment those special winter colors.

How to Wear:

  • Planning on wearing your hair up or down? If you are wearing it up, some pretty dangly earrings  might complement your outfit nicely. Just make sure you don't clash!

Related Guides

External Links

  • About.com: This holiday guide lists 5 tops to pair with jeans or black pants.
  • Essortment.com: An article on dressing for the holidays.

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