People are always asking me what to wear during the holidays and I totally get it because it's such a social month packed with parties for work, friends and family.
When it comes to dressing for the holidays, my first piece of advice is to bring all your holiday sparkle and cocktail-appropriate clothing and accessories out so you can see them. So many people (myself included) keep special pieces in areas outside their main closet. If you don't see it, or if your favorite items are in a storage bin in your basement, chances are you're not going to be wearing these pieces as you rush to get dressed for a party.
Bring out your cocktail dresses, any sequin pieces, tux jackets, sharp looking blazers and any clothing in fun holiday colors or festive fabric (yes, to all the jewel-tone velvet in your wardrobe!). If you keep your clutches in dust bags, pull out the ones you never wear, but are saving for a fun event. Same goes for jewelry, find all your rhinestones and chandelier earrings and be sure they are within reach while you are styling your look.
For office parties, it's always best to keep your look professional. I like to have fun with color and with bold accessories for the office. If you have a tux jacket or tailored blazer, bring that out and accessorize with festive earrings or a colorful silk scarf.
A cocktail party with friends is a great opportunity to wear sparkly dresses, sequins jumpsuits and rhinestone encrusted ANYTHING! Have fun and play dress up, your friends want to see you shine and look your best. If there's ever a time to take chances in fashion, it's with your besties.
With family, it's nice to dress up, but you also want to be comfortable. For me, if I'm hosting the party, I'll lay out my outfit before the party. It always takes longer than you think to get all the details sorted out, glasses shined, ice buckets filled, etc - so I like to have my outfit ready to throw on before guests arrive. I love a caftan for parties at home because this silhouette can be easily glammed up with a red lip and fun jewels.
The most important thing is to feel confident in what you're wearing. If you're not feeling it, change into an outfit you feel energized in and wear that!