Not sure what to wear for the holidays this year? Los Angeles Personal Stylist Meg Gallagher has all the answers with talks on outfit strategy, an easy-to-follow holiday styling formula, tons of outfit ideas and a festive shopping edit. (Want to skip straight to shopping? Scroll to the end of this article or click here.)
Check out Meg Gallagher’s women’s styling services to achieve your New Years Style Goals for Winter 2024-2025!
What to Wear to A Holiday Party in 2024: Start With a Strategy
The most important part in figuring out what to wear to your holiday parties this season starts with good old-fashioned planning. Put the time in now and you won’t have to worry throughout the season! At a time that’s all about reconnection and being together, you’ll want to feel like the best version of yourself.
And if that weren’t reason enough, planning now allows for you to save some money, too – Any pieces missing from your holiday wardrobe can be snagged in pre-holiday sales!
First: You’ll want to pull out your calendar, and lay out ALL of your upcoming events.
Let’s say you look at your calendar and find the following: Thanksgiving dinner, an office holiday party, 3 holiday parties, a holiday celebration with family, and a New Years Party. That’s already SEVEN holiday outfits to plan for!
Next, you’re going to identify this: What kind of outfits do your upcoming events need? Is it an outside or inside party? Is it a themed sweater or scarf party? Is there a color theme?
Then, you’ll want to catalog what you already have in your wardrobe.
What are the pieces you have saved for the holidays?
Do you have any special scarves, holiday sweaters, velvet pieces, glittering accessories or sentimental holiday pieces that you save for this time of year?
Check your closet for textural pieces like sheer, leather, sequin, velvet or silk. Look for thematic colors like red, burgundy, wintery blue, deep green, metallic or cream.
Here’s an example of how you can utilize different textured skirts to create a great holiday party outfit:
Once you identify what kind of outfits you need, how many outfits you need, what you already have in your wardrobe and what is missing from your wardrobe, you can move onto the next step: Mastering the Holiday Dressing Formula.
Mastering The Holiday Dressing Formula
Putting together a festive holiday outfit is simple: All it takes is one festive piece!
First, identify your holiday piece: Something textural, metallic, sequined, fuzzy or thematically colored.
Then surround your piece with casual elements that are either monochrome or in neutral colors. It’s THAT easy. Dress your look up or down with shoes and accessories based on your event.
Why it works: The loudest piece in your outfit will help define your look! That’s why the right holiday piece makes an outfit feel inherently “dressed up”, even when surrounded by casual pieces. Metallics, shines and wild textures/patterns give that “wow factor” we want in a party outfit without running the risk of being too dressed up at casual-leaning parties.
Women’s Holiday Outfit Idea: Metallic, Colored Leather or Sequin Pants
Sweaters and cardigans look great with metallic jeans, colored leather trousers and sequin pants.
Festive Women’s Skirt Outfits for Holiday Parties
Holiday skirts look great with monochrome sweaters, or with a simple tee/turtleneck and blazer in neutral colors surrounding the skirt. This look masquerades perfectly between casual and dressed up. Wear the look with anything from heels, to boots, loafers and flats.
Women’s Blazer Outfits and Holiday Party Jackets
Textured jackets with frills and feathers make for a great festive outer layer! Velvet or plaid blazers are the perfect addition to your trouser or jeans looks.
Women’s Holiday Party Cardigan and Jacket Outfits
Transform your outfit with a top layer of sparkles and bows! Great for nights out with friends and New Years outfits!
Women’s Holiday Sweater Outfits
Holiday sweaters can be anything from homey fair isle patterns, to texture and fuzz, sparkle or even candy-like stripes!
Making An Outfit with Women’s Holiday Tops
Sparkling holiday tops can be worn casual with jeans, or dressed up with blazers and silk skirts!
Casual Holiday Dress Outfits and Matching Sets
Dress outfits can be made casual with festive cardigans, tights and booties.
Dress up casual matching sets with heels and sparkle accessories!
SHOP THE HOLIDAY EDIT
Shop Meg’s Ultimate Holiday Edit including tops, sweaters, skirts, pants, accessories, shoes, dresses and matching sets.
