The holidays are upon us and the parties have begun.  For many of us, this may be our first time at an office Christmas party or a sizable New Year’s Eve gathering since the pandemic.  So here are three outfits that utilize pieces you may already own to create easy, festive holiday looks.

An Ivory Sweater and Pearls // This combination is my favorite holiday outfit.  It’s a classic.  It’s simple.  And you can wear it to any occasion.  Pair it with jeans and red flats for a party at home or a satin skirt and high heel boots for a night on the town.

I chose this cashmere sweater from Land’s End because I was looking for a mockneck.  A full turtleneck makes for a cozy alternative, but I thought the mockneck was a bit cleaner and more understated.  Prefer a sweater dress?  This one from Tuckernuck caught my eye.

These bow earrings from Jennifer Behr are truly phenomenal.  For something a bit more affordable, Madewell has a charming pair made with seed pearls.

If you choose this look, remember to wear a slightly stronger cheek and lip color.  Ivory brings a real lightness to the face, but it can also wash out certain skin tones without a bit more color.

A Sequin Skirt and T-Shirt // This is the look I will be wearing to my husband’s NYE party.  You can dress it up with heels and jewelry.  Or you can dress it down with sneakers and a relaxed blazer or leather jacket.  Sequins are more versatile than you might think.

I love this Madewell skirt in a bronze-y color called Fallen Timber.  For a liquid silver look, try this J.Crew skirt.  I also love this a-line mini-length skirt from Ann Taylor.  Or if you prefer something in black for simplicity’s sake, this lattice skirt from J.Crew is incredible — I love that it works as both a midi and mini.

For this look, I chose a simple tee from Cuyana.  But the white tee you love from the bottom of your dresser will work too.  (One of my friends swears this $9 Hanes tee will change my life.)  I might wear something with a little more zest, like this Clare V. tee.

Keep the hair and makeup a bit simpler with this if you’re going for a casual or mid-dressy look.  It won’t take much to take this outfit to a very glam place, so apply makeup and additional sparkle conservatively.

Dots and Mary Janes // A dotted, sheer shirt is one of my favorite looks.  It’s very easy to dress up.  It’s also very wearable.  I usually wear mine with black denim and black high heel for a simple, pretty look.  But here, I wanted a flat for a look I can wear to stand in a friend’s kitchen and eat dip all night.  (Sorry, not sorry, my life is a bit more boring these days. I mean, try this dip and tell me you’d rather attend a fancy party and fight for an Uber at 1:00AM.)

Regardless, this blouse from Boden is a stunner.  The ruffles on this Nordstrom blouse add a little something extra.  Either could be tucked into a black pencil skirt and worn to work under or with a simple sweater.  Again, I picked these Madewell Mary Janes for wearability, but I really like the muted green with the simple black.  If you want a heel, J.Crew Factory has a block heel Mary Jane in velvet.

Again, with a simple color palette, a hit of lipstick is your friend.  Probably some nail polish as well.

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