Summer is over, which means the winter holidays are just a couple of months away — just enough time to give you the chance to put together your wardrobe of holiday fashion. The winter holidays are filled with parties, feasts, gatherings, and get-togethers of all types, and it is imperative that you have the right outfits for the right occasions. Here is a guide to getting your holiday wardrobe right, while you still have time to shop.
Set Your Color Palette
You don’t want to step into a holiday party and blend into the décor, and you don’t want to be seen in last year’s hues. Selecting the color palette for your wardrobe is a foundational step for creating your looks for the season, so it should be your first step before you start shopping for any holiday pieces.
This year, the trendy tones aren’t the dark and moody colors we have come to expect from fall and winter fashion. Instead, you should look for outfits of dusky pink, powder blue, and pale peach if you want to follow the advice of top designers. If you mix in darker neutrals, like brown and deep mauve, you have an interesting and fun holiday wardrobe color palette to work with.
Check the Weather
Nothing ruins a perfectly curated holiday outfit like unexpected weather. You need to dress appropriately for the climate of the region in which you will celebrate the holidays, which might mean you need to do some research before you buy your wardrobe. If you are traveling to celebrate the winter holidays, you should check on the typical weather of your destination. You should also consider the possibility of enduring rain or snow during your festivities, which could impact your footwear decisions.
Build Your Budget
Can you afford to fill your holiday wardrobe with designer dresses, or do you need to find bargains to build fashionable seasonal looks? The last thing you should want is to waste all your winter savings on clothing and not have enough left over to indulge in holiday travel, feasts, decorations, present-giving, and other merrymaking.
Creating a budget for the winter holidays is a relatively common practice that helps families stay in control of their finances during a particularly spendy time of year. Because your holiday wardrobe is important to you, you can allocate funds to clothes shopping for the season, but you should be careful to calculate your spending and saving to ensure you will have money to make the rest of the holidays merry and bright for yourself and others.
Consider These Staples
To cover all bases for this holiday season, you should stock your wardrobe with the following fundamental pieces:
- Dress. If you only buy one dress for the holidays, it should be versatile — but it should also be luxurious since you are going to get so much wear out of it.
- Blazer. A blazer helps dress up an otherwise rather casual look and offers warm outerwear to formal outfits. Oversized, boxy blazers are in right now.
- Satin blouse. A satin blouse can be incredibly chic with the right bottoms and outerwear, but it can also look stylishly casual. Thus, it is an essential tool for holiday gatherings.
- Turtleneck. Turtlenecks and mock neck sweaters are incredibly trendy, so having one in your wardrobe will help you feel confident and fashionable throughout the season.
- Mini or midi skirt. Like your holiday dress, a holiday skirt should be adaptable to many occasions, but it should also be sufficiently comfortable and pair well with the tops in your wardrobe.
- Coat. No matter the weather, you will likely need some form of outerwear. This year, long and fuzzy coats are on-trend.
- Sneaker. The right sneaker goes equally well with a high-fashion, formal ensemble, and a cozy, comfortable outfit.
- Heeled boot. Boots are made for winter. A heeled boot helps add height and elongate the leg while providing warmth, making it essential footwear for shorter skirts and dresses in winter.
- Loafer flat. While other flats come and go, the loafer always seems to stay in style. You should pick up a loafer in a neutral tone, so you can use them year-round.
Whether you love the winter holidays or merely endure them, you need a winter wardrobe to keep you warm, comfortable, and fashionable all season long. Starting to think about your holiday looks now will give you the time and space to put together the best possible pieces for a successful holiday style.
