Dressing up for the holidays

It’s the most wonderful time of the year: time to celebrate the holidays with parties, get-togethers and events. And then you ask the age old question: “yes, but what do I wear?”

Do you wear the same things you wear every day? Do you try something from your closet that you really don’t like wearing but feel guilty you don’t wear it more? Or, do you decide that you want to look and feel fabulous so you’re going to purchase festive clothes that you can wear not just during the holidays but on into 2013?

The last decision is definitely the best. Why not look as great as you feel? Or feel as great as you look? Or both? Here are some ideas to get you started so you look festive and fabulous this holiday season.

Since it was recently announced that Nordstrom will be building a store at Mayfair Mall and a Nordstrom Rack down the street from there (in 2015), let’s celebrate the best Milwaukee area fashion news all year by showing some looks from there.

Men, no matter what type of event you’re attending, this outfit with velvet blazer and red tie shouts “stylish with swagger.” Yes, you do need to have a bit of a swagger to carry off the velvet blazer, but we know you have it, so go ahead and flaunt it.

If you want a more casual vibe with just as much style, keep a similar velvet jacket but lose the tie and wear jeans (nice ones) instead of dress pants. You’ll still be stylish, just lower key.

Ladies, this sequin sheath shouts “I’m here to celebrate!” How can you go wrong with a beautiful chili pepper colored dress with plenty of bling? Dresses are so easy to wear; it’s just one piece to put on. This dress calls for a body shaping garment since it’s so body conscious. Yes, it’s worth the snug feeling. You’ll look flawless.

If you’re going to a more casual event, try this lovely yet comfortable ensemble on for size. You have plenty of bling and color grounded with some black straight leg jeans. You’ve got the best of both worlds. Who says you can’t be both stylish and comfortable? Now you can prove them wrong.

We haven’t forgotten you moms to be! Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you don’t want to be dressed up for the holidays, and this dress does it all for you. It’s a maxi dress—meaning comfortable yet stylish—and has great detail at the chest, bringing attention to somewhere other than your growing stomach. Let the attention be on you for the evening. The style of this dress is so forgiving, you can wear it to special events for the rest of your pregnancy. It’s a great investment.

If you’re a bargain hunter—and who isn’t—you’ll love this Nordstrom Rack metallic sequin dress with back cutout for under $65. Really. Stylish and fiscally prudent. What’s better than that?

And while you’re at it, why not shop locally and support a boutique in your community? It’s a win-win situation. Your local business owners make a bit of profit and you look utterly fabulous. With that in mind, here are some examples of what you can find to be the belle of the ball, in the greater Milwaukee area:

SHOP is a women’s boutique in Shorewood that has fashion forward, fun, festive clothing. Liz LeBlanc, one of the owners, is friendly, helpful and ready to serve your fashion needs.

The first look is a bronze metallic leather front tank from ecru. It retails for $165 and also comes in black. It looks great with a pair of skinny black pants or jeans.

The second look features a sequined chevron print tee in blue/charcoal from echo. It retails for $145 and is shown with the Rihanna ponte pant from ecru, which retail for $150. To dress it up, you can pair it with a festive skirt.

The last look photo is a cap sleeved peplum dress from Maison Blanche. The dress retails for $70. It also comes in a long sleeved version that retails for $85 black and burgundy.

With all of these options for stylish dressing during the holidays, you can breathe easy and look fabulous.

Click here for more fashion stories in the Threads archive. Follow Kimberly Gomez on Twitter at @impeccableimage.