I love the holidays, don’t you? It’s the time of year when your calendar is filled with fun events, soirées to get dressed up for, and parties that are so much fancier than your everyday. Or is it? If you’re like many of my clients (and me, too), you may have one or two dressy events over the coming weeks, but most of your plans are casual – stylistically not much different from the non-holiday norm. But it’s the holidays, so why not dress up, at least a little? Or at minimum, how about wearing something that feels somewhat festive, so that you can channel the season in style?

Yes, you may not NEED TO wear something other than your go-to chunky sweater, jeans and booties to office holiday lunch, but how about doing it just because you WANT TO? I’m not saying that you should throw on a cocktail dress when everyone is tech business casual – but how about taking it up just one notch? If you’re up for it (and I hope that you are), here are 3 ways that you can dress festive and enjoy some holiday cheer while still feeling casual and comfortably like yourself (and avoid the ubiquitous ugly Christmas sweater!).

SHINE

Wearing something with a little (or a lot of) shine is the easiest way to sparkle during the holidays – and the great thing is that there are so many ways to shine this season! You can shimmer in fabrics with sheen – wear a satin blouse instead of a silk one, or try a velvet blazer with jeans and heels for your annual girls’ lunch (and check out how you can wear a velvet blazer all season here).

If you’re willing to truly dazzle, how about trying metallic fabrics or sequined embellishments? There are plenty of choices out there, from sequin accents on tops and sweaters to metallic leather jackets to fully sequined skirts and more, so how you’ll shine is up to you. (Click hereto read my previous blog post on how to wear a sequined bomber all year round!)

And if you’d prefer to keep your glimmer to a minimum, you can simply flash some jewelry – the glint of a drop earring, the twinkle of a studded bracelet or the all-out brilliance of a statement necklace are ideal ways to turn up the volume this season.

velvet & satin photos from Uptown with Elly Brown, Pinterest, Mediamarmalade; sequin & metallic photos from The Middle Page Blog, Fashion and Style; jewelry photos from Lu Parker, Pinterest, We the People Style, Oko Handbags

SKIN

It’s almost winter, so you’re probably covered from neck to wrist to ankle on a daily basis – so how about showing a little skin as a break from your every day? Showing skin doesn’t necessarily signify deep cleavage – if that’s your thing, go for it, but keep it to date night or a cocktail party (not at your kid’s holiday play). The skin I’m talking about is subtler and unexpected – a slit sleeve blouse showing off your arms, an off-the-shoulder sweater, or an open back top showing your rarely viewed back. And as weather permits, wearing a skirt or dress and showing bare legs (especially when you rarely do) always feels a bit special.

photos from Pinterest, Fashion Mugging, Grece Ghanem

SHEER

If you’re not into showing bare skin, you can still channel something festive and out-of-the-norm with the hint of skin, by choosing sheer or sheer-ish fabrics. A sheer sleeved blouse, lacy fabric over your décolletage, or even an open weave sweater feel just a little different, just a little fun, and just a little festive.

How will you casually channel the holidays this season? Let me know in the comments!

photos from Bunbun Book, Ebay, PinterestLET’S WORK TOGETHER!