Holiday Party Attire

Oh, the holidays. So many parties--so many nights to dress up! Whether its your company holiday party or a formal New Year's Eve, this is the year to wear something unexpected. We did a blog post back in September on fall's biggest trends featuring textured sport coats.  Well, I hope you got one, because its time for that baby to shine! This holiday season, gauge the formality of your party and start with the jacket. We'll build the rest of the ensemble from there.

Obviously if you are going to a black tie event you will need to don the tux jacket. But if you are headed to an event where you don't need to be THAT formal, but should wear a jacket, go for a little drama. Texture, color, shine, you name it. Let's take a look at several examples in a myriad of price ranges.

Trina Turk has a boat load of fun blazers this season, most for around $400. I've shown two here, but be sure to browse the site. You wouldn't want to miss the black shiny crocodile blazer, would you?

Feeling a little bit of bling is necessary? Try this shiny velveteen blazer from Guess for a reasonable $168.00.

Oh, you want some color and pattern, don't you? I can tell. This great jacket by Moschino hearkens to the good old smoking jacket days, without actually wearing a smoking jacket (and thus avoiding looking like a Hugh Hef costume). She'll cost you a whopping $1395 on farfetch.com, but you'll be unforgettable!  This jacket could easily be worn with your tux pants to a black tie affair.

Combine a tuxedo jacket with a casual blazer with this fun velvet version by Robert Graham available on Last Call by Neiman Marcus.

Ok. So you have your fun jacket. Now what? The shirt. So, first of all, which one is taking center stage? If you chose a colored or patterned jacket, allow that to be the focus. Unless you are going for a classic tuxedo look, try a solid black dress shirt in place of your standard white. If you are wearing a solid black jacket, opt for a shirt with some pizazz like this one from Robert Graham, available on Zappos.

Now you've got the basis for your outfit. Add a sleek pair of tuxedo pants or solid trouser, a killer pair of shoes and fun accessories to complete the look. Don't forget a pocket square! They always dial things up a notch.

What parties are you headed to this season and will you be wearing?