7 Holiday Party Outfit Inspo Boards for the Sustainable Baddie
We’ve all been there; after two hours of trying to put together an outfit, every surface of our bedroom is covered in clothing, and yet we’re still not happy with the look we’ve put together. You may have already gone through your first holiday party outfit breakdown this season. We’re sorry we couldn’t be here to help sooner! If you’re attending a susty dinner party or a secret Santa exchange and are looking for the perfect holiday party look, we’ve got you covered!
Our styling inspo boards are meant to give you some ideas, but also offer a few susty choices in case you’re in the market for some new pieces. We’ve also included alternatives for the base pieces so that you can choose your preference between pants or dresses. We hope to save you (and your room) from the explosion of clothing waiting to happen, and provide a few styling inspo boards for the holiday lewk of your choice!
The Green & Red Combo
This might be mildly basic, but in the spirit of the holidays, try styling this classic color combo! If you like to hone in on seasonal color combinations and are aiming for a red-and-green combo, try choosing one of these two colors as the base for your outfit. We normally see a red and green top and bottom combo (or red and green plaid), but this year we’re subtly uniting this color combo instead of the traditional obvious marriage. We love the red El Tigre Dress by Gil Rodriguez. It’s a sleek, classic silhouette that will complement any cocktail hour. If you don’t wear dresses, go for a full green or full red pant look! Because we’re choosing a rather simple base, jewelry is an opportunity to add a statement piece. Grace Fforde’s necklaces add an elegant touch, and their black chandelier necklace is perfect for this look. We love a good secondhand heel; these metallic Christian Dior pumps from The RealReal look straight out of Carrie Bradshaw’s closet. It adds a small, yet flashy touch of green to your ’fit. Finally, to tie the look together, add this large triangular tote by Santos by Monica in black.
A Black & White Moment
Black and white does not need to be boring! We love the girlies who turn black-and-white combos into artful looks. We’re suckers for dual-toned clothing and this black-and-white mini dress by Fashion Brand Company serves as the perfect base for your black-and-white outfit. For a pant version, try this dual-toned set by Selva Negra. A secondhand white fur hat from The RealReal will keep you cozy and stylish for the street style pics on your way to your friend's 6th-floor walk-up. Elevating a look is all about adding killer accessories. Add a pair of shimmery silver tights by Swedish Stocking to protect your legs from the bitter winter winds (at least a little bit), an angelic necklace by The Sage Vintage made from deadstock and vintage charms, and Room Shop’s Disco Baby bag for an additional note of sparkle. Finally, add these insane Melissa Joy Flower + Thomas Benjamin heels in black (or white)!
The Feast Is Me
It’s giving “peasant showing up to the banquet in a killer handmade outfit”. The royals will be pissed. If you’re into neutral tones but love chaotic patterns, we recommend the harvest set by Samantha Pleet. This set is fitting for any dinner party and the pieces will serve you either as a full look or as separate elements all year round. For your holiday dinner party, you can wear the entire set as is or, if you’d like to go for the historical look, layer the corset over this smocked dress by Salter House. Add these bright green boots by Alohas and the Eloise shoulder bag by Pixie Mood to tie the whole ’fit together.
Plaid 😍
Plaid is an essential holiday pattern and it can make us look a lot more studious than we sometimes mean to. If you’re hoping to look like you write stories about gay pirates, we recommend a twist on a classic plaid look with this vest suit by K.S. Garner. It switches up the pattern with a brighter color combination. Layer over your fave white ruffle shirt, like Estudio Organico’s Lionfish Ruffle Turtleneck, which we first saw at NYFW and have been in love with ever since. Top off the look with your favorite pair of loafers – we love this pair by Nomasei – and your fave vintage plaid bag. This plaid Coach bag we found on Depop pairs perfectly with the colors in the suit!
Merry & Bright
Are you looking to add a bit of eccentricity to the phrase “merry and bright?” Love that for you. The Gatekeeper dress by Itiya Studio is a gorgeous, corseted, metallic dress with a few touches of color by way of the lavender lacing and teal tulle. For a pant version, try Itiya Studio’s gatekeeper corset with these Collina Strada silver denim pants. Pair the look with a cute pair of asymmetric earrings from Berriez and your favorite pearl necklace – this necklace and bracelet set from Depop is gorgeous. To play with textures, add a bright thrifted heel, like this pair of satin colorblock pumps by Monse found on The RealReal.
It’s Not That Cold Where I Am
If you’re celebrating the holidays in the southern hemisphere, we’re jealous! We love the silky blue lawn pants by Collina Strada which are sure to billow in the warm wind you’re enjoying (while the rest of us suffer). RAT BOI camis are extremely versatile. Their red cami paired with a handmade holiday bolero on top will have everyone telling you that you sleighed your holiday party outfit. These darling earrings by Ariel Kellogg add a delicate wintery touch. These glimmery Opening Ceremony slides from The RealReal tie the whole look together and will let you dig your toes into some warm sand.
Ugly Christmas Sweater Party
You may be attending the classic ugly Christmas sweater party this year, and the best ugly Christmas sweaters are vintage and secondhand. Hit up your fave thrift store and you’re sure to find the perfect ugly Christmas sweater. We found this adorable sweater on Depop! These gatherings are more cozy and casual, so you’ll want to add a pair of cute knit pants like these from Em On Holiday and these combat boots by Viron so your ’fit doesn’t totally veer on the side of pajamas. Finally, you’ll need a large bag to carry your carefully curated gifts. The Baggu Cloud Bag should do the trick, and it’s so fluffy!
What do you plan on wearing to your holiday parties?