Dressing for the Holidays

The holiday season is here, the most festive time of the year. Events can begin to fill your calendar, whether it's to get togethers among friends and family or holiday work parties. It’s essential to be dressed to perfection, closing out the year with your best foot —and outfit— forward. Aiming to be the sharpest in the room, festive occasions grant more latitude to have fun with your holiday outfits. Typical style “risks” aren’t frowned upon, but rather embraced in a space of celebratory fun - especially with event menswear outfits and evening attire. Make dressing for the holidays a cheery part of the season by following these men’s fashion tips for successful party outfits.

A man sitting on a stool wearing dark jeans, a white button up shirt and red sweater layered under a dark brown blazer. A man is standing in front of plants wearing red pants, a green sweater, brown boots, and sunglasses.

Christmas parties are always a favorite. Basing outfits centered around green and red are the simplest ways to establish your outfit as on theme. Look beyond the silly onesie holiday trend attire for men or the ugly Christmas sweater theme for casual events. Choose a smart, conservative alternative of dark pants with a classic red sweater worn solo or with a nice polo or button-down underneath. Adding a blazer adds effortless class to your men’s Christmas outfit. Opt for colored pants as the statement piece to your outfit to create a stylish look that will be the talk of the table. Red isn’t everyone’s color, but luckily, green looks great with everything.

A man is standing in front of a snowy house laughing, wearing a black turtleneck, black pants, and a red plaid blazer.

A more dashing Christmas men’s outfit involves not only focusing on Christmas colors, but incorporating prints as well. Be the most memorable at the holiday work party, in a plaid printed blazer. Wear matching slacks if you’re known for being daring with your men’s holiday party attire. Showcase your personality in more adventurous prints like snowflakes or lights. In the case that the bottoms and blazers are both statement pieces, your shirt can be a simple white button-down. Turtlenecks or cashmere sweater  styles can bring a debonair look. Accessories like loafers, scarves, and fun socks combine sophistication with the holiday spirit.

A man is standing on a black staircase wearing blazer pants, black sequin blazer, white dress shirt and a black bow tie.

New year, new you, new style. If you’re comfortable in a reserved wardrobe, why not take this day to reinvent your style? Start the year off in a fresh way– go beyond the standard menswear with a sequin blazer. Incorporating sparkle is a fundamental feature to the New Years aesthetic. Since sequins are immensely eye-catching holiday attire for men, stick with a dark solid trouser for balance. Pair a silver or black sequin blazer with dark gray pants and black loafers to tie in the look. You can also let your accessories speak for the  new year outfit. Consider adding a sequin bow tie to bring life to a traditional black tux. If sequins aren’t your first choice (or even your last), then velvet is the next best thing! Velvet allows for more coordination between your blazer and footwear choice, as you can incorporate velvet or even suede as a comparable material for your men's new year outfit. Picture this: A gold, velvet blazer with black slacks and matching gold velvet loafers. Can’t forget the infamous New Years glasses to complete the look.

 

 

Author

Kayla Washington
Stately stylist, writer, and designer based in Los Angeles, CA