5 Ways to Feel Instantly Dressed for the Winter Holiday Season
From the style guide Studies in Fantastical Beauty: Sparkle and Glow
The holidays are here, and the thought of getting dressed can feel… overwhelming. But what if you could look festive in minutes?. Here are five simple ways to quickly transform ordinary outfits into something that feels considered and celebratory. Each idea works with items you already own, for holiday gathering from morning to midnight.
1. Add Light
Every outfit changes when you introduce light. That might mean intense sparkle such as a metallic thread, beaded trim, or the glint of gemstone jewelry catching movement, but it can also be subtler such as with the shine of polished leather, a glossy lip, or a satin scarf.
Try:
Replace one matte surface with something reflective (switch out a cotton tee for a silk one, or your wool coat for a velvet blazer)
Shift your jewelry to where it catches motion: earrings if you’re animated, bracelets if you gesture, brooches if you are still.
Bonus: test your look under evening light. What glows, what flattens, what sparkles too much?
2. Add Structure
When an outfit feels shapeless, introduce one sculpted element (e.g. a blazer, belt, or structured bag), and let everything else flow. Structure gives polish and can make any outfit feel more dressed up, while fluid movement gives ease and can make an outfit feel more relaxed or casual. The combination can often create quiet glamour.
Try:
Wide leg trousers with a sharp shoulder line.
Layer a crisp shirt beneath something soft or slouchy (my current favorites is a mohair tube top over a button up).
Use a belt (even a scarf) to redefine shape without stiffness.
3. Juxtapositions for the End of the Year
Juxtaposition is a quick way to make simple outfits look styled. Combine opposites such as shine and matte, dressy and casual, and structured and fluid. When you mix unlike textures or silhouettes, you create intentionality, which always reads as intentionally dressed.
Try:
Satin skirt + chunky knit.
Crisp shirt + fluid trousers.
Velvet + denim.
Patent shoes if the outfit is soft, or suede if your outfit gleams.
4. Add Drama (In Scale or Focus)
Sometimes “dressed up” simply means giving the eye somewhere to land. That could be a large earring, a bold collar, or one color carried through your look like a theme. You don’t need to pile things on, just select one element that’s slightly too much for your everyday proportions.
Try:
Wear your hair up to show earrings or neckline details.
Add one oversize accessory (earrings, cuff, brooch, or hairpiece).
Choose one focal area: face, hands, or shoes, and keep everything else restrained.
5. Palette of the season
Wearing a color associated with the season can really add to the festive mood, and combining multiples brings the theme full on. You may have another color you associate with the season, such as sapphire blue or deep violet. Wearing what personally makes you feel festive is one of the quickest seasonal transformations you can make.
For this time of year try:
All reds and burgundies
Bold or deep greens
Silver, champagne, gold
Pure black and white but in festive fabrics
Getting dressed up doesn’t have to be about more stuff, but about more intention. The same outfit can feel casual or magical depending on how it interacts with light, texture, and energy. Once you start noticing those relationships, you can create beauty anywhere, even from the pieces you’ve worn a hundred times.
Bonus: The Sparkle Scale
If you’re drawn to shimmer but never know how much is “too much,” explore your comfort zone on The Sparkle Scale by learning about the five levels of sparkle to enhance the season.
→ [Download The Sparkle Scale Free Guide]
Read More:
Explore the full illustrated style guide with general style capsules and subtype spotlights in Studies in Fantastical Beauty: Sparkle and Glow