Holiday outfit ideas

By Fatima Yazdi

December 19, 2020

Image Credit: Fatima Yazdi for The Campus Trainer

​With finals season in session and the holidays right around the corner, it seems like there's so much on our plates right now. But one thing you won’t have to worry about is outfit ideas for your holiday celebrations. From cute and comfy to a grunge moment, we’ve got you covered with holiday outfit inspiration. 

Whether dressing up is not your style or you just want to be cozy, it’s always good to have a cute, comfy outfit ready to go. A sweater is a great place to start. You can even go with an oversized one if that’s more comfortable. 

Pair the sweater with a pair of plaid pants, straight or flare cut, and this will elevate the look but still keep you comfortable. A monochromatic look is also a great choice here. An all grey, brown or even just black look is easy to recreate, and you can choose the color based on your style!

Accessories are what's truly going to take your cozy holiday look to the next level. Pair the pants with a leather belt and gold hoops, and feel free to stack necklaces to your liking. If you’re going to wear your look out, throw on a beanie to match the outfit. The beauty of this cozy look is that your foundation is simple yet classy, so there’s plenty of room to accessorize. 

The comfortable holiday look is a popular choice amongst students. Freshman journalism major Josie Jack is a fan of this look, as she describes her style as more cozy and cute. 

“I usually go with a sweater, jeans, booties and either a scarf or a necklace. I’d probably go with darker colors like purple or burgundy and dark wash jeans and gold jewelry,” Jack said.

If you’re looking for a go-to chic outfit, think coats. Coats are the easiest way to layer and keep you warm, while still looking put together. From a faux fur coat to a long trench coat, there are so many options that you can choose from based on your style. 

Once you’ve selected your coat of choice, there are two looks that are simple to recreate. First, you can pair your coat with a skirt, tights and a turtleneck. A red plaid skirt paired with a black or grey sweater will easily give you that classic holiday look. 

An alternative would be to pair your coat with your favorite pair of jeans and a sweater or a nice blouse to match. When you’re dealing with neutrals, it's easy to mix and match colors. However, if you want to stay on-brand with holiday colors, choosing one of your pieces to be red or burgundy will easily do that for you. A red or white turtleneck will go well with any cut of denim jeans.
 
Here comes the fun part: accessories! Some fun ways to accessorize with this chic holiday look would be with hair accessories like a velvet headband, or with a pair of boots, specifically, knee-high boots. 
 
“For Thanksgiving, my go-to holiday outfit always includes knee-high suede boots with a skirt and sweater or top of some sort,” freshman business major Kristina Dunne said. “I love knee-high suede boots and only wear them around the holiday season, they can be worn with different kinds of articles of clothing to either dress an outfit up or just serve as a fun, edgy and different accessory for me that I don’t wear all the time, while also keeping me warm!”
 
Based on your style, feel free to elevate any of these looks. Instead of a sweater, you can recreate this chic look with a silk top or a collared blouse. You can also choose a leather or corduroy skirt over a plaid one. It’s the holiday season, also known as the perfect excuse to dress up. Even if you’ll be dressing up just to go to your living room, it’s still fun to get in the holiday spirit with a festive outfit.
 
“This Christmas, I plan on wearing a black ruched velvet dress with fake diamonds down the middle and heels,” Dunne said. “I love wearing velvet, knit and corduroy material in the winter, because it isn’t something that is worn a ton, or worn year-round. It is a warmer material that looks fancy and I definitely try to incorporate these materials in my holiday outfits in some way, whether that be a dress, skirt or shirt I am wearing as part of my outfit.”
 
Last but certainly not least, we have to have a winter grunge look planned. Flannel is definitely holiday appropriate and easy to incorporate for this look. You can start with any flannel of choice, and pair it with an oversized sweater and black jeans. This look would go perfectly with a pair of combat boots or Converse. 
 
If you want the grunge look but a bit more dressed up, pair the flannel with a sweater dress and tights. Adjust the colors of the flannel and sweater to your personal preference.
 
“I think darker colors look great during Christmas time because I like to take pictures by a fire, my Christmas tree or outside in the snow. Wearing a dark and warm color makes you stand out against the bright snow or fire or brightly lit Christmas tree,” Dunne said.
 
All of these looks can be adjusted to your wardrobe and personal style. You can take inspiration from the styles and go with monochromatic looks or go festive with holiday colors!