inexpensive holiday outfit inspiration.
i'll admit, i'm feeling a bit lackluster in my holiday style this year. i've opted out of buying anything new (waaaaah!) until after i know what christmas brings, but because of my recent closet purges, i haven't really added anything that i feel exceptionally festive in.i decided that i'm going to rely on my staple outfits, but i'll add some festive holiday flair to them with some inexpensive items. think tights, socks, scarves, makeup and jewelry. it's not exactly a reinvention of the wheel, but i think we all find ourselves in a place where we don't have the "perfect" outfit and need a way to make what we have work for the occasion.i honestly get a lot of inspiration for this from my friends. in particular, my friend caitlin is notoriously good at looking perfect for whatever occasion she's in, whether it's brunch or a bachelorette party, while hanna (she's actually a cousin-friend) is amazing at using accessories + jewelry to look amazing ALL THE TIME. every time i'm with either of them, i'm like, alright, i am going to look adorable every day by copying them. it usually lasts for two days until i fall back into my old ways, but every now and again (like during the holidays), i get reinspired and try my best to live up to their awesomeness.for the sake of this post, i'm going to take one dress and show how with a few changes to little things, you can have multiple outfits to wear to holiday events (which, if you're anything like me, you have plenty of).
scarf + tights + hair
scarf: CAbi | dress: stitchfix | tights: target | shoes: macys (old, similar here) | makeup favorites: here
my original plan for this look was to wear my cranberry tights, because cranberry is festive and also you know i love it. but then i realized my cranberry tights had a HUGE run in them (please tell me that happened when i got home from wherever i wore them last, amen.) and had to improvise. i like how the purple tights turned out! they're not too flashy for those of you who don't like that sort of thing, but they add a fun, unexpected pop of color in a not too obvious holiday way. a topknot is always a good idea when going for the holiday vibe (and also when you were out at the last party too late and decided that washing your hair was overrated).
shoes + jewelry
necklace: CAbi | shoes: banana republic (old, similar here)
you can't go wrong with leopard shoes. that's a fact. they're basically a neutral, and yet they scream, LOOK AT HOW GREAT AND FUN I AM! tell me, where is the downside? i paired these with the same purple tights as before, but you could wear black tights, grey tights, any tights with these, or go bare-legged if you live in a climate suitable for that sort of craziness. and i'm not usually a statement necklace sort of gal, but if any occasion calls for some glitz around your neck parts, it's a holiday party.
makeup + jewelry
makeup favorites: here | eyeshadow + bronzer: urban decay naked on the run palette (unavailable) | lips: revlon (similar here) | necklace: target (old)
i love a bold lip any old time of year. give me orange lips in the summer, berry lips in the fall, and fuschia lips ALWAYS. but never is there a more fitting time for a classic red lip than the christmas holiday. it's color appropriate, it's fun, and it goes with everything. paired with some brown + slightly sparkly eyes, it's classic without being boring. the palette i used for the eyes is unavailable, but use any matte light/dark browns with some brown/gold shimmer and you'll match it easily. i went for a colorful necklace here to complement my lips and because my dress is so neutral, but it would be so cool to get something big and shiny and neutral to wear with something more colorful or festive.
hope you liked these ideas and that they gave you a bit of inspiration for this week. let me know if you're like me and constantly looking for last-minute holiday outfits. what are your tips + tricks for making it work without going online shopping crazy?
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