What to Wear to a Home Holiday Party: Festive Casual

Welcome back to our 12 Days of Holiday Outfits series!! Today we’re going to discuss What To Wear to a Home Holiday Party.

We recently discussed what to wear to a company holiday party, and I focused on cocktail attire. Most home parties don’t call for so much fancy. For holiday parties hosted in people’s homes, I usually go for trousers or dressy jeans with a festive top. This is my favorite kind of outfit to put together. I’m going to have to hold myself back from putting together 155 outfits on Polyvore!

I go to several of these types of events each season so I actually have some photos I can share as well. Most home parties are fairly casual, but at holiday time, you’ll definitely want to turn it up a notch with a fab accessory or two and maybe some sparkle in your outfit.

What to Wear to a Home Holiday Party: Festive Casual

You can always pull out your favorite dressy skinny jeans and pair them with a sparkly top or sweater. This is the route I usually take.

Shop this look: WHBM Embellished Black Top // DL1961 Florence Skinny Jeans // black suede pumps // Stella & Dot Vintage Crystal Studs, Bardot Spiral Bangle and Piper Necklace // Mesh Minaudier Clutch

Since this is my go-to look for casual holiday parties, I have a few past outfits I can show you! This is what I wore last year for New Year’s Eve, and it would go for any house party at holiday time. The gray stripes in the top have a sparkle to them, making this casual top (a Gap purchase many years ago) perfect for a festive event in a casual venue. I wore black cords, and then I added jewelry and high heels to make it more fancy.

I wore a similar outfit for a daytime holiday event I attended last year, but I wore jeans and wedge boots. This top is another one I’ve had for years. I like that both of these have sleeves so I’m not freezing. And yes, I did add accessories before going out. I’m not sure why I took a picture without them!

Here’s another fun idea for a casual but festive holiday outfit. Take it up a notch with white on white.

Shop this look: WHBM Embellished Cowl Neck Sweater // White Stretch Corduroy Skinny Pants // Kate Spade Cobble Hill Mini Carson Crossbody in Big Smoke // Tory Burch Reva Ballet Flat // Stella & Dot Soiree Studs and Signature Charm Bracelet

The components can still be fairly casual, but putting whites together instantly elevates an outfit to something a little bit special. I love this embellished cowl neck sweater from White House Black Market. Look closely, as it also has some texture to the sweater in addition to the embellishment on the cowl. In fact, this sweater is on my short list. I think I need it in my life.

You could wear it with gray jeans or cords, but I think it looks stunning with these white cords I found at Nordstrom. Or perhaps you have white cords or jeans in your closet.

Accessorize with silver and gray, and you have a monochromatic look that is comfortable but special enough for a holiday party.

For an edgier look, consider a pair of leatherette leggings. I KNOW. A bunch of you are going to tell me you can’t pull it off, but if you’ve been wanting to try them, these are super on trend this year, and what better time to debut an edgy new look than a festive holiday party?? I found these at Nordstrom. There are tons to choose from, and they’re not that expensive.

I’d pair these with a blouse or something not too form fitting to offset the impact of the pants. This outfit calls for a great shoe. You could totally wear black pumps, but I chose a shootie to feature in this look.

Since the outfit is a statement in and of itself, I would go light on accessories. I chose one fabulous pair of earrings (Stella & Dot, of course) and a metallic clutch. And I’m totally crushing on that limited edition red nail polish by Bobbi Brown.

Shop this look: Ann Taylor Pleated Keyhole Blouse // Leatherette Leggings // metal mesh clutch //Stella & Dot Allegra Earrings // Madden Girl Ginger Shootie // Bobbi Brown Limited Edition Nail Color in Cherry Tomato

Want more fashion inspiration? Be sure you’re following my Fall & Winter Fashion board on Pinterest.

Follow Jo-Lynne Shane’s board Fall & Winter Fashion for Moms on Pinterest.

In case you missed it, I’m partnering with Kristin from BonBon Rose Girls and Cindy Spivey from Walking in Grace and Beauty to bring you 12 days of posts about what to wear for EVERY event this holiday season so be sure to visit both of them to see what outfits they put together for a home holiday party look!

See more 12 Days of Holiday Outfits, and don’t forget to enter to win a $250 Gift Card to Rack Room Shoes!