Making my list, checking it twice

When picking out the right outfit for parties this season, I hope I can help out the guys with some ideas I’ve tried (and will be trying) for the holiday season…

(1) My first is my default. Safe for almost any occasion. (This outfit has made many appearances at holiday parties with friends, family and colleagues) For the pants I choose a pair dark denim jeans and black slip on loafers. I layer a pink express 1MX shirt with a coordinating tie in lime green and magenta (a play on the Christmas red and green). Top off with a cable night shawl sweater in beige and I’m ready for a fireside egg nog and long chats with friends.

(2) The holiday party hosted by my department calls for (I kid you not) “semi-formal” attire. Not business casual, not even business, but semi-formal. I guess it gives me a chance to pull out the full suit. I like a blue suit jacket and pants, grey vest and a tie that picks up on the blues/silver/white of the weather this season. If your office party isn’t so specific with dress, I’m in love with the modern thin lapel tuxedo jacket and argyle sweater. Get those dress denim jeans and shoes from (1) and you are set for a spiffy modern business casual look.

The next few outfits are inspired by ornaments and decorations from some of my favorite Christmas trees:

(3) Our tree from a few years ago in Berlin inspires this first outfit. Germans really stretch the seasonal colors scheme and we fell in love with their use of an unusual Christmas color—orange. I paired a blue shirt with an orange striped tie, added a blue blazer and some fun plaid pants from J. Crew and viola! An eccentric festive combo, unexpected and interesting.

(4) I love purple on me. I’m light skinned, blondish hair and grey green eyes. Purple looks stellar on me and of course, purple creeps in and makes a lovely appearance on my yearly Christmas tree too! (vanity vanity!) So I matched my own ornaments with a purple, on purple layer look. With my tie for BCBG, I added the orange that I loved so much from our German Christmas. Coordinating herringbone brown slacks. And Ta-dah! My favorite outfit for Christmas trees and me!

(5) Lastly, I put together an outfit inspired by the new-old fad of aluminum Christmas trees. I love this “space-age” look. I wish I had the room to have a real tree (a must in my household) and a trendy aluminum tree, but alas tiny graduate student living spaces don’t allow for the Martha Stewart Christmas extravagance in my dreams. So I put together an outfit in my fav vintage tree color. Pink! Like an Airstream RV from the 1950s, this in streamlined to the max! The black on pink combo makes such a sleek statement, and I love my CK glasses with this outfit. Modern and nostalgic. Perfect for the party.

I want to mention one more topic that has yet to be addressed by Fashionable Academics. While most of the night is spent indoors, arriving in great outwear is equally important. I recently went on a quest to find a belted trench coat for this season. And while my heart was set on a Burberry one that would have sent my checking account into the deepest of reds, I found exactly what I was looking for at (drum roll please…..) Goodwill!! A belted London Fog trench coat for $6. I’ll take it! So don’t forget your outwear, while picking out your next party wardrobe. When they take your coat, they’ll be asking where you got it!

Happy Holidays everyone! And remember, It’s cold out there….bundle up!