For years, I thought I needed a new and interesting outfit for every holiday event. Thankfully, there is an easier and cheaper way to enjoy winter festivities. The secret’s hiding in plain sight — in your closet.

Truth is, you probably already own most of the pieces required to build several polished, fun holiday party outfits. Maybe you invest in a few fun accessories or a new nail color. At worst, a cute top or two might be on your shopping list. But you shouldn’t need more than that to party through this holiday season in style.

Let’s talk about how to shop your closet for festive holiday outfits.

Start with a quick inventory

Your first step is to spend some time in your closet, taking stock of what you have. Pieces that can be excellent building blocks for holiday party outfits include:

• Layering basics in the right colors. Turtlenecks and long-sleeved tops in dark or metallic colors can add drama to warm-weather dresses.
• Tidy, versatile bottoms. Dark-wash jeans, black pencil skirts, and wide-leg pants can easily anchor outfits for more casual holiday gatherings.
• Textures. Faux leathers, silks, velvets, and soft knits can elevate simple outfits to party-worthy in a flash.
• Pieces in power colors. Blouses and skirts in gold, silver, bronze, or red could be your MVPs this party season.
• Statement shoes and bags. Embellished shoes or bags can upgrade basics in the same way textures can.
• Dresses and jumpsuits. It only takes a bold accessory to refresh — and rewear — an old LBD or LBJ.

Choose a color strategy

You don’t need head-to-toe sequins to look holiday ready. A few intentional color choices can shift an everyday outfit into that party vibe.

• Aim for classic holiday palettes. Think red with black, ivory with gold, black with silver, or emerald with navy.
• Opt for monochrome. An outfit that relies on a single color can be quite dramatic in December, especially if you include textural variation. Black, silver, dark greys, and even red are candidates.
• Pair neutral with a pop of color. A red sweater or a jewel-toned scarf easily draws the eyes away from the black skirt you’ve worn 100 times.

Lean on outfit formulas that work

These outfit formulas can inspire if nothing in your closet speaks to you.

Repurpose first

Once you have an outfit idea in mind, look through your single-use pieces to see what you can repurpose. You don’t need to hire a seamstress. For example, you could:

• Update a summer slip dress by adding a turtleneck underneath or a sweater over the top. Add tights if you need extra warmth. The silky texture of that slip dress will fit right into the holiday party scene.
• Reuse a wedding guest dress by wearing it like a skirt. Add a blouse or sweater over the top and reach for boots instead of heels.
• Pair work trousers – or a pencil skirt — with a slinky or lace cami, fine jewelry, and sexy heels for a sophisticated evening look.

Finish with accessories and makeup   

Ideally, you can build the bones of holiday outfits from your closet and limit your shopping to accessories and makeup. Some purchases that can bring the holiday drama include:

• Statement jewelry
• Metallic clutch
• Satin blouse
• Sparkly or velvet shoes
• Red lipstick or gold nail color
• Smokey eyeshadow

Here are some picks from Amazon for inspiration.

You wouldn’t combine all of these into one outfit, but you could use one or two. For example, you might opt for a smokey eye and velvet shoes but then go monochrome on your outfit and nude on your lips and nails. You need that balance between bold and understated. Otherwise, you may end up looking more Halloween than holiday.  

Inspiration from Instagram

If the creative juices aren’t flowing yet, these completed Instagram looks should give you some ideas.

Holiday outfits that don’t break your budget

You don’t need a new outfit for every December event. You just need to get creative with what’s already in your closet. Pull out the textures, play with color, lean on accessories, and remix pieces you haven’t worn together before.