What to Wear For Holiday Gatherings and Dinner Dates

This month is all about getting a bit more dressed up and I'm actually looking forward to it. I have a few holiday gatherings and dinner dates on the calendar, but nothing super fancy and I'm ok with it. I may buy a few items with sparkle and velvet to wear for the holiday gatherings, but most will be items I can wear again after the season such as a tailored blazer, chic white jacket, black dress or a great pair of shoes.

Here's a little round-up of some items I would wear this holiday, New Years Eve and good pieces to have in your closet for special gatherings:

The dress I'm wearing above. Love a dark green hue for the holidays and you can wear it later, too.
You can never go wrong with black for the holidays. Some standouts are this sexy black piece, this silky number, this velvet blazer and matching pants, which I just purchased. I love the velvet outfit paired with an ivory camisole or white blouse.
I just found a beautiful bronzey sequin skirt at a local shop to pair with a sweater, but it was a little more than I wanted to spend. I do love sequins this time of year and you can find so many pieces at all different price points. Some that have caught my eye include this pretty affordable top to pair with black trousers, this skirt to pair with a black blazer and this cool dress.
I have a few parties at friends homes this year so depending on my mood, I will mostly go with a festive party top. Here are some that I have my eye on—this lacey blouse, this black and gold number to wear with denim, a shiny green one for holiday and this colorful sleeveless number. Also, I'm loving this chic jacket, which I just scooped up. It's so good with a camisole underneath and black denim or trousers.
Most importantly, you don't need to buy something new for the holiday season. I think just getting a new bag, great pair of party heels and some new earrings can jazz up pieces without breaking the bank. Some of the finishing touches I'm loving right now are these affordable earrings, a silver dangling pair to go with sparkly tops and dresses and a pair of these beautiful gemstone earrings. I love party heels such as these and a metallic pair too.