It’s that time of the year! This past Friday we attended our first Christmas party of the season and I’m reminded of how fun it is to dress up for the evening and mingle with friends. There are so many reasons to celebrate in December – work dinners, cookie exchanges, cocktail parties – and usually wearing something a bit more fancy is all part of the fun.

Here are three ideas that I love – from the dressy dinner to the weeknight happy hour to the black tie event here’s a bit of inspiration for different styles of entertaining:

For a Friday night celebration, I’d pair these velvet leggings with a sexy pair of glitter pumps and a slouchy satin dress. Add a splash of color in the clutch, a chunky necklace to break up the boatneck dress and matching earrings and you’re set. This sequin cropped jacket is the perfect topper! Would look great on another night paired with jeans and a white tee – it could easily become my holiday go-to piece.

For a more casual event such as happy hour or a cookie exchange, pair metallic heels with a flattering blouse and bootcut jeans. Corral it all in with a knitted sweater and braided belt, and add contrasting color in your accessories. This style board is perfect for any time of the year.

Finally, if you’re one of the lucky few to attend a black tie event this Christmas, keep it simple but add plenty of sparkle (you really can only get away with it a few times a year…) and pair with flashy nude pumps (these Charles David heels come in over a dozen different colors! I love the structural look of this shoe). Again, choose your favorite ‘pop’ of color – whether that’s turquoise, fuchsia, royal blue… – and tie it in through jewelry.

For sources, pricing and more style boards, jump to this link. *Sigh* so many great reasons to love this time of the year.