How To Dress Like An It Girl For Christmas

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The time when we get to deck the halls, buy unlimited presents, eat unlimited cookies, and never wear the same thing twice. If fashion had an Olympics, Christmas would be it, and we would all be gold medalists. Peak It Girl season begins the day after Thanksgiving.

Christmas is a favorite time of year for many reasons. For one, the hygge lifestyle, cozy blankets, crackling fires, and hot chocolate, is not only welcome but encouraged. Add twinkling lights and the Jonas Brothers playing on loop in the background, and the sights and sounds could not be more adorable. But most importantly, on what other occasion do we have the excuse to wear sequins, velvet, and fur all in one night? Answer: there is none.

And then there’s the parties. Christmas and New Year’s parties are some of the most epic of the year, maybe second only to those held during wedding season. The lights, the music, the decor. Holiday parties are truly unlike any other. As far as your duties as a guest go, it doesn’t matter what dish you bring, but it does matter very much what you are serving, as in wearing, for three very important reasons:

Reason #1: At said party, there will be pictures, and they will be everywhere. And even if no one at the party remembers what you wore, the internet will, and the internet is forever. Better make it count.

Reason #2: As mentioned previously, in this day and age, we don’t get that many opportunities to dress up. Whether you’re a student, young professional, or new mom, most of our lives are pretty formulaic. Get up, put on something comfy, slay, home by 7 p.m. Rinse and repeat. This time of year? Different story. Friend parties, work parties, family parties, school parties, the parties abound, and with them, the opportunities to dress up. Frilly Rent the Runway dress: $200. Being Martha May Whovier for the night? Priceless.

Reason #3: We all have an inner diva that is just begging to come out. It’s true. She's there, and she deserves her time to shine. She has lain dormant for far too long. You owe it to her to blow out your hair, put on some fancy tights and heels, and rock the night away. The “starting to resemble my couch” aesthetic is not doing anything for your holiday cheer levels.

Now that you’re 100 percent convinced it’s worth it, how does one go about dressing to impress this holiday season? We have the complete Christmas It Girl Code. There are three cardinal rules: sequins, velvet, and patterned tights. Also hair bows. And shoe bows. Any and all bows. Because while some holiday fashion trends come and go, the essentials stay the same. When in doubt, stick to the code.

Sequins

If Christmas fashion had a tagline, it would be “all that glitters.” Luckily for us, sequins are never not chic. Recent runways back this up. This applies doubly during the holiday season. Sequins provide instant glitz and glam and have the bonus feature of reflecting the minimal light we experience during this otherwise dim season (where is my vitamin D lamp at?). Thus, sequins are practically essential when “All I Want For Christmas” is on repeat. Queen Mariah understood this.

Bows

The golden rule when it comes to both outfits and presents is that when in doubt, put a bow on it. Be it a hair bow, a back bow, or a shoe bow, fashion bows are always a yes for les cool girls. Lending instant femininity with a dash of coquette, a well placed bow not only looks exquisite but gives the illusion of polished put-togetherness, even when your life is not. We fake it till we make it. Bows help.

Velvet

If it seems obvious that during the coldest, harshest time of the year you would want something incredibly soft and luxurious on your bod as comfort, that’s because it is. What better way to rage against the winter machine than to cloak yourself in some of the softest material known to woman. Velvet also looks twice as expensive as it is, making you look twice as rich as you are, which is an excellent way to snag an invitation to an exclusive NYE bash later this month. And if you style it right, you could rewear the heavenly soft goodness to that party as well without anyone even noticing, depending on the sobriety level of those in attendance.

Saucy tights

Non boring tights have a special place in every fashion girl’s heart. An incredibly easy way to sauce up an outfit, you can’t go wrong with a patterned, bejeweled, or bedazzled tight. Some favorites are lace, rhinestone, or unexpected colors like burgundy or forest green. They may not provide much in the way of protection from the elements, but cute tights can highlight your best asset, and how hard you worked on leg day, if you do it right.

Fur

“Mob wife for life” is, and always should be, the goal. Big fur is the way to get there. Whether it be a long coat, a saucy throw, or an unexpected accent, fur goes with just about everything and uplevels your outfit with almost no effort. For It Girls, cozy, bougie fur is a no brainer this holiday season.

Silk

Tell me you’re a high value catch without telling me you’re a high value catch. Silk does the talking. A silky slip dress with the right tights and a big fur coat is one of the sexiest things you can wear this season while keeping it PG for the folks at home. For Christmas It Girl preeminence, a touch of silk is non negotiable.

Something green

If weddings are for blue, then Christmas is for green. One of the prettiest colors that exists (biased judge here) there are a multitude of options when it comes to green, and there’s a shade for everyone. So whether it’s olive, forest, or anything in between, something green is a definite yes for your holiday season debut.

Your move

Even Jools Lebron would agree, Christmas is no time to be demure. The reason for the season is to remind yourself, and everyone else, of your place in the hierarchy. Hint: it’s reigning It Girl, always. To accomplish this, Christmas style calls for volume. Scale. We want to hear Handel’s Hallelujah playing in our heads as you walk by. So whether you’re dressing to impress your boss, your man, or yourself this Christmas, appearance is everything, and making the most of it is advised. Stick to the It Girl Code and you’re guaranteed a full social calendar into 2026. And whether or not you accept the invitations, at least you’ll be holding the cards.