Lots of you have events and gatherings coming up in the next few weeks, even if it’s a chill evening with your family.

Here are 7 ways to bring all your sparkle into your holiday calendar.

1. Do: Ditch the tote. A tote is great for work and it SAYS work. So whether you’re going to a dressier event or just a low-key dinner with friends, leave it at home. Find a small clutch or crossbody you can tuck a lipstick, credit card, phone, and keys in. This will do more for your holiday style than almost anything else. Trust me. (This one by Clare V would be great for work or casual occasions, too; tuck inside that work tote.)
2. Don’t: Confuse casual with barely dressed. Just because you’re going someplace really casual doesn’t mean you can’t bring a little sparkle to it. Pizza in the neighborhood or watching a game with friends? Sure, wear leggings but pair them with a tunic that has something festive going on. So: jeans: great! dated, damaged, not ok. Sweatshirt: cute/embellished/festive? Great! torn, damaged, dated, stained: not ok. Ditto with shoes: cute fashion sneakers are fine for the right event; dirty gym shoes, not so much. 
3. Do: Break out the luxe fabrics. A client recently bought a velvet tunic dress from Anthropologie and immediately reported that she’d gotten compliments all day when she first wore it. Yasssss! Let’s not save that velvet for “special.” Every day is special, especially this time of year. It just FEELS great to wear something special, and of course especially for more festive events. Velvet, sequins, metallics — go ahead, enjoy them.
4. Don’t: Stick solely to bright red and green. Consider more subtle versions of that classic holiday combination: fuschia and lime, pale pink and forest green, olive and burnt orange. These are all festive but less expected combinations.
5. Do: Wear SOMETHING sparkly. This can just be some J. Crew style earrings or a smattering of sequins on your top. But wear at least one thing that says you’re feeling festive and are treating the occasion like something out of the ordinary.
6. Do: Factor in the whole outfit: coat, umbrella, bag, etc. They all should all look good together and suit the occasion.
7. Don’t: Forget to take advantage of your basics. The building blocks of your office wardrobe can be the basis of a great holiday outfit: a black sheath, black slacks, or a black pencil skirt — any of these could be transformed into a chic holiday outfit with the switch of a top and/or accessories. Add your sparkly accessories and you’re done.