There’s nothing I love more than sitting by the fireplace around the holidays with a festive drink in hand and my favorite pajama set on. But if the opportunity arises, I love dressing up as well. Whether dressing up for Friendsgiving, a holiday gathering or New Year’s Eve, there is no wrong way to go about it.
I never allowed the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to change how I dressed for the holidays. Doing so gave me more of a purpose since I was already grateful to be healthy and surrounded by family and friends. To me, it’s always important to keep comfort in mind, but that doesn’t mean you cannot still have all the glitz and glam, too.
My favorite holiday outfit for Christmas Eve includes a silk mini dress, sometimes paired with tights, a bold-colored pair of lace-up heels or boots depending on my mood, all paired with silver jewelry. Wearing something like this truly boosts not only my mood but my holiday spirit. However, there is nothing wrong with taking the cozy route if that brings you joy.
Meguire Hennes, a senior fashion studies major, agrees that being comfortable at your holiday gathering should be your top priority.
“It’s completely up to you if you want to dress up or down for the holidays,” Hennes said. “The holidays can be a difficult time for some people, so wear whatever makes you feel confident in your body, your emotions and your overall well-being. Wear something that makes you feel beautiful, whether that be a red slip dress or Grinch pajamas.”
Senior fashion studies major Meguire Hennes says being comfortable at a holiday gathering should be one’s top priority.
Photo courtesy of Abby Cummings
Hennes mentioned how this year, she will be ditching her normal sweatpants for something that makes her feel confident after a long year of sweats.
“This year I’ll be wearing a silk bow in my hair, as I’ve seen a lot of celebrities bringing back that trend,” Hennes said.
This past holiday, she opted for the combination of pajamas and jumpsuits. It is a family tradition to wear matching pajamas with her sisters on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. But on Christmas Eve, she wore a dark blue velvet jumpsuit with a tie around the middle just to cinch the waist and paired it with navy boots to elevate the look.
Mackenzie Sanczyk, a senior fashion studies major, enjoys dressing up for the holidays when away from Montclair State University. Although her rotation of items for this time of the year includes a cozy sweater, pants and boots, she also likes to play it up a bit.
“My favorite piece to wear for the holidays is a sweater dress,” Sanczyk said.
Mackenzie Sanczyk loves getting off campus and dressing up for the holidays.
Photo courtesy of Abby Cummings
Sanczyk wore a classic look last holiday season. It included a light gray, cropped turtleneck with a black leather skirt, paired with black stockings and black booties.
Lucy Sanowski, a junior fashion studies major, enjoys wearing dresses and sweaters with some kind of gold or shimmer details for the holidays.
“This past holiday my outfit consisted of a mock neck sweater with a light puff on the shoulder area, and gold shimmer threads on the edge of the sleeves,” Sanowski said. “My bottoms were pink/beige-colored plaid pants with a flare at the bottom. I paired it with simple gold jewelry such as small hoop earrings and gold rings.”
Lucy Sanowski combines style and comfort in all her outfits.
Photo courtesy of Abby Cummings
Sanowski always dresses up this time of year and is no stranger to having the best of both worlds when it comes to mixing glam and comfort while dressing for classes.
As stated by all the interviewees, the most important thing you can do when styling yourself this holiday season is to make sure you feel comfortable. Take the opportunity this holiday season to try an outfit you’ve always wanted to. Fashion is a great way to keep your spirits up and spread holiday cheer while you’re at it.
