How I’m Styling Velvet Pants for the Holidays

Is it just me, or does time seem to speed up this time of year? Whether it’s the shorter days or a busier calendar, the weeks leading up to the holidays always seem to fly by. In my social circle, holiday gatherings often come together on short notice, and while they’re usually fairly casual, I still want to look festive. So I’ve learned to prep a few holiday outfits before we get too deep into November. This year I’m starting with a pair of velvet pants and styling them three ways for looks that hit my “festive, not fussy” Sweet Spot.

I don’t believe that most of us need a lot of special occasion clothes. My approach to festive dressing is to mix everyday pieces with something a little more special, and use accessories to dial the look up or down. For these outfits, I’ve (mostly) shopped my closet for pieces to style with the velvet pants.

Casual & Cozy: Velvet Pants with an Ivory Sweater

These velvet pants are from Frank & Eileen, a new arrival. I knew as soon as I saw that color that they’d work brilliantly in my wardrobe. The color is in between Cinnamon and Honey in the Spring palette, and close to Old Gold in the Autumn palette (and they’re also available in navy). They run a little small, so I sized up to a Medium. The style says “cropped,” but they’re just below ankle length on 5’1″ me, perfect for wearing with flats. Bonus: they’re machine washable!

Above, for a casual holiday look, I’ve paired them with a relaxed ivory sweater that’s been a favorite for a couple of years now, and gold ruched ballet flats. The bracelet adds some sparkle. I could easily add a sparkly necklace or brooch to dial the look up a notch.

Dinner Ready: Velvet Pants with a Pleated Top

This pleated top is from a prior season at Ruti. You can see how I styled with the matching pants here: Holiday Hosting Outfit. (I hope they bring back these pleated pieces!) I purchased the bag last year for a fancy do, and the shoes are a few years old.

I’d wear this for a holiday dinner or evening out.

Party Ready: Velvet Pants with a Leopard Jacket

Party ready! I picked up this leopard jacket on sale in London, and absolutely love it. (It also works beautifully styled casually with jeans.) I’d wear this look for a cocktail party or dressier holiday event.

Velvet Pants for Cool Color Palettes

If you’re looking for velvet pants in a cool tone, here are a few to consider:
Eileen Fisher | Paige | J.Crew | Evereve | Chico’s | Ann Taylor | NYDJ | Talbots | Loft

Do you have a favorite piece to bring out for holiday gatherings? I’d love to hear how you style it!

I’m working on several more holiday outfit ideas, so keep your eyes open for those. And in the meantime, here’s more festive-not-fussy holiday style inspiration:
Festive Casual Outfits in Neutral Shades | How to Style Burgundy for the Holidays

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