How To Put A Spin On Your Traditional Christmas Looks

The holidays are here again, which means it's time for the usual suspects to start gracing our outfit rotations. Along with Christmas cookies and Bing Crosby, the season brings with it fashion staples that we see year in and year out (is it really Christmas without plaid?). From holiday sweaters to traditional red and green palettes to velvet and sequins, the classics will never go out of style. But if you want to bring a touch of modernity to your festive wardrobe this year, you don't have to part ways with traditional pieces entirely. Putting a spin on classic Christmas looks just requires a little outside-the-box thinking.

Color is one of the best ways to flip your holiday fashion rotation on its head while still channeling that essential festive spirit. By introducing non-traditional colors and using classic shades in different ways, you'll have yourself a set of looks that are still Christmas-appropriate while giving chic instead of boring. You can also experiment with unexpected materials, have fun with patterns and prints, and layer your pieces to make this year's festive fashion your own.

Silver is a Christmas staple, but the shiny metallic pants trend specifically was one of the fleeting crazes of 2023. Keep your Christmas look modern by making silver the star of the show and paying tribute to what's hot in the fashion world. Given that metallic pants are quite a maximalist look — and people sure get tired of those — you might not be able to get away with them next year, so strike while the iron's hot. 

You can still wear your traditional Christmas hues, but blending them with shades that no one expects to see from your holiday closet will save your look from becoming boring or repetitive. Pink is the color that comes to mind — if you can have a Barbiecore Halloween, you can have a Barbiecore Christmas, too. Plus, pink and red pair so well together that it would be a shame not to rock this combo right through the silly season.

Sequins grace outfit rotations every Christmas, but you can make them a little less predictable by going for muted tones. Resist the temptation to reach for a bright-red or green sequin set, and instead go for an earthy shade, like a chocolate or a walnut. You'll still embody the festive spirit, but it will be much less in everybody's face. 

Plaid is a Christmas tradition, and the good news is you don't have to cull it from your wardrobe to keep your festive outfits interesting. Just be picky with the kind of plaid you're going for, and try to incorporate non-traditional elements to the outfit overall. The easiest way is to wear a blue or gray plaid rather than the classic green or red, but you can also wear plaid on a piece that we never usually see in the holidays. A minidress at Christmas dinner is definitely thinking outside the box!

Other than the bright-red tulle skirts you might have worn to your childhood Christmas concerts, tulle is too sheer of a material to be a winter staple. So it's a great fabric to work into your holiday wardrobe. Opt for a lightweight tulle skirt — which can be as extra as you like — and pair it with a winter go-to, like a wool or cashmere sweater. You can finish the look off with your favorite over-the-knee boots to keep your legs warm and ensure the ensemble is still season-appropriate. 

No holiday wardrobe is complete without a sweater of some kind. To keep your looks modern and interesting, leave the scratchy Christmas sweaters for home and let the world see you in a sweater vest instead. Linen vests were the unexpected-yet-breezy staple piece of the summer, so carry that energy into winter with a sweater vest layered over a dress if you're feeling girly, or a button-down shirt to give boss babe. Just keep it Christmas-y with a traditional color, and you're good to go. 

As you can see, there's no need to banish traditional colors entirely; simply find new ways of wearing them. Find tones in the classic palettes that we don't normally see at Christmas, like mint instead of moss, or merlot instead of cherry. You can also go for a pattern or print, since the attention is likely to be drawn to the gingham or houndstooth instead of the shade itself. Finally, try limiting your classic hues to accents only — shoes and bags in red or green can still pay homage to the season while keeping your 'fit fresh.