Holiday Parties

Necklace from Talbots ($49!)

Boden's ideas for what to wear to holiday festivities are, of course, wonderful. But before you spend a small fortune at Boden or elsewhere, please do one if not both of these things:

1. Survey what you already have that can be worn to holiday gatherings and parties. Would just one accessory or a new top help create some new looks?

2. Survey your friends' closets! What do they have that you can borrow this season? Be sure to open your closets to them as well, and when you return what you borrowed, make sure it is in pristine condition, dry-cleaned if necessary.

3. Shop consignment stores. You can find beautiful clothing, jewelry, scarves and sparkly purses at these places for a fraction of their original cost. Alpha Thrift Stores in Santa Barbara are also places to hunt for original, sparkly jewelry.

I just purchased a pretty sparkly brooch that I plan to wear to my holiday events. I am also going to wear some fun stockings with my velvet skirts to update them, and I will wear some sequined headbands I got on sale at J. Crew at the end of the season last December.