One of my favorite things to do is to style outfits using the things that I already own. There have been times when I’ve went to my closet to put my pajamas on and have ended up putting outfits together instead. I can’t be the only one who does this, right?!

With a number of holiday gatherings coming up, I didn’t want to be tempted to go shopping for the “perfect” holiday look, especially when I have a lot of great items already, so I shopped my closet instead.

Also, one of my favorite posts that I’ve ever written has been on how to style a skirt 3 different ways. The act of putting that post together was so helpful to me in terms of finding ways to wear something that was otherwise being neglected. That skirt even makes an appearance in this post, so it was pretty effective.

With these things on my mind, I decided that it would be fun to put together 3 looks for the upcoming holiday season. These are primarily cold weather looks as I live in an area where the late fall / early winter weather can be quite unpredictable.

A few of the things I’ve included are new, a few are items that are new to me (aka, secondhand), and the rest I’ve had for quite some time. The key items that really stood out to me have rich autumnal tones. I have been incorporating more color into my wardrobe lately and I can’t think of a better time to wear these gorgeous colors than the holidays.

For this look, I was drawn to this plaid top. I have had this top for a few seasons and I think of the holidays whenever I see it in my closet.

From there, I selected this windowpane skirt. I like how the square pattern of the plaid is congruent with the square pattern on the skirt.

I added a pair of leggings for warmth. And black booties to create a long, clean line.

For accessories, I added a gold curved bar necklace and my everyday watch.

To keep the chill out, I added a vintage cashmere coat, a black wool scarf, and my vintage Coach bag.

This olive silk shirt is a new addition to my wardrobe. I bought it at a secondhand shop the same time that I found the vintage cashmere coat in the above look.

I knew that I wanted to include this top in a holiday look so this was the first piece that I selected. On a whim, I grabbed these Everlane wide leg pants. I wasn’t sure how the colors were going to go together but I think they photographed and wear beautifully.

A heel is a nice compliment to a wide leg pant so I included these leopard print mules from Able. And since I won’t have to do a lot of outside walking, I think that not wearing socks will be fine.

The accessories I incorporated include a vintage gold metal belt that I have had for a long time, a double layer necklace from Soko, and my everyday watch.

I finished the look with a navy mid-weight blazer with gold buttons, which ties in with the gold accessories, and a cream scarf that I bought as a souvenir from Copenhagen over 10 years ago.

As soon as I saw this burgundy velvet duster coat, I was in love. I found it during the same secondhand shopping trip as the silk shirt and the cashmere coat. It was a very good day!

Whenever I go shopping, I have a plan with a list of items that I would like to add to my closet. On that particular day, my list included a tan wool coat, a silk shirt and a tan handbag. I found 2 of the 3 items. I was not able to locate a tan handbag though.

However, if I find something really special, I will allow myself to add it to my closet, as long as I have a hanger available for it. I had no problem making room for this coat.

With it’s beautiful texture and amazing beadwork, I wanted this coat to be the focal point of the outfit so I decided to keep the rest of the outfit monochrome to allow it to stand out. I added an Everlane bodysuit and jeans, which are new items that I recently ordered, for a more laid back, comfortable look.

Black socks and black patent shoes are a comfortable compliment to the jeans.

I finished the look with a pair of simple gold hoops and my everyday watch.

Well, that’s it folks.

Will you be going the dressy or casual route for your holiday styles?

Tell me, do you enjoy these kinds of posts?  And what was your favorite look (1, 2 or 3)?

– xG