Two Casual Outfits for New Year’s Eve

How are you spending New Year’s Eve? Dinner with friends? A casual evening playing Trivial Pursuit? Or Pictionary? Lol! We’ve spent many NYE’s doing just that. So you want to dress a bit festive but definitely in the relaxed mode. Well, I’ve got two casual outfits for New Year’s Eve for last-minute inspiration.

These outfits are the kind you can easily put together, and I suspect you already have these items in your closet.

Two Casual Outfits for New Year’s Eve

Outfit #1

Here are three steps to the easiest dressy outfit:

1. Do you have a kimono in your closet? Pull it out and think about ways to glam it up. It doesn’t matter if it’s long, short, or in-between. What colors in the kimono can you play up?
2. Take a look at your cami collection. Almost any type will do, but if you have one in silk or velvet, that would create instant glamour. If your camis don’t work, test out a tank top in a pretty color or texture.
3. The next piece? You guessed it. Your favorite black pants, jeans, or leggings. Again, if you have pants in velvet or brushed corduroy, that adds a little extra wow.
4. 

This little kimono is from my local Salon Zinnia and Lifestyle Boutique. An adorable cami, by Lovestitch, plays up the avocado green in the print. It’s a simple short kimono and the sleeves and pattern provide the detail to make it special.

I decided to go with my stretch ankle jeans in black. You all know that you can wear black pants with just about anything! Pinky-purple slides work for a casual in-house affair and are super comfortable.

The bling comes from my dangly free trade earrings and this Laguna Adjustable Necklace from Gorjana. This is one of my favorite pieces as it can be styled so many ways: as a lariat (shown here), full-length, mid-length, as a choker, a simple
long necklace, or layered with your other favorite styles. It’s truly versatile.

The gold and emerald bracelet is from Talbots. (Sorry–it doesn’t show in the photos! Yikes!)

Outfit #2

1. This is a super-easy way to create a casual outfit for your New Year’s Eve that is relaxed and comfy for a small celebration with friends.
2. Pull out a pair of patterned pants, jeans, or leggings. If you don’t have any, start with a pair of nice-looking pants or jeans.
3. Add a tailored top, like this black tunic top from Chicos. Black can be subtle yet elegant, but any nicely tailored top will do.

I’ve been admiring these gorgeous tunic top no-iron shirts from Chicos for a while now. You can pick one up now on sale if you hurry! A shirt in this style is such a classic look.

Patterned pants are a big hit this season and these paisley pull-on style pants are surprisingly stylish! Here is a similar paisley pant by NYDJ.  Both pairs look amazing with a black top!

For a classic look like this, I went classic on the accessories with these bold disk earrings and pendant necklace. Both are from Kendra Scott.

The Finishing Touches

The final touch for any outfit, of course, is the accessories. Namely, the jewelry. For an evening outfit, especially for New Year’s Eve, bring out the bling. Add some statement earrings or necklace or a bracelet–or all three if you like! The sky’s the limit, so you can accessorize any way that suits your style. But do step out of the box for New Year’s Eve. Even with a casual outfit, or maybe especially so, bling can make the whole look work.

If you’re headed to someone else’s house or a restaurant or whatever, add a small evening bag with some bling. These little bags can make a big impact.

These basic outfits can be worn well beyond New Year’s Eve, of course. Try out one of these combos at your next informal dinner party or get together and you will look elegantly casual.