This HuffPost Canada page is maintained as part of an online archive.

Holiday Fashion: Take Your Look From Day To Night With Tips From J.Crew's Tom Mora

Tom Mora Offers His Advice On Taking A Holiday Look From Day To Night
J. Crew

The holiday season is always hectic -- it's a constant struggle to fit in year-end meetings between festive fetes. So it's natural to feel overwhelmed and like you can't manage it all. But you can. And thanks to some advice from Tom Mora, Vice-President of Women's Design for J. Crew, you can tick something off your to-do list: figuring out what to wear.

For him, looking stylish this holiday season is all about effortlessly transitioning an outfit from day to night.

Rely On Classics Looks

One of the key pieces to keep in your closet this season is a slim, ankle-length pair of pants, says Mora. The pant looks flattering on most people and can also be part of your spring 2012 wardrobe. "You can wear [these pants] with a sweater or blazer during the day or pair them with a silk blouse or beaded top for evening."

Another easy look that will transition easily from day to night is the always reliable crisp white shirt paired with a schoolboy blazer and skinny jeans. Mora suggests wearing the look with ballet flats by day then swapping the shoe for a pump at night. You can also, "unbutton the shirt a little to add a sparkly necklace or gold chain," for evening.

Have Fun With Accessories

Accenting a classic or basic outfit is a surefire way to add some sizzle to your daytime outfit. "Pendant necklaces are very important as an accessory right now, as are structured bags -- like our Eddie -- in great colours.

He also says the shoe of the season is the pump -- they look great as a power shoe during the day, but can really fancy up an outfit for the evening.

Don't Be Afraid Of Sparkles

The holidays are all about glitter and glamour, which is why you'll start to see sparkly shirts, skirts and clutches making an appearance in fashion forward stores beginning in November. And while wearing such pieces seem like an obvious sartorial choice for evening fetes, it can be hard to tell if such "bold" looks are acceptable to wear in the boardroom.

But Mora says sparkles are fine for nine to five. "[Just] wear a white shirt under the sparkly top or pair a blazer over it to make it more appropriate for day and/or office." And always remember to keep the rest of your look subdued -- the sparkles are all you'll need to make a fashionable statement.

Go For Colour

At a fun, festive fete, do you really want to be the person who's standing in the corner dressed in depressing shades of grey and black? We say no. And so does Mora. He says colour is key for this holiday season and that pretty much any shade goes.

But if you're really looking to stand out, "the new orange/red called vibrant flame and the saturated purple called fiesta purple as well as our spearmint" are key colours to wear. "Pair them with another fun colour or a neutral," to create a look that's all your own.

Close
This HuffPost Canada page is maintained as part of an online archive. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.