The holidays are a fun time to be more creative with wardrobe choices including the famous ugly Christmas sweaters. They have become a bold fashion statement to wear on casual days. For those who love the holiday spirit and but might not want to wear the ugly Christmas sweater, opt for wearing holiday colors in accessories, necklaces or a touch in a scarf for women.

Men can add holiday colors in ties or an outer wear scarf. If you chose to wear a Christmas sweater, choose one with one design and color. Try to stay away from printed words or jingles. Santa hats are also fun for weekend wear and parties.

What you wear to holiday parties depends on the event itself. For holiday weeknight evening parties it is generally acceptable to go directly from work in business dress. You change an item of clothing to give it a fresh look and feeling.

Weekend evening holiday parties tend to be more formal depending on the location of the event. Women wear cocktail length dresses and men a suit or jacket combination with or without a tie.

Open houses at the home or office of a business associate or a senior leader depends on the hosts. Take direction from their typical clothing styles. If they tend to be more formal, use that as an indicator on clothing choice, do the same if they seem to prefer the casual look. Use these guidelines to help make it easier to decide what to wear for those holiday work-related events!

Holiday parties can be landmines for careers sometimes even resulting in party situations being taken to senior leaders. On the other hand, holiday work gatherings can enhance your employment capital by giving others an opportunity to know you even if it is only to say hello and introduce yourself.

Definitely stay away from controversial subjects like politics, money and religion. Many relationships rupture because of differences in these areas.  Holiday parties can also be events where you can begin to mend some broken fences.

Today, most of our networking seems to be done via social media. This is due to a lack of time and the ease of posting on the web. However, nothing beats face to face events.

Companies are beginning to see the value in the face to face and try to get their folks to at least some events a year. For those have not been networking recently, here are some tips to remember:

1. Have a plan – Know who is attending and what success would look like after attending the event
2. Prepare a personal introduction including who you are, what you do and the benefits you bring customers
3. Bring plenty of business cards
4. Plan an ice breaker – an easy way to start a conversation – sports, movies or talk about a place you would like to know more about
5. Have fun
6. Bring a partner – a wing person – and take turns starting the conversation
7. Continue the relationship with those you like by following up soon after the event.

The fashion industry for men used to change styles once every eight years. Now it changes on a daily basis. One interesting noticeable change is the width of ties. They range from very narrow to mid width. The younger man tends to wear the narrow tie.

The width of the tie that looks best depends on body shape. The slender man can wear a narrow tie while the heavier man will look best with a wider tie. Proportion is key to a smarter and neater look on a man.

In 2016, Michele Obama wore gray nail polish for her speech at the Democratic convention. This color seemed to have disappeared for a while but it is back big time now. I have seen blue, light and charcoal grays.

The darker grays seemed to be worn by women in the fashion industry and the lighter grays worn by folks in business. Darker gray is the color to be careful of. It can make the skin look older and harsh. In choosing gray, opt for the lighter one. You still will be in fashion.

In a recent Tony Robbins blog post, he talks about dealing with fears by dancing with rather than ignoring them. This resonated with me but how was I supposed to actually dance with fears? I used them to motivate me to prepare for whatever I am facing. For example, when getting ready for an event that not in my comfort zone, I make sure no stone goes unturned to ensure that in that particular situation, I am well prepared. This gives me the confidence to dance with my fears.me but how was I supposed to actually dance with fears? I used them to motivate me to prepare for whatever I am facing. For example, when getting ready for an event that not in my comfort zone, I make sure no stone goes unturned to ensure that in that particular situation, I am well prepared. This gives me the confidence to dance with my fears.

There is never a bad time in your work environment to discreetly and judiciously project an image above your pay grade. But a particularly good time is when you are called upon to make an appearance before your most senior executives or Board of Directors. On these occasions, you must not underestimate the importance of body language. Your posture and engagement with that group must project the message that you belong at that table. Listen attentively so that you are sure of not only what has been said, but also what has been meant. Think carefully about what you are going to say and how you say it. Words matter, especially if you are careful not to use more than you need. And of course, give whatever assignments from that encounter that come your way your highest priority. In many companies, there is an executive pattern of behavior that is just a shade more refined than what most of us experience on a day-to-day basis. Think about how you can become comfortable with that behavior.

A very important but frequently underestimated sartorial consideration is the framing of one’s face. After you are finished donning your ensemble, but before you present yourself to the world, take one last look at your face in the mirror to see if it is appropriately complemented by your choice of clothes and jewelry. For example, a closed collar strengthens formality and authority attributes whereas an open collar signals approachability and connectivity. The color of your shirt, blouse or jacket is a critical choice as it can lend a powerful but subliminal highlighted quality to your face. A necklace can also be chosen to enhance your preferred projection, but be careful not to let it be a distraction. A recent choice by Barbra Streisand was particularly interesting. Her face was well framed by her hair. She used a long necklace to accentuate her body length for this particular concert occasion.

Recently, when working with a client in refreshing her wardrobe, we realized that the jewelry that worked a few years ago needed to be replaced with more statement pieces for a couple of reasons. She was recently promoted to a senior vice president role and the office went to a more casual environment.

So now, for her, professional casual is more fitting. She also travels internationally. In upgrading necklaces and earrings choosing the right proportion of each is critical. Increasing the size of the stones by one half and wearing a more intense color will add the impact needed to create the elegant, smart, professional casual look.