As the first semester approaches a close, students are excited not only for the end of finals but also for the start of the holiday season. With the holidays comes fun holiday parties and festive fashion. To dress to impress this holiday season, one should try experimenting with these holiday trends.

The first is color. Regardless of the type of party you are going to (formal dress, casual, etc.) the color scheme is usually the same.

A great way to go would be to wear the primary holiday colors, red or green. However, these colors will most likely be the most popular. To stand out this holiday season, you can go for some other holiday colors such as gold or white. You can also wear variations of red or green tones such as burgundy or emerald.

The second trend is sparkles. The holiday season is all about people coming together and making spirits bright. It is an excellent idea to have these feelings come through in your clothes.

You can show off your sparkle through any article of clothing, especially jewelry. A sparkly dress or top is a great way to make a statement. You can also add some sparkle to your outfit with a chunky statement necklace. However, do be sure not to overdo it. Try sticking to one or two sparkly items.

When sophomore Amanda Ortiz was asked what she would be wearing this holiday season, she said, “I’ll probably wear a nice red or green blouse with either high-waisted jeans or a skirt, with a pair of black combat boots or a pair of heels. All can be combined for a classy or laid back look.”

This brings us to the third and most important aspect of holiday fashion; incorporation of current fashion trends into your holiday style.

All over campus, many people are sporting combat boots. Although typically worn with jeans or leggings, you can add combat boots to your holiday party look.

Paired with a dress or a skirt, the combat boots will create a soft grunge look that was very popular this fall. If combat boots aren’t for you, wear a simple black-heeled bootie for a more polished look and still be in on the bootie trend.

A popular trend that anyone can wear this holiday season is red lipstick.

“I like to wear red lipstick to give my outfits a nice pop of color” says sophomore Kelly Dombrowski. “For the holidays, it’s a great way to enhance your overall look.”

Red lipstick is an excellent way to incorporate color into your holiday ensemble. Red lipstick will look especially great with gold, white or green tones. If you don’t feel comfortable wearing red lipstick, or are wearing red tones, you can go for some lighter pink tones such as rose or mauve and still be on trend with your lip color.

The fourth and final aspect for the holiday season fashion is to just have fun with it. The holidays are all about having fun. Look through the clothes you have already to find pieces that can fit into your holiday wardrobe. You may find old pieces that you can stylize with new, trendy accessories. Try experimenting with different textures by pairing a chunky sweater with a flared leather skirt.

If you notice anything missing from your holiday wardrobe, you can always ask Santa for it and wear it on New Year’s Eve!