Let’s be honest. Since the dawn of Instagram, Christmas has become MUCH more than just a day. It’s a series of photos categorized by different family traditions, ugly sweaters, fancy cookies, and the classic “mug of hot cocoa with a Christmas movie in the background” shots. It can be a lot of pressure-- there are so many different parts of the holiday, and this calls for some outfit changes. Well fear not, we’re here with a roadmap to all the different stops along the Christmas outfit journey.

1. The elegant party

The elegant Christmas party is a fun thing to dress for, but only if you know what you’re doing. Perhaps your internship is having an office party. Perhaps there’s an event with your student government, and members of the school’s Board of Trustees will be there. Maybe your family’s annual Christmas party is an elegant affair. Whatever the occasion, I’ve found the dress for you. This stunning long-sleeved dress from Express adds the perfect amount of elegance and modesty for a more professional event, but the frills and gorgeous shade of Christmas green keep it festive. I’m picturing it with some deep maroon lips, and even some deep maroon pumps, if you’re feeling bold (and you should ALWAYS be feeling bold).

2. The classic sweater party

This is an easy one, in theory...but in practice, it’s a battle. You can’t show up to a Christmas sweater party with any old Santa sweater-- these days, the more awkward, the better. Luckily, ModCloth knows how these things go. Kittens in boxes….Santa sloths….Santa riding a sloth…..the list goes on. My favorite part about these is that, unlike those sweaters from the thrift store, these don’t come with a distinct “Grandma’s perfume” smell, and they don’t feel like they were knit from hay. Not only will you win any sweater contests, but you won’t suffer (and itch) for your art.

3. The family party

I’ve already covered the “fancy family” party….and now it’s time for the “fun family” party. The key here is to be classy enough to be seen by your elderly relatives who you KNOW are going to judge your every move, while still being stylish enough for all the photo ops that are inevitably coming (hello, next year’s Christmas card picture…). Once again, I’ve turned to Express for the solution. A cute, airy button-down shirt-dress under a sweater is the perfect balance of cozy and cute, and adding some ankle boots spruces it up even more. I love the shade of burgundy shown in the picture-- it’s Christmassy without being tacky or over-the-top. For an evening party, maybe add some black tights and black ankle boots, especially if it’s cold outside and you want to keep those legs from going numb!

4. The movie marathon

Every Christmas season comes with those lazy days where you watch Christmas movies, bake Christmas cookies, and inevitably take an instagram to document your cozy slippers and your mug of hot chocolate. This year, I’m mandating that these leggings from A’GACI are featured. When you’re hanging out at home soaking up Christmas cheer, I think it’s acceptable, in fact IMPORTANT to be a little festive with your outfit. Maybe you’ll add an oversized off-white sweater and some off-white furry slippers and/or fuzzy socks to complete the look. It’s about comfort primarily, but it’s deeeefinately about the Insta, too.

5. Grandma’s house

This is kind of the outfit between the “elegant party” dress and the “family party” outfit. This is the outfit you’ll wear if you go to Church, a nice restaurant, or if your grandparents insist upon taking pictures of you with your siblings in front of the Christmas tree. It’s more muted, more modest, and more sophisticated. A nice white sweater with some crisp black slacks provide the perfect framework for a little splash of subtle Christmas cheer with maroon velvet heels (and the maroon fur on the coat sleeves!). BRB, buying this WHOLE OUTFIT from Club Monaco, because they’ve nailed the subtle holiday vibe.

6. The night before Christmas

Ever since I was young, I’ve placed huge importance on the pajamas you wear to bed on Christmas Eve. I always had dreams of me sneaking downstairs and meeting Santa accidentally, and in this fantasy, it was always VITALLY important to me that I was wearing the perfect Christmas PJs. It’s also important to remember that these are what you’ll be wearing on Christmas morning, when your parents photograph you opening gifts. And, let’s be honest-- they’re the clothes you’ll pretty much stay in all of Christmas Day too. I’m loving these mistletoe pajamas from WILDFOX-- they’re festive, look INCREDIBLY cozy, and aren’t frumpy like most pajamas. Silver stilettos not required (but hey, I’ll ALWAYS encourage silver stilettos).

7. Christmas dinner

This is it. The grand finale. It’s the culmination of all your days of hard work, partying, gift wrapping, and outfit planning. It combines the festiveness, sophistication, and coziness of the previous outfits- but it’s a little different. This white pearl sweater from rag & bone captures the elegant glitter of Christmas, the cozy aesthetic of winter, and the subtle festiveness that leads us right into the new year. I love rag & bone’s styling of this sweater with a leather mini skirt, but if you’re not feeling up to the challenge of a leather mini skirt, I recommend any black, maroon, forest green, or even charcoal skirt. And remember to wear something loose that will still fit after you’ve eaten your weight in Christmas dinner and cookies!