Foolproof New Year's Eve Outfit Ideas

1. Mix and match prints

The first styling trick I use to create a visually interesting outfit with a festive feel to it is mixing and matching my prints.

I always recommend having a couple of different classic prints in your closet that can add interest to any look.

The key to using those prints to create a more unique and interesting look for evening or occasionwear is by putting them together.

So, here, I've paired a plaid wool skirt with a plain and simple striped top.

The key to getting mixing and matching prints tight is to ensure that either the colors are in the same tone or one of them grounds the look with a neutral.

Because this top is black and white, I could have picked any printed color to go with it. If you want to mix and match two prints of varying colors, just ensure that there is one grounding color between the two items.

So, for example, if you wanted to pair this skirt with a colored top, you would have to pick something blue, red, green, or yellow because those are the colors found in the skirt. 

2. Contrast print sizes

Another principle I use when mixing and matching prints is that the prints have to be contrasting in terms of their size.

So the lines on this sweater are fine and dainty, whereas the print on the skirt is pretty bold, so they complement each other because they're very different.

What is hard for the eye to digest is when the two prints are the same size. So you want to make sure when mixing and matching prints to keep the color tones the same and a contrasting print.

Because two prints are coming together and a lot is going on in this look, I kept the rest very simple with a classic pair of pumps and some minimalist jewelry. 

3. Monochrome

The second styling hack I use is to dress in a monochrome look.

For this New Year's Eve look, I've picked out two off-white pieces in my closet - some awesome vintage culottes and one of my favorite cuddly, cozy turtleneck sweaters. 

I can wear both of these pieces daily, but here I'm wearing them in a monochromatic look with a pair of red heels and a pair of fun earrings. These make the outfit more festive and suitable for the evening.

The way to make a monochromatic look more attractive is by ensuring there are different textures in your outfit, as this will add more depth to your look.

Here, I've got two different types of wool in the culotte and the fuzzy sweater.

It’s also fun to experiment with leather, sequins, or feathers. Or your outfit could be really straightforward, like denim and silk, all in the same color, whatever works.

The point is that monochrome works well when you’re combining different textures.

Also, it doesn't have to necessarily be the exact same shade of color. For example, you could go head to toe in blue and mix and match navy blue with baby blue.

4. Pair standout pieces

The third styling trick that I use has to do with pairing to stand out pieces together.

Even though I have a small closet, I invest in items that pack a solid visual punch. That way, I can mix and match them with my neutrals, and my outfit is interesting.

But pairing these items together can be a bold move, but it's New Year's, so I figured, why not?

Here, I’m wearing a dress over pants. I went for a sequined dress and some gold pants underneath. The way to make this type of look work is that both items have to be in the same color tone.

Both of these are muted, the pants are muted gold, and the dress is in soft pastel colors. The pants also tie in with lighter gold tones in the dress. So even though they're both standout pieces, because of the texture and the metallics, the colors are still very complementary.

Because this look is wild enough, I kept the accessories super duper minimal. 

New Year's Eve outfit ideas

Those are my three New Year's looks using three very different styling techniques that will hopefully inspire you to refresh and reinvent what's already in your closet.

These tricks are really helpful in prompting creativity when it comes to my closet.

If you enjoyed this tutorial, check out my post on 5 Easy Habits to Improve Your Style and Closet.