Whether you’re a college student home for the holidays, a young professional going to Christmas dinner at your significant other’s home for the first time, or a hostess expecting all of your extended family in your home, dressing festive (appropriately!) is never an easy task.

Lucky for you, festive is my specialty. Put down the ubiquitous Santa hat and choose one (or two, or all three) of these ways to bring some holiday cheer into your wardrobe for the next four days.

Baroque Details

Bring one of our favorite fall 2012 trends into your holiday arsenal. A little gilded Baroque-inspired detail (like the above gold jacket by ASOS) goes a long way during the holiday season. Best when paired with simple black pants and knee-high boots, this brings a bit of festive shimmer to your gift-giving look. You can take this look a little further with a gold-gilded skirt or dress in a Baroque print, or a two-toned lace dress - one color for the lace overlay and another color underneath - will give you the same effect. Want just a dash of this? Try a set of antiqued-gold bangles like these Amrita Singhs, or an embellished clutch to top off your outfit.

The Perfect Manicure

Blame our Pinterest obsession for this no-fail way to bring a subtle holiday hint to an outfit. The best part about this is you can keep it super simple if you’re short on time. Cranberry red, pine green, a gold glitter accent? There’s no better hand to have when reaching under the tree. If you’re looking for something a little more advanced, break out the toothpicks and tiny brushes to paint on stripes, snowflakes, or bows. We’ve found great tutorials for keeping your manis festive at Goose’s Glitter blog, Do Not Refreeze blog, Nails Helensvale, and Chickettes (for those of you who love nail decals). And don’t forget! Make sure to check out our Get Your Holiday Spirit Pinterest board for lots of holiday beauty inspiration.

The Never Fail Stand-By

‘Tis the season for red and green. We can assure you, this look is possible without looking like an extra from Elf. Start with a festive red or green cashmere pullover sweater, like the Michael Kors featherweight style above. Pair with crisp white pants, or a neutral black skirt for a timeless look that’d make even Kate Middleton’s holiday looks jealous. Prefer a dabble of festive color? Try a tartan headband or dark red and green gemstone jewelry for a modern take on traditional holiday spirit.

Happy Holidays (and make sure to check out our Holiday Tips of the Day on Twitter at @STAConsignment)!

-Meredith, FashioniSTA