Have you ever seen the movie ‘Four Christmases,’ starring Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn? It’s a comedy that hit theaters in 2008 and it’s about a couple that struggles to make it to four different holiday gatherings in one day. Four holidays are ambitious but with the modern blended family, this is a plot that’s all too familiar for many. To avoid making a difficult choice, some couples might opt to have Thanksgiving dinner with one family and dessert with the other family. Young adults might be spending the early part of the day at their mom’s house and head on over to their dad’s for the evening. You might even be rushing off to a Friendsgiving gathering to end your day!

Just like no two families are alike nowadays, no two holidays are alike either! Some families lounge in front of the TV watching football, while other families have a more formal celebration. Now just a few days away from the big Thanksgiving holiday, we’re faced with what to wear. Because all of these celebrations are so different, wearing the same outfit may not be appropriate. 

So, how do we cope? Should we bring several outfits and change in the car? Of course not! This week we’re bringing you a thorough two-part guide on transitioning your Thanksgiving style from casual to chic. Read on today to find out the first step, which is creating a casual look that can be transitioned easily. Check back here on Wednesday to find out how we transitioned this look from casual to chic in just 1 step!

OUR GUIDE FOR CREATING A CASUAL THANKSGIVING STYLE FOR TRANSITIONING

First things first- before we can figure out how to transition a look, we need to have a palette to begin with! Here’s the guide for creating a look that can be transitioned easily. Let’s put in the work now and enjoy the reward later!

1- Choose a Simple Dress or Skirt & Blouse Pairing

Less is more with choosing your main pieces because the accessories will do all of the talking with this look! We’re really going for minimalism here. For my look, I chose a simple grey fit-and-flair skirt with a blue ruched 3/4-sleeve top.

To avoid having to switch out your jewelry later, add the bling right at the start! But when I say a pinch, I mean it. An eye-catching necklace can really make a difference in jazzing up a casual look and it fits right into a dressier look. Choose one statement piece and pair it with simpler jewelry that compliments it. For my look, the statement necklace speaks volumes so I added my classic Movado watch and gold stud earrings to bring it all back down to earth.

3- Incorporate Cozy Accessories

There are a few things that you can do to really dress down a look and most of that falls on the accessories. A few examples include scarves, anything plaid, and sweater/cable-knit materials (like a cable-knit cardigan). For my look, I chose a plaid blanket scarf that I used as a wrap, sweater tights, and heeled combat boots.

THE LOOK

Apt 9 Plaid Blanket Scarf  //  Express Ruched 3/4 Sleeve Top (similar: Express Fitted Bateau Neck Top)  //  Banana Republic High-Low Fit-and-Flair Skirt (similar: Topshop Herringbone A-line Skirt)  //  Hanes Navy Sweater Tights (similar: Apt 9 Ribbed Sweater Tights)  //  Candie’s Blue Suede Heeled Combat Boots, Kohl’s  //  Topshop Snakeskin Accented Handbag (similar: Dana Buchman Buckle Snakeskin Bag)  //  White House Black Market Elongated Bow Belt (similar: Skinny Bow Belt)  //  LC Lauren Conrad Gold-Tone Stud Earrings  //  Movado Bold Luxe Chronograph c/o Movado

What’s your favorite way to dress down a look? Show me your style! Tag us on Instagram (@theclosetbychristie) to show us your casual look.

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Linking up with these fabulous ladies!

The Fashionista Momma //  Lizzie In Lace  //  More Pieces of Me // Claire Justine
 Pink Sole // Style Nudge // Still Being Molly // Fizz and Frosting 
Bless Her Heart Ya’ll  // Mama and More // I do deClaire // Garay Treasures
The Blush Blonde  //  Cute & Little  //  Sandy a la Mode  //  The Creative Closet