With the holiday season right around the corner, it is time to start thinking about what we should wear. While fashion trends change each year, the traditional style of the holidays stays the same. Should our holiday attire change with the trends or is it good to stay true to tradition?

When thinking of holiday attire, most people’s minds go to wearing orange and brown for Thanksgiving, red and green for Christmas, blue and white for Hanukkah and so on. People often think of accenting their outfits with on-theme accessories such as turkey headbands, Santa hats or menorah sweaters–but have we reached a point where these traditions become cliché? 

Isabella Pintos, a sophomore at Kent State University thinks that dressing on theme for the holiday season is fun. “Everyone does it and it’s kind of a tradition within itself,” she said. Pintos believes red and green look pretty together and should never go out of style. 

Kent State sophomore, Grace Bailey, also believes that we should stay true to tradition when dressing around the holidays. “I think red and green are perfect for Christmas and the warm oranges and reds are perfect for Thanksgiving and fall,” she said.  

While traditionalism will most likely be here for the long haul, new holiday trends have begun surfacing such as sequins, plaids and lace. These patterns and textures have been a common theme on social media for 2024 holiday fashion. 

One of the biggest trends for the 2024 holiday season is sequins. Sequins are everywhere we look and while some may think they are too much, they can be styled in many different ways. Sequins can make for a great statement at any holiday function including New Year’s Eve parties. 

Bailey feels that sequins are a fun touch to add to a holiday outfit if it is done in moderation. She believes that “sparkles for Christmas doesn’t seem like a stretch if it is paired with something classy.” 

Along with this, plaids have always been a holiday wardrobe staple but this year, the pattern has been upgraded to the title, country-house chic. This aesthetic is going to be seen a lot this holiday season in the form of plaid blazers and plaid skirts. Brands like Burberry have jumped on the plaid skirt bandwagon as one of the main trends this winter.

When considering what to wear to holiday events not only is it important to take all of the trends into account but it is also important to take into account where one is going. There is a difference between how one dresses for a holiday party with their friends and how they dress to attend a family dinner. 

What is an appropriate outfit to wear around family and friends during the holiday season? Is it better to stay true to holiday fashion traditions around family or should someone branch out? 

Pintos believes that what someone wears on the holidays depends on what their family does. She said that her family typically wears comfortable clothes and does not worry about dressing up. Pintos said that if she were to go to a Christmas party or dinner she would dress in the theme with the traditional red and green Christmas colors.

If someone wants to make a statement with their outfit this holiday season they should follow the winter trends rather than stick to tradition. Someone may try making a statement with a sequin blazer or a plaid skirt however, most people will choose to stick to traditional holiday trends. 

Even with how fast fashion trends come and go, holiday outfit traditions will never go out of style. If you are struggling to find an outfit to wear this holiday season, do not be afraid to stick to the traditions that have been worn for many years. Traditions are not cliche but rather symbolize the holiday spirit that we hold in our hearts.