It has become YLF tradition for us to photograph my holiday outfit on Seattle’s 5th avenue. We started in 2010, and continued in 2011 because the festive lights are so pretty at this time of year. This particular part of 5th avenue is quieter than the main drag, which makes for relaxed picture taking while the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping continues just a few blocks North. 

Alas, we have no dressy holiday parties on our calendar this year. But we have a handful of casual holiday festivities planned so a much more relaxed holiday ensemble is in order.

I wanted to wear a little shiny pant this year, and had my heart set on a gold sequin pair. But sequin pants are so, so scratchy and that didn’t work out at all. I then tried on a few pairs of slouchy gold trousers, but they looked cheap and flammable.

Finally, I stumbled upon a pair of gold straight leg jeans from Kate Spade. At first, the ankle length put me off, but you can lengthen the effect with the right pair of booties (precisely how I lengthen my boyfriend jeans when wearing them unrolled.) So as long as I wear these gold jeans with boots or booties, I’m as happy as a clam. Furthermore, I found it best to go for top-notch quality with metallic bottoms because anything less can look nasty. These extra thick jeans are coated with a dark gold finish that feels luxurious and chic, which was one of its instant selling points.

I recently paired the jeans with an oversized ink blue cashmere pullover with silk insets for a holiday do that we had at home. But I really wanted to pair them with an oversized chunky cream cabled turtleneck sweater for a prettier effect. And one that is also casual, cozy, fun and on trend. At first I thought this would be an easy find, but my word! As I mentioned last week the “itchy factor” made the item a hard search.  I eventually found exactly what I was looking for at the Gap, of all places, in the form of their dolman cable braid turtleneck. The nylon-wool-acrylic blend soothes my sensitive skin. The lesson here is, once again, never leave a retail stone unturned. 

I finished off the outfit with patent cream booties, animal print clutch and cream coat, all of which are a few seasons old so you might have seen them before. The gold jeans provide the right amount of bling, so no jewelry other than a watch and wedding ring are required. But I will be popping on my party make-up, which means extra blush and red lips. No festive nail polish or smoky eye for me.

I asked Greg what he thought of this holiday outfit compared to the dressier looks that I usually wear. His response was two-fold. First, he likes the concept of shiny pants because it is more unexpected than a shiny skirt or frock. And second, he loves the oversized chunky pullover because it looks “cuddly”. Looking cuddly to my husband works for me.