Holiday Sweaters for Every Party or Gathering

(Left to right) Chico's Sequin Ombre Pullover Sweater in Polar Star ($119, chicos.com); New York & Company Pearl Embellished Cable Knit Sweater in Coco Red ($35, nyandcompany.com); Talbots

Metallic Woven Sleeve V-Neck Pullover in Oatmeal Heather ($129, talbots.com) Chico’s; New York & Company; Talbots Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

If the thought of wearing a holiday sweater makes you cringe, hear me out. Yes, there will always be kitschy options galore — just search for “ugly Christmas sweater” on Amazon! But if

Santas and snowmen just aren’t your thing, there are equally festive, sophisticated options — such as printed, metallic, rhinestone- and pearl-studded knits that can take you from

Thanksgiving through New Year’s (and beyond) — whether you are the hostess or a guest.

For Thanksgiving, an autumnal floral-patterned sweater is perfect. Wear it with velvet or denim jeans or black trousers — with a spirit of gratitude for nature’s abundance.

(Left to right) Botanical Alpaca Sweater Coat in Black ($355, artfulhome.com); Lambswool Floral Print Cardigan in Green ($171, brooksbrothers.com); Vintage Floral Print Crew ($135,

autumncashmere.com) Artful Home; Brooks Brothers; Autumn Cashmere

Metallic knits shine for both day and evening events, such as holiday office parties, open houses, casual cocktails and New Year’s Eve — or Day — celebrations. Bear in mind that the rest of

your outfit should be matte, not shiny, although you could accessorize with a metallic shoe in the same color family if you choose.

Size Metallic Cable-Knit Cardigan ($51, target.com); Audrey Cashmere Sweater in Stencil Floral ($199, talbots.com); I.N.C. International Concepts Women’s Foiled Boat-Neck Sweater in Gold

Foil Combo ($100, macys.com) Target; Talbots; Macy's Pearled pullovers

Sweaters embellished with faux pearls are an easy way to take the glamour up a notch. Just remember not to go overboard with matching jewelry. Essentially, the sweater is the jewelry, so

stick to studs or small drop earrings, or a delicate bracelet at most.

Mock Neck in Black ($139, bloomingdales.com); Charter Club Women’s 100% Cashmere Embellished One-Shoulder Sweater in Pearl Taupe Heather ($131, macys.com) Zara; Bloomingdale's; Macy's

Sparkly cardigans

Jeweled knits can be dressed up or down and paired with everything from jeans to a pencil skirt to silky pants. Cardigans with sparkly buttons can also function as a jacket over a dress for

evenings out. Again, stick to subtle jewelry. A little glitz goes a long way.

Button Cardigan in Black ($89, nordstrom.com); Odette Sweater Lady Jacket with Jeweled Buttons in Hthr Muslin ($140, jcrew.com) Ann Taylor; Nordstrom; J.Crew Holiday motif sweaters

In general, spending a lot on holiday-themed sweaters isn’t worth it since you have such a limited time to wear them, but there will always be some jolly souls who get a kick out of wearing

a cardigan with jingle bells or headbands with antlers — perhaps for the benefit of the little ones in their lives? Or maybe just because it makes them feel merry? If this is you, make no

apologies! Anything that makes you smile is a gift ... and you can always donate last year’s Rudolph pullover to Goodwill for someone else to discover for this year’s “Secret Santa Swap.”

Here are a couple of cute graphic sweaters that send a joyful message:

Edie Holiday Fair Isle Crewneck in Vibrant Pink ($140, boden.com); “Cheers” Teddie Sweater in Sequin Cheers ($35, factory.jcrew.com) Macy's; Boden; J.Crew Factory %{postComment}%

Cindy Weber-Cleary is a freelance writer, consultant and on-air fashion expert who has appeared on Oprah, The View, Good Morning America and the Today show. She began her career as a fashion

editor at Vogue and was fashion director at InStyle, Glamour and Cosmopolitan.

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