7 top trends to embrace for your festive events
Models backstage in sequins and feathers at Ukrainian Fashion Week. Picture:Alamy/PA
Christmas clothing seems to be one of the few parts of our wardrobe that is relatively immune to trends.
Sequins, sparkles and ruby reds come back year after year and are able to look great without much effort.
But for 2025, there are a few festive trends that will set your looks apart from those of previous years.
Sequins have been swapped for statement knitwear, while ruby red has been replaced by burgundy and plum.
So, what should you be reaching for to wear to 2025 parties?
Stylists and designers break down the most wearable – and genuinely chic – trends to seek out this winter.
If last winter was all about sequins and sparkle, this year’s shimmer is far more nuanced – the kind that reveals itself only when the light catches the fabric.
“This season feels wonderfully grown-up – it’s about subtle confidence rather than overt glamour,” says designer and podcaster, Amanda Wakeley OBE.
“We’re seeing a move towards fluid tailoring […] luxe textures, velvets, silks, liquid satins are having a real moment.”
It seems the emphasis is on a dramatic silhouette, rather than a dramatic finishes.
Gloves have recently been dominating the fashion zeitgeist.
In part, thanks to Claudia Winkleman’s looks, and partly due to the infamous styling in Disney’s , where gloves appear in nearly every frame that Kim Kardashian, Glenn Close and Sarah Paulson’s hands do.
But at the risk of looking like a theatrical understudy for , the key is to go pared-back.
As stylist Elsa Boutaric advises, “just opt for one statement piece and one statement accessories then mix it with a classic basic”.
A single satin opera glove paired with a simple black dress does more than an outfit full of ornament. It’s a surefire way to dress up a look without much effort.
Summer saw bohemian pendants and chunky bangles soar in popularity, but for winter, the maximalist trend is changing tack.
Instead of single, heavy, statement pieces, stacking and layering fine jewellery is a trend predicted to dominate festive dressing.
“Think about layering your jewellery,” says Wakeley. “Different lengths of chains from choker to waist length will refresh any look.”
She says mixed metals and sculptural shapes will elevate any style of outfit.
It’s less maximalist and more accumulative – pieces that look collected over time, not bought all at once.
Another trend that can perhaps be attributed to Winkleman’s style is statement knitwear.
Instead of being reserved purely for rainy days and cosy pub trips – knitwear has managed to make it’s way into the outerwear trends of the season.
“Claudia Winkleman’s looks are certainly inspiring,” says Wakeley.
“Long pleated skirts with knits or a striking velvet trouser suit worn with a silk shirt.”
Knitwear that is big on texture, “cable knit, rib knit or bouclé,” Boutaric says, are leading the trend curve as the relaxed grunge trend makes a return.
Sculptural silhouettes are back this season, with draping and swathes of fabric spotted on the runway and balloon trousers dominating news collections.
As Boutaric notes, “flared trousers […] are really trending right now.”
Worn with heels, they lengthen the leg, while worn with flats, they give a cool, louche look.
Two-pieces as opposed to just dresses are huge this season – like matching trouser suits – as chic combinations can look more considered than singular statement pieces.
Sheer has returned, but not in the 2010s bodycon sense, instead, it’s being styled in more of a nineties minimalist tone.
Wakeley says: “If you’re wearing a statement sleeve or a sheer fabric, let that be the focus and keep everything else pared-back.
“I always say: don’t let your clothes wear you.” She suggests anchoring sheer pieces with “clean lines [like] a structured blazer over a fluid sheer blouse, or sleek hair and minimal make-up.”
Bows were a defining motif of last year’s festive trends, but this year the coquette-core accents have not disappeared but matured, with princess-like silhouettes coming back in the form of statement sleeves.
Boutaric says: “Dramatic looks, puffy sleeves [and] large bows are very in right now.”
If you’re new to this maximalist trend, she advises keeping it simple, stating “a puffy sleeves and bow shirt paired with a classic black pants and statement chunky cuffs or earrings”, are the way forward.
Opting for trousers to sport with this trend helps keep the look from being overly prim – unless of course, that’s the look you’re going for, a la Rebecca Vallance.
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