The holidays are the one time of year when there is no such thing as too elegant, too glamorous, or too sparkly when it comes to party dresses. But what to wear to that over-the-top New Year’s Eve party? There’s always the little red dress, or the little green dress, but one certainly should never wear anything with both colors - and heaven forbid, should never wear the “classic” holiday sweater. In the case of holiday dressing, that rule really should never be violated.

Some alternatives to the tried and true holiday colors? Silver, gold or other metallics always look festive, and can be very on-trend this year in particular. Winter whites and festive champagne hues are also pitch-perfect for the holidays, and make for a nice alternative to basic black.

When choosing accessories, think rich: There are some looks, fur or beading for instance, that most people just can’t get away with during the summer - so the holiday season is just the right time to pull out all the stops.

A pleated cream satin dress by Abaete dazzles when paired with a crystal clutch by Isabella Adams and luxe Stuart Weitzman pumps.

Men: They’re notoriously difficult to shop for.  The male species generally tends to prefer gifts that are useful over decorative, functional over fun.  If the men on your list hold to this pattern, getting even a little holiday shopping done for them can be quite a feat.  Have no fear, though: there are plenty of gifts out there that many a man will enjoy, even cherish.

It might be a bit of a cliche, but ties, cufflinks and other formal necessities can make for great gifts to the men in your life.  Little luxury items like these cufflinks by Montblanc will make dressing for those necessary holiday parties just that much easier, and he’s sure to be grateful for that.

Just about every man can use a pair of warm slippers.  These ones by UGG Australia are sure to please.

Why stick to clothes items?  Electronics are useful and fun, and have the potential
 to provide plenty of entertainment - even to the pickiest man on your shopping list -year-round.  Some items he might enjoy: an LCD TV by Samsung, or Apple’s iPod Nano.

With modern style stars from Ashley Olsen to Keira Knightley flirting with the current menswear trend, perhaps we should examine where it started.  Menswear-for-women of course began way-back-when with iconoclasts like George Sand, and later with Hollywood stars like Marlene Dietrich and Katherine Hepburn, but the look really hit its stride in the 1970s - the era of punk, disco, and Yves St. Laurent’s Le Smoking.

Rock legend Patti Smith (above), who wore a man’s shirt, trousers and suspenders on the cover of her seminal album Horses, was a trendsetter in the punk days, followed closely by Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde, who generally stuck to a uniform of jeans, a blazer, and a Keith-Richards-esque ruffled “pirate” shirt.  Meanwhile, their polar opposites at disco landmark Studio 54 - from the regal Bianca Jagger to the futuristic and eccentric Grace Jones - were making the scene in tailored black and white tuxedos, hat and bow-tie optional.

 Today’s menswear afficionados blend those punk and disco looks seamlessly - think Kate Moss in her skintight Burberry Tuxedo at last year’s Costume Institute ball.  Modern menswear should be just as slick and fresh as that of the 70s, but with a more relaxed twist.  To get the effortlessly androgynous look of a Bianca or Patti, try pairing a tuxedo shirt by Seven For All Mankind with Beth Bowley’s high-waisted wool sailor pants.

Remember when the resort collections were the next big thing?  That was six months ago.  Now, the fashion world is moving on to pre-fall collections, and bringing up many questions regarding their sudden emergence.  For instance, why are two (or even three) collections from each designer each year not enough?  Why now?  And how on earth do designers have the time for all of this?

That last question might go unanswered for the time being, but one reason pre-fall collections have recently come into vogue is consumer demand - not just for clothes, but for NEW clothes.  Who wants to wear something everyone’s already seen on the runway, in magazines, and on celebrities before it’s even hit stores?  Resort and pre-fall collections are for the woman who doesn’t want to be the one wearing “that dress such-and-such actress wore,” the woman who wants to dress with luxury and taste without every passerby knowing what designer she’s wearing the second they see her. 

In this year’s pre-fall collections, Karl Lagerfeld’s Brit-chic ensembles for Chanel (above) and Zac Posen’s unusually feminine coats and dresses (below) were standouts.  In other words, the best of pre-fall 2008 is unabashedly girly yet completely and refreshingly forward-thinking.

To get the look, try a modern take on the 60s princess coat or the classic anorak.  This coat is by BCBGirls.

 Black eyeliner by Shiseido, when worn in a cat’s eye style, bridges the style gap between Edie Sedgwick and Amy Winehouse.

The poet William Wordsworth believed that poetry, self-awareness, and deep reflection could help us to restore some of the sense of wonder often lost in the passage from childhood to adulthood.  While I am certainly not quite the poet Wordsworth was, I can confidently add a third catalyst to that list of restorative processes: the viewing of a Spice Girls reunion concert.

The list of shows is very limited - and said shows are , no doubt, sold out by now - but where tickets are to be had there is a wealth of nostalgic wonder to be found.  Where else but a Spice Girls show would one see thousands upon thousands of by now grown women (and men) living out their childhood dreams all in one place?  When we were young we each had our favorite Spice Girl, our favorite song, and not much has changed - save for the currently-much-more-fabulous tour costumes, courtesy of Roberto Cavalli.

It seems that the easiest and most current way to live out that Wordsworthian dream is to dress for the innocence and wonder of the Spice Girls’ 1990s.  This, of course, means it is finally time to break out that sequined minidress and those platform shoes, and to simply do what you want, what you really, really want.

Can’t find that perfect Union Jack-print mini?  Go to the source himself in a Just Cavalli animal print dress (Scary Spice would most certainly approve).

Turn the gaudy platform look sophisticated in subdued navy and gold.