Never walk out the door with a Rudolf sweater!

You have worked hard all year, especially this holiday season...you’ve bought all the cards, gifts, even remembered the stamps…baked cookies, pies…well, now it's your time to SHINE.

Here are some tips for how to set yourself apart this holiday season without breaking the bank:

Black Paired with Pops of Color
Holiday dressing does not mean wearing red and green only. Try black with a pop of color, such as red or a dark emerald green. Or go for black with a pop of deep purple, fuchsia, bright blue, winter white, or navy (yes! navy looks very sophisticated when paired with black).

Shine and Texture
Don’t be afraid to play with shine and texture. Even if you would never wear sequins, how about a wide patent leather belt, shoes or clutch? This is the time of year to bring out your velvet and don't forget the fishnet stockings!

When you want to go all out for a fun event, try something sparkly like the Tory Burch Mesh Sequins Dress. It’s perfect for a black-tie cocktail party, wedding or New Year’s Eve dress.

If you’d like a little shine, but don't want to go all out, pick one piece that can be worn with something else. A sequin tank from J Crew paired with black pants and a jacket is perfect for the office party. Over the weekend, wear it with your skinny or wide leg jeans out to dinner.

Dresses, dresses, dresses
The item of the season is definitely the dress. Do you remember the last time you wore a dress? Me neither! Well, it's time again!

Sweater dresses are hot this winter and easy to wear. This sequined jersey tunic dress is a great look that can be worn a few different ways. Here it is paired with black leggings and flats, but you can also wear it with boots or even over skinny jeans.

This satin shift dress can also take you many places. I love the color. For the West Coast ladies wear it as it is, for the East Coast (where we just got our first snow fall) pair it back to black leggings and to complete the look, add a wide black belt!

Or if you’d prefer to invest in a dress that can work all year round, you can't go wrong with something like the Tier-Bottom Organza Dress from Diane von Furstenberg (always worth the investment!) and the Calista Rope Dress with beautiful back detail from Elie Tahari.

Budget conscious
If you have already blown your budget on holiday gifts and just need a fashion "update," accessories are a perfect way to take a black suit, dress or sweater and make it holiday perfect. Club Monaco has some great pieces like clutches, beaded belts, long cashmere gloves, and chunky necklaces and bracelets (unfortunately you will have to go into the store to see). Stores like J Crew and Banana Republic have great cashmere accessories that won't break the bank. If you are trendy and want to be the first in the office to wear colored tights, American Apparel has a good selection.

In addition, stores have already started to mark things down. Don't be intimidated by walking into a high end store! You don't need to wait until after New Year's to get a good bargain.

And one last tip...never walk out of the house with a sweater that has Rudolph on it!

Erica is a NY-based contributor for DiscussionDIVAS and a full-time personal shopper for individuals like you. If you’re looking for additional tips or a complete overhaul, e-mail Erica at Erica.Maslow@gmail.com.