Winter is always one of my favorite times of the year. I love to watch as the lake freezes over and snow starts to cover the ground turning the drab fall landscape into a sparkling wonderland. There is of course the other bonus of the winter season, the holidays! Thanksgiving brings our families together for the traditional start of the holiday season. For some this marks the time when holiday party invitations flood the mailbox. For others it means packing to go south for the winter. So for this article I'm going to show all of you lucky readers what to wear to those holiday parties, as well as what the trends are from the resort collections.

Holiday parties can be hard to dress for. If the invitation says cocktail attire, exactly what do you wear? Is it for work, just the girls, or a neighborhood gathering? Regardless, getting dressed for events where the dress code is ambiguous is always hard. To stay in fashion this holiday season, here are some updates on trends that will have you looking great no matter where you go.

The classic colors that are everywhere this holiday season are black, white and red. To look stunning at any social gathering try adding red accessories to a classic black dress. Accentuating your waist with a wide red belt, like this one from Via Spiga, is one way to do this. Or try adding red shoes to complete the look.

Metallic fabrics are another trend that will keep you looking stylish and festive this season. This dress by Viktor and Rolf is way too much for holiday parties, but is the inspiration for one of the prevalent trends this season. Instead try a dress with metallic accents like this one from Anthropologie.

Wrap dresses have been very big this fall, and will continue to be popular this winter. One way to make this look pop is to get it in a bold print. This dress from French Connection captures the perfect look for a winter party.

For our snow birds who are lucky enough to be reading this on a plane heading for warmer climates, here are some of the looks that were prevalent on the resort runways. These trends can add a fresh update to any wardrobe, and give your look a new lift. The safari trench is one great way to look cute, without looking too dressy. This trench done in polka dots by Oscar de la Renta is a little out of my price range, but try this cute dress by Halogen available at Nordstrom to get the look for less.

Not only are polka dots all over the trench from Oscar, they were all over the resort runways. Polka dots are a great way to add a youthful touch to your wardrobe. For a fun flirty take on polka dots, check out this cute dress from J.Crew.

Layers were another key look on the resort runways, and are an easy way to keep warm in different temperatures this winter. The runway version of layering at Hermes was over the top, but the idea is what matters. Throw a shrug sweater on over any outfit for an ensemble that is fashionable and functional.

Use any of these trends to add some life to your everyday wardrobe too. Just like the autumn landscape gets a makeover with a fresh coat of snow, so does your look every time you add something new to the mix.

By Kelly Klein