We’ve all been there: a holiday party invitation at the 11th hour, you don’t have time to go buy anything, and then your’e standing there having every girl’s nightmare – a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear.

What you need is a no-fail formula for a last minute party outfit. This way come Friday night, you’re not in the scenario I just described.

Step 1: The silk top. It doesn’t have to be black, but I prefer a black one only because it instantly dresses up anything you pair it with. This particular blouse from Revolve has a deep V neck but I make it daytime and work appropriate by putting a cami under it. I always make sure I have a silk shirt dry cleaned and ready to go because it’s equally great for parties and last minute work meetings with VIPs.

Step 2: Jeans that make you feel great. A lot of you are probably thinking that you have to pair that silk top with a pair of black jeans to make things fancy and this is not true. Black jeans does not an outfit make. Confidence, however, does. Find a pair of jeans that make you feel fabulous. I love these ones from 3×1 because they fit me a little higher on the waist and I love any excuse to wear fringe. If you’re stressing that jeans aren’t going to work here, proceed to step 3.

Step 3: Add heels. I am not a heel person, but if I’m going to wear said jeans, then I like to keep things fancy with heels. Wearing heels means you can get away with the jean thing (told you so). Since it’s the holidays, go for those statement heels that you save for fancy occasions. It’s already December and chances are that “special occasion” you were waiting for all year hasn’t happened yet, so make this party that occasion. Case and point – these pink shoes were my wedding shoes and I always felt like I needed to save them until I realized I had hundreds of dollars sitting in a box for over a year. If you’re going to drop $$ on things then make sure you wear them.

Step 4: Up you accessory game. A party means you can layer that ish ON. I’m wearing 2 gold necklaces here (one from Gorjana and the other from Bauble Bar), but that doesn’t mean you can’t mix metals. If you’re going to go heavy on the necklaces, then don’t do earrings, or vice versa.

And voila! There you have it – the perfect formula for a last minute party outfit. And you didn’t even have to buy a single thing. I picked out some other similar pieces that you can shop below. Happy partying.

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