Even if you blew the budget on Christmas presents, you can still look glamorous for holiday parties.
Glamour may look expensive, but it doesn't necessarily have to cost a lot.
How to achieve it?
"Get a pair of 4-inch heels with straps, put on bright red lipstick, and think Lauren Bacall in "The Big Sleep," advises Jane Carton, fashion director at Saks Fifth Avenue.
"Sparkle," says Rita Eisenberg, divisional vice president of public relations at John Wanamaker. "White is the really knockout color. Dig out your heels. Put on a satin slink or a curvy jacket. Go for FTC that elegant, Marlene Dietrich glamour-girl look of the '40s and '50s."
If you still don't get the picture, rent a classic video or two and study the look.
Because, you must add your personal dazzle to the holidays this season.
Hostesses will expect you to bring panache to the party scene, glitter to the cocktails and canapes.
Time to dig out your best jewels, or flagrantly fake it with faux. Rediscover satin and velvet. (Almost everything that used to be tight now contains Lycra, so you get to breathe and maybe even eat as you slink.)
If your budget doesn't run to new party outfits, says Susan Beer, vice president of marketing for Dress Barn, update your little black dress by wearing it with patterned or lace hose, tying a scarf around the waist, adding a vest or lace scarf, or dressing it up with a long, long strand of pearls or colored glass jewelry.
She suggests a couple of glamour looks that never fail: velvet trousers with a silk or charmeuse blouse, and a silk suit with a keyhole neck. Add the elegance of (bogus) bold gold in earrings, bracelets or necklace.
Don't forget the evening bag, in beading, satin or velvet. It's on Ms. Beer's list of holiday must-haves, along with a gold lurex lace tank or a lace bodysuit, and "anything velvet -- pants, tunic or vest."
Kirk Widra, visual coordinator for Daffy's in Center City, has just one word of advice for men looking for easy holiday pizazz: vests. "Take a tuxedo and match an interesting vest with it," he says. "Add a splash of color to give an otherwise staid outfit a more interesting look."
For Jane Joyce, fashion consultant for T.J. Maxx, "The key is to select one or two fashion essentials that represent the glamour trend and work them into your wardrobe."
If you want just a touch of velvet -- the season's No. 1 essential, says Ms. Joyce -- try a long fringed scarf.
Or opt for a hint of gold with a lame tank top peeking through a black sheer blouse, or a mohair or mohair-blend sweater over silky pants.
But one of the most sophisticated color combos is black and cream, especially cream blouses teamed with black palazzo pants or skirts.
"For a dramatic difference," adds Ms. Joyce, "try cream pants with a stunning tuxedo-shaped black jacket." Top it off with silver accessories, especially big earrings or cuff bracelets.
Glamour is in the details: If you can, treat yourself to a manicure and a pedicure. If you opt for bright red lips, go with dramatic eyes but not too much color on the cheeks. Keep your hair under control, whether the style is sleek or sensuous.
And glamour allows for no bulges, even if you did put on a few pounds over Thanksgiving.
There's a host of new lingerie out there designed to smooth or shape those curves, from the cleavage-creating Wonderbra to the bottom-shaping control panty. Vanity Fair, for instance, has a line of BodySleeks, with no seams, no lace, and in body tones, for a streamlined effect under slinky gowns.
Or take a tip from Dress Barn's Ms. Beer: Dress all in one color, wearing long over long, for an elongated look; wear a colorful sweater over slim skirts or pants; choose a long tuxedo jacket to help disguise larger hips; and don't over-accessorize.