This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Maryland chapter.

The start of the holiday season not only brings delicious food promising to expand your waistline, but also the start of holiday parties. These parties would not be complete without the proper themed outfit, usually stemming from some sort of ugly Christmas sweater found at the nearest Value Village or thrift shop of some sort.

Everyone wants to dress the part for a holiday party, whether it’s a crush party, holiday themed night at Turf or just a themed social. The secret is making what usually reminds you of your grandma’s sweaters, into a trendy and cute outfit, and however great these old, tacky sweaters can be, there is a right and a wrong way to wear them.

Goal: Get lots of compliments on how you made a tacky sweater look, adorable and totally creative.

The first step in turning an ugly Christmas sweater into a cute outfit, is understanding that just because “ugly” is in the name, doesn’t mean you need to find the most atrocious looking sweater out there. A simple red, green or even navy sweater with some sort of reindeer, Santa or present embroidered patch on it does the trick. Your sweater doesn’t need to have pieces flying off of it to achieve “ugly Christmas sweater” status. Trust me. Less can be more.

Once the perfect amount of ugliness is found, the next step is finding the right bottoms to turn the ugly sweater into a cute and festive top. The most foolproof option is pairing the sweater with a simple, tight black skirt. This counteracts the oversized aspect of the sweater and gives your outfit a girly flair by showing your legs. Feeling like a Christmas vixen? Switch the skirt for some sexy leather leggings!

Next come the accessories to add a little trend to the outfit. Some sort of Christmas inspired headpiece is a must to make sure your sweater doesn’t look like something you just threw on.

A great way to make your sweater look even cuter is to wear any type of bow in your hair, whether it’s just a bow clip or a cute headband. Other options are reindeer antlers or candy cane headbands that add just a bit more holiday spirit to your outfit. Of course no outfit would be complete without holiday colored beads, such as green and red to add a little more Christmas cheer to your ensemble. It could be a good time to get your DIY skills out and craft the perfect headpiece!

The last accessory that can be used to truly turn an ugly Christmas sweater into an adorable, yet slightly seductive, holiday outfit, is the right shoes. Since it is still cold out, an open toe heel isn’t really an option, but other great ways to add the finishing touch to a holiday inspired outfit, is with a great pair of wedged booties or a heeled tall boot.

So no matter what type of holiday themed party you’re going to, as long as you add the right accessories, you’ll have no problem turning an ugly Christmas sweater, into an adorable outfit for a night out.

Happy Holidays Ladies.

Now, here are some of our favorite sweaters for your holiday enjoyment:

Mossimo Suppy Co. Sweater $29.99

Blue Christmas Eve $30 from the Ugly Sweater Store

Tipsy Elves Santa Sweater $69

Merry Christmas $19.90

Cowlneck Sweater Dress $28