Sure, holiday parties are a blast, but they're probably a little dressier than your day-to-day wardrobe. You could run out and spend hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars on nicer outfits, but the truth is that a few items will make all the difference.

One of those items is a blazer. This will come in handy when you need to look really nice -- khakis, ties, dress shoes, etc -- but also will take just a about any outfit from sloppy to chic.

Check out this Kenneth Cole Two Button Blazer as a possible option. It's formal enough for anything short of a black tie affair, but looks fantastic with jeans and festively-colored dress shirt. I'd also recommend this brown leather sport coat from Alfani (which is what I'm wearing this holiday season). As you can see in the photo, it works with a shirt and tie, but also looks great with a hooded sweatshirt -- even a t-shirt if you're going to a pseudo-casual party. Plus, it's fairly warm, so you can get away without wearing a bulky overcoat.

Add a nice pair of boots, and your grubby jeans and t-shirts suddenly start to look like Christmas party attire.