Sleigh the season

MANILA, Philippines - With the metro ablaze amid the lights of a hundred parols, trees and Christmas lights, it’s time to step out of the end-of-year gloom and shine bright as diamonds for the most wonderful time of the year.  Prepare for the deluge of invitations and festive obligations because a non-stop carousel of family dinners, girls cocktails, office parties and full-on fêtes has already commenced and you need to be ready with the big guns. Your arsenal? Accessories. It’s the holidaze! Pour yourself a glass of wine and delve into your wardrobe for jewelry, belts, minaudières, heels and more to add sparkle, shine, sheen and scintilla to any ensemble. Raise a toast and celebrate your success this year.

Imagine this: an ultra-chic tablescape of whimsical treasures.  Flecks of gold on tiny candelabras with flickering lights bathe bouquets of fresh flowers and organic elements in a warm glow. On a monogrammed plate flanked by heirloom silverware is a place card that bears not just a name in elegant calligraphy, but a quirky illustration in the likeness of each and every guest.  Now, don’t you want a seat at the table?

Take a cue from this curated guide of six definitive style icons and their accessory tribe sisters to inspire the best-dressed version of you for this holiday season.  Time to take your well-deserved seat.

Stylespiration: Lauren Santo Domingo

Runners-up: Caroline Sieber and Gaia Repossi

Statement: The cusp of muted, but ultimate chic. Subtly mastered, of course.

Lauren’s Key Pieces: Whether fine jewelry or costume pieces from the world’s highest couture houses — each element is indulgent, but never vulgar. Think Cartier, Van Cleef, or Gaia Repossi. For costume, expect Lanvin, Dior, or a stunning piece from one of her equally haute jewelry-designing friends. A timeless investment bag. And no, I specifically do not mean a Birkin. Particularly not for evenings! Cinch dresses with a top quality belt.  Finish with demure but impossibly chic heels (Manolos, please) for that classically feminine LSD touch.

Stylespiration: Jenna Lyons

Runners-up: Leandra Medine and Emily Weiss

Statement: From elevated crisp-casual ease to unconventional evening garb, everything oozes calm and cool in a seriously sexy way. Natural never looked this good — or this powerful.

Jenna’s Key Pieces: Ubiquitous geeky-chic eyewear, often severe hair, and clean face. A sensible selection vintage jewelry is preferred.  Sensible stacks of bracelets peek out from the cuffs of her immaculately tailored staple blazers in a venerable plethora of colors and styles.  And shoes, judging from her collection of over 300 pairs, are where this icon goes all out in bursts of color, contrast, patterns, textures and styles. Put simply, the vision is a slouchy top, crisp pants cropped with surgical precision, and killer shoes.

Stylespiration: Jen Brill

Runners-up: Alice Dellal and Leigh Lezark

Statement: Messy hair, no care. I woke up like this (a Chanel Ambassador handpicked by Karl himself). The epitome of downtown chic and effortless cool with a razor-sharp edge.

Jen’s Key Pieces: Unstyled, tousled jet-black locks, and a Chanel handbag. A perpetual cigarette darts out of her signature red pout (that’ll be MAC’s Ruby Woo lipstick, for the uninitiated). She’ll go from jeans and shorts of normcore dreams (before normcore was normcore, of course) paired with a blasé tee or completely sheer bra-baring top accessorized with shamelessly large furs. Expect the unexpected quilted couture. Jewelry remains generally sparse, but you can’t miss that Cartier panthere ring she wears every day. A Cartier panthere for every day, you say? That’s right. I didn’t call her a Bad Bitch for nothing.

Stylespiration: Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis

Runners-up: Bianca Brandolini and Margherita Missoni

Statement: Eclectic and even a bit eccentric. You must take one look at this woman and see a reflection of world through vintage rose gold lenses. 

Elisabeth’s Key Pieces: Artfully disheveled hair that says, “I literally just flew in,” and only traces of makeup. Treasures from her frequent globetrotting like Tibetan bangles, bracelets made from yarn sourced from some South American mountain adventure and of course, a preference for fine jewelry by equally Euro-fash friends like Delfina Delettrez. A lot of floating pearls, unexpected settings, too cool for life designs, and a preference for uncommonly delicate gems. Ear cuffs, ring chains and the like make her look bohemian and modern all at once. Quirky, yet super fashion-forward Kirkwood flats go from day to night with accessories that frame surprising silhouettes.  The secret to perfecting this look? Have one element that seems perfectly “off.” Bonne chance.

Stylespiration: Olivia Palermo

Runners-up: Poppy Delevingne and Lauren Remington Platt

Statement: A superlative knack for accessorizing gives way to perennially polished perfection. Coquettish, perhaps, without being too saccharine for the seasoned palate.

Olivia’s Key Pieces: Playful jewelry, both high and contemporary, is this icon’s strength. A variety of textures, materials, colors, and stones from both the schools of fine and costume jewelry finish off every look with a girlish touch. Festive necklaces will set off festive party frocks.  The perfect pair of textured bracelets on both wrists will pull together cashmere knits worn with brocade silk skirts and pointed-toe heels.  Last, but certainly not the least, would be a talented duo of hair and makeup artists forever on call and a chiseled Adonis of a husband like Johannes Huebl on your arm. This goes without saying.

Stylespiration: Shala Monroque

Runners-up: Mira Duma and Michelle Harper

Statement: Brazen confidence and mega personalities translate into bold style and unforgettably assembled lewks.

Shala’s Key Pieces: Unique baubles from her travels like a Murano glass necklace from a flea market and a golden South Sea pearl strand that she audaciously repeats in stunning incarnations from the fringes of an exotic beach to the cover of Town and Country. Also, who can forget that gigantic insect brooch by Delfina Delettrez that crowned bejeweled bugs as the next wave in jewelry trends? Chunky, fanciful bangles stack capriciously against her ebony skin. Sandals, purses, and sunglasses in bold pops of color, unabashed contrast, and even iridescent finishes make for a fierce amalgamation of style.