Dressing sexy in the summer is as simple as slipping on a sundress and showing off a bit of glowing skin. But in winter, layers of sweaters and puffy coats can leave you feeling shapeless and invisible. Still, you don’t have to give up looking and feeling seductive just because the temperature is dipping into single digits. Instead, try these key pieces that mix cold-weather practicality with a heady hit of sensuality.

1. Sexy boots. This year’s extra-tall boots make for a sleek, shapely look -- especially when they’re paired with leggings or jeggings, or when they’re peeking out from under a slim skirt. Go as vampy as you dare, from knee-high to over-the-knee lengths. The higher the boots, the shorter you can go with whatever tunic, skirt or dress you’re pairing the boots with, says Erin Busbee, a wardrobe consultant based in San Antonio, Texas. Whether you choose flat, wedged or high-heeled boots, look for striking details like buckles, ruffles, lace-ups or fold-down tops. For snow days, opt for winter style and warmth with faux-fur linings and trims.

 2. Something glittery. With sequins everywhere this winter, there’s no excuse not to sparkle. A sequined cardigan, tank top, scarf or clutch is an antidote to winter style stodginess, lightening up the heaviness of wool and cashmere. A new fashion trend this year is sequined sweatshirts -- the perfect melding of comfort and chic. You can find them for splurge-or-save prices at Elizabeth and James, Vince, J. Crew and New York & Company.

3. A silky camisole. Even when you’re swathed in layers or covered up with turtlenecks, you can cultivate a come-hither attitude by wearing something silky against your bare skin. Letting a little snippet of silk or satin peek from the V-neckline of a sweater can be just as provocative as a plunging neckline. A camisole is also a clever way to transition from workday practical to date-night allure when you don’t have time to change. Just stash the shirt or sweater and toss a shrug or throw over the cami.

4. The crisp white shirt. To instantly update your look, skip the T-shirt or sweater and make a white shirt your first layer under a blazer or long cardigan. The white shirt makes its reappearance every few years for good reasons: it’s versatile, flexible and flatters just about everyone. “This classic look is easy to wear and easy to dress up by adding a statement necklace or elegant earrings,” says Busbee. Tuck your white shirt into a pencil skirt and pair with textured hose for instant Mad Men class. For a fashionable tweak on the classic that combines menswear tailoring with femininity, try a pinstriped ruffle shirt. You can find inexpensive, chic versions at Old Navy.

5. A touch of lace. During the winter, lace adds a welcome dash of girliness to any outfit. Try textured hose in a lacy pattern with a skirt or a sweaterdress, or wear a long lace or lace-edged scarf over a chunky sweater. If ladylike lace strikes you as too demure, try black lace. Designers like Alexander Wang and Philip Lam showed it on the runway, and you can find affordable interpretations at Forever 21 -- including a black lace tuxedo-tank.

Make 2011 the year you stop choosing quantity over quality and buying slightly different versions of the same outfit. Just follow these five strategies for getting the most chic from your shopping dollar, and you’ll never again have to lament, “My closet is stuffed, but I have nothing to wear!”

Strategy No. 1: Shop Your Closet
Taking inventory of your wardrobe will help you figure out what you actually need to add to your collection, says Los Angeles fashion stylist Mar Yvette, host of the “Citysearch Weekend Roundup” segment on the television show “Good Day LA.” Spend a few hours trying on those items you haven’t worn in a while. See how they look and how they make you feel, and figure out whether or not they coordinate with anything else in your closet. Be open to new combinations. The argyle cardigan you bought a decade ago in a preppy fervor may be just the thing to belt and wear over a sheath dress today. “Shopping for clothes without truly knowing what's already in your closet is like going grocery shopping on an empty stomach,” says Yvette. “You end up spending a whole lot of money on things you don’t need.”

Strategy No. 2: Streamline and Spread the Wealth
This will go against every shopping urge you have, says Yvette, but less is more. The goal is to build a wardrobe that lasts. You’ll save money in the long run if you buy fewer, better-quality (and therefore, more expensive) pieces rather than lots of cheaper items that are likely to fray or go out of style. Sure, you can get your trend fix with H&M’s disposable designer collections, but the bulk of your closet should be filled with quality pieces made from fabrics like cashmere, linen and wool that transcend time. Follow up on strategy No. 1 by pulling out any items you haven’t worn in a year. If they no longer fit and are beyond tailoring, wish them well and donate them to a charity organization.

Strategy No. 3: Build From the Basics
Whether your style is cutting-edge, classic or casual, these essentials are the building blocks of a functional wardrobe:

• Black pants: They’re the most basic of the basics
• Dark denim: Opt for a trouser cut
• White button-down shirt: Designer Carolina Herrera lives in these
• Sheath dress: It’s simultaneously sexy, classy and sassy
• Cardigan: Throw over the sheath dress or pair with jeans or black pants
• Two-piece suit: Mix and match the jacket and the skirt with all of the above

Strategy No. 4: Choose Double-duty Items
Carilyn Vaile, who designs easy-to-wear items for women on the go, recommends buying items that multitask. Questions to ask as you carefully vet pieces on the store rack: Can the tunic be worn as a minidress? Can the long waterfall jacket be belted and worn as a dress with tights and boots? “If an item can easily transform into other outfits, it keeps my interest,” says Vaile. “Not only will it stay in my wardrobe longer, it will be worn more often.”

Strategy No. 5: Shop the Sales With Caution
No doubt, some of the articles of clothing cluttering your closet still have sales tags hanging from them because you couldn’t pass up a bargain. But it’s not a bargain if you only bought that dress, sweater or pair of (slightly tight) boots because of the 90 percent markdown and never wear it. Before you purchase an item on sale, ask yourself: Would I still want this piece -- in this color, size and style -- if it weren’t marked down? If the answer is no, pass it up.

Photo Credit: @iStockphoto.com/Maica

Whether you’re wondering if you can sneak out of that office party early without the boss noticing or if you should bring your new beau to the family dinner where he’ll be roasted and grilled, you’ll stave off the season’s stress if you look as luminous as holiday lights when you do make your appearance.

Event: The work soiree
Holiday Fashion: Cocktail couture
Seasonal Snafu to Avoid: Too bare, too tight, too short -- too, too much!

Simplicity and grace are key when it comes to choosing an outfit that strikes the right note -- one that won’t have your co-workers sounding the alarm for the fashion police -- when you mix and mingle with your colleagues. Think simple and elegant. Whether the party takes place in the office corridor or at a swanky bar, the trick is in the transition. Rather than schlep an entirely different outfit into the office so you can morph like Cinderella when the clock strikes 5 p.m., break out the party-flavored accessories. A little black dress serves as the perfect canvas for oversized cocktail rings, chandelier earrings that glitter like tree ornaments, metallic heels and sparkly clutches containing your favorite nighttime (read: brightly colored) lipstick.

Event: The holiday ball
Holiday Fashion: Classy couture
Seasonal Snafus to Avoid: Cliched red or green floor-sweeping gowns, bridesmaid dresses

Nothing shouts holiday like a look-at-me red dress. For understated elegance, reach for texture married with unexpected color in a body-hugging silhouette. Lace is always lovely, and you can’t go wrong with classic black. But why not try a deep blue, purple or gold instead? These sumptuous hues are more festive and a celebratory break from your everyday wardrobe shades. You can amp up velvet by ditching the black for plum, navy or even white. Radiating white heat at a holiday party will cause the entire room to sparkle. For true holiday sizzle, however, break with tradition entirely. The trendy holiday color pairing of the moment is turquoise with white, or take a cue from designer Catherine Malandrino, who favors tropical orange and yellow.

Event: The family affair

Holiday Fashion: Kin couture
Seasonal Snafus to Avoid: The reindeer sweater your aunt gave you last year for a holiday gift, casual bordering on “who cares?”

If you’re expecting the meal will play like a scene from Home for the Holidays, you might as well make sure you look your best -- the better to stave off backhanded compliments from relatives you only see once a year. If you can’t part with your favorite skinny jeans for the day, pair them with heels and a satin blouse or a sweater in sensuous cashmere. Another easy combo: a jewel-toned blouse and tailored trousers. You will have dressed up for the occasion without underdressing or overdressing.

Event: The DIY shindig
Holiday Fashion: Comfort couture
Seasonal Snafus to Avoid: Prepping the meal in your holiday outfit, toe-pinching shoes, indecorous decolletage

As the holiday hostess, you’re going to want to be as comfortable as possible since you’ll spend much of the party running back and forth to check the oven and tend to your guests. Once you’ve prepared the food, change into your holiday look -- soft, wide-legged pants made from velour or any other drapey fabric, and a sleeveless blouse in gold, bronze or silver. Or, consider bohemian loungewear: a caftan dress befitting uberstylist Rachel Zoe cinched with a thick gleaming belt. You’ll look, to quote the fashionista, “bananas.”

Photo Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/SaferTim

The perfect pair of sunglasses can totally rock your summer. It’s the one accessory that instantly communicates style, mystery and even a great sense of humor or a certain seriousness. Take, for example, Lindsay Lohan’s eyeglass choice for a recent court appearance -- an elegant modernized cat eye (Dior’s Bagatelle) that suggested Catherine Deneuve respectability rather than Paris Hilton frivolity.

Effective as they are as a fashion statement and mood booster, designer shades can also make a major dent in your budget, with high-quality lenses running $200 and up. So it makes sense to choose this season’s pair with an eye, so to speak, on fresh new shapes, great frame colors and lens tints, and most important of all, the silhouette that flatters your features and channels your personality. To find that elusive pair, you’ll need an open mind, the stamina to try on at least a dozen pairs, and a sunny afternoon.

Up-to-the-minute Sunglass Styles
Fashion this summer is bare and pared down, making it the perfect time to experiment with fashion-forward frame styles. “The season’s clothes are close to the body, so sunglasses on the other hand can be more exaggerated,” says Cheryl Rosario, a spokesperson for Marchon Eyewear, which manufactures sunglasses for such lines as Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Fendi, Pucci and Sean Jean. Even if you’re sporting a basic tank and shorts, your shades can add an on-trend spark to your look.

Shades That Kate Hudson and Rihanna Are Rocking
The sunglass mantra for this season: Everything old is new again. “Anything with a retro or vintage feel from the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s and ’80s is really hot right now,” says Eden Wexler, who has the title “Celebrity Shades Consultant” for Solstice Sunglass Boutiques. Kate Hudson, Ginnifer Goodwin, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Gwen Stefani are all working retro-style, cat-eye sunglasses; Rihanna and Kristin Cavallari are sporting old-school aviators; and Robert Pattinson and Marion Cotillard have made funky Ray-Ban Clubmasters look fresh again.

Search out a retro style with accents that keep it looking modern. For example, choose a classic shape (such as cat eyes or aviators) that combines materials (say, a plastic frame and metal arms) or has subtle details (like racing stripes or enamel inlays). Or opt for an old-school silhouette in a fresh, unexpected color. “Cobalt blue, champagne and ivory look more innovative this season,” says David Gonzales, the owner of Fred Segal Eyes in Santa Monica, Calif., who’s known in Hollywood circles as the “Sunglass Whisperer” for his savvy ability to match faces with the right frames. Neon-bright frames make 1980s-style aviators look contemporary, while black and tortoise shell finishes remain perennial favorites.

What’s out
Frames studded with crystals, shields (glasses with one continuous lens instead of two separate ones), big splashy logos and super-oversized styles. “In general, ostentation is out,” says Solstice’s Wexler, a point that Gonzales echoes. “My celebrity customers now look for subtle details that suggest personal style,” he says.

Choose the Shape That’s Right for Your Face
There’s no hard-and-fast rule for choosing frames for face shapes, but the experts suggest these guidelines for finding a flattering pair.

• For round faces: Metal frames with adjustable nose pads will keep lenses from resting on fuller cheeks, says Solstice’s Wexler, who adds that excessively round or square styles will exaggerate facial roundness
• For square faces: Avoid frames that are flat on the bottom, as this will mirror the face shape. Instead, suggests Wexler, “Look for a frame that has some curve or uplift -- that’ll draw attention away from the jawline.”
• For narrow faces: Choose a frame shape that’s rounded or curved to add a touch of width to your face.
• For every face: In general, frames should be wider than the widest part of the face. When trying on sunglasses, do the “smile test.” “If the glasses rise up off your nose bridge when you smile, they’re not for you,” says Wexler. Eliminate pairs that press against your brows, touch your eyelashes, or squeeze your temples or your nose bridge.

Build a Sunglass Wardrobe
“Think of your sunglasses as you do your earrings,” says Gonzales. “They’re like hoops and studs. You wear different things for different situations.” To that end, he suggests at least two pairs: an updated aviator for sporty outings, and frames with a classic Jackie O vibe for dressier affairs. Beyond that -- if it’s in your budget -- the boutique owner recommends picking up a pair that’s just for fun. “Experiment with color,” suggests Gonzales. “Try a champagne frame with a bottle-green lens or a soft-gold frame with a plum lens.”