The holiday season is upon us and it's time to start dreaming, celebrating and creating magical memories.

This year, more than ever, is about being with family and friends. Plan intimate dinner parties and impromptu cocktail parties at home, and be sure to do it with high style. Light the candles, dim the chandelier, build a fire and pop the cork of that great champagne you've been saving for a special occasion. Here are a few of the trends:

• Printed silk -- From techno florals to computer-generated prints, printed silk dresses graced the catwalks in looks from bold and edgy to delicate monochromatics.

• One shoulder -- Returning from summer, the one-shouldered dress is sophisticated and strong, adding volume and boldness to your evening look.

• White shirt -- Always timeless, crisp, and clean, the white shirt is embellished with ruffles galore or deconstructed, but always buttoned-up.

• Black tuxedo -- Yves St. Laurent is smiling as the "visionnaire" of this look. The modern interpretation of the black tuxedo suit is smoking!

• Sharp shoulders -- Back to the future, the sharp-shouldered jacket is at its best paired with slim pants or leggings and a confident attitude.

• Jersey dress -- This material is soft, comfortable and sexy. Rouched seams make it slenderizing and contemporary jewelry make it pop.

• Corsets -- Submit to underwear as outerwear. Incorporated into dresses or worn alone with slim skirts and even over a white shirt, corsets are the perfect seductive look for a special holiday gathering.

• Purple pops -- Purple reigns this winter for women and men. Its rich tones bring drama and glamor to the dreary winter landscape. Pair with soft browns for a luxurious look.

In the hair and make-up department, try out this season's ultra sculpted hairstyles -- coiffed and deliberate, dramatic and molded. Embrace the inspiration of Paris runways with bold lips -- strikingly full, round shapes filled-in to make lips look as plump and wet as possible.

With bold lips, be sure to go simple and understated on the eyes. Mascara and clean liquid liner are all you need to complete this look. For those who love smoky stares, skip the black and go for shimmering topaz, mink, midnight blue or iridescent purple. Ask the skilled make-up artists at Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom and Macy's for help, or book one of the talented independent make-up artists available from The Talent Group or Docherty Agency for an at-home consultation.

To complete your look, pick up some of the season's dramatic jewelry and accessories -- feathered hair ornaments, skinny belts over anything, leather gloves and arm warmers from elbow length to fingerless, chunky gold and silver neckpieces, and handbags in classic shapes and colors.

Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.