Article by Jillian Jones | Photos by Chris Best

At Mammaw and Pappaw’s farm, there’s a growing family of 30 plus people (including me), elbow to elbow, getting ready to eat turkey, green beans, mashed potatoes and Mammaw’s famous home-grown corn and coleslaw.

This is Thanksgiving.

Each November, my family of five will drive two hours to Rineyville, Ky. to my Mom’s family farm to enjoy our crazy Thanksgiving meal; it’s a tradition for us. Very casual, loud, a little dysfunctional, but nothing really fancy or something I have to get dolled up for.

But this year our tradition is going to change. In just a few weeks, my family and I are traveling 10 hours to get to Philadelphia to spend the whole week with my Dad’s side of the family. A.K.A. a Thanksgiving vacation.

Vacations means packing, and packing means stress, especially for a girl.

You see, my family doesn’t get to visit with my Dad’s siblings very often, because they live all around America (from California to Texas and even to New Jersey). Not to mention my younger sister is also going to be cheering with UCA’s All-American Team in the Philly Thanksgiving Day parade. So this trip is definitely going to be something I have to look good for.

I’ve come up with three specific outfits that are Thanksgiving appropriate and up-to-date on the latest trends and fads this holiday season.

Parade

Thanksgiving in Philly this year is looking to be a little chilly, with a chance of rain, but that won’t stop us from cheering on my sister in the parade. I’ll be wearing dark denim skinny jeans, a dark-toned sweater (think navy or black), tan booties and a red pea coat. Bundled up with a blanket scarf will also do the trick, especially since I’ll be standing on the sidelines watching her cheer.

Dinner

Thanksgiving in an urban city will not be our traditional and casual farm meal, so I’m planning for something higher-end and more exquisite. We may even go out to a restaurant! A warm-toned floral print A-line dress, tights and suede bootie heels or wedges will be perfect for the occasion. It’ll kick up the casual look I’m used to — to something a little more formal.

Family time

At the end of the day, I imagine we will all unwind with memory-sharing and future visit-planning, which will definitely be more of a comfortable, friendly and laid-back atmosphere. So, to bring the formal wear back to casual, I’ll throw on a regular pair of denim skinny jeans, my fringe moccasin boots and my oversized maroon sweater. In my world, there’s nothing more comfortable and fashionable than oversized sweaters and fringe.