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How To Dress For Your Christmas Do

Patrick Cooper • Nov 27, 2019
Go too smart and you’ll look like an ‘Inbetweener’, too casual and you’ll be ignored under the mistletoe… though that might not be the worst thing


Ah, the office Christmas party – that one day of the year where getting blind drunk is both the best and worst thing you can possibly do and out-dressing your colleagues is an absolute essential.

Go too fancy and you’ll look like a try hard wally, too smart and you’ll look like a – and we quote – “briefcase wanker”, too slovenly and you’ll look like you don’t care… and you’ll promptly get sacked.

To help you avoid any howlers, here’s a blow-by-blow breakdown of what to wear, wherever you’re having your Christmas party this year. Hot tip: avoid anything prefixed with the terms “novelty” or “fancy” with the same gusto with which you’ll be avoiding Brenda from accounts come 9pm.


1. The office party, at the office
If this is your festive setup, you have my sympathies (unless your office is one of those super-chic Clerkenwell lofts finished with a foosball table and a Moët dispenser, in which case, sympathy revoked). 
The key, in this scenario, is to read the room. If, day-to-day, you and your colleagues make very little effort with the way you look – beyond wearing a regular work suit – then you’ll want to keep your party outfit simple. 
Opt for a marginally more elegant version of the outfit you wear every day. For instance, if you wear a blue suit with a white shirt and regular tie most days, then play to that theme, only better. Wear a slim-cut (get it tailored – it won’t cost much) midnight-blue suit in a light-swallowing flannel with a dark shirt and air tie plus a pair of chic mahogany loafers, to add a “party feel”. You won’t look out of place or like you’re trying too hard, but you’ll look better than everyone else (which is the most important thing).
2. The swanky sit-down affair
If your office puts some money behind your Christmas bash and you have a big lunch or dinner with clients present, then you really need to make a bit of an effort. The key is to play with fabrics and to pep up the regular items you wear day-to-day. A velvet jacket in place of a classic blazer, a smart slipper in place of a regular loafer, a rollneck in place of a shirt. Clever accessorising will also help lift your outfit – a jazzy pochet from Prada or Versace, for instance, or a pair of perfect mother-of-pearl cufflinks from Lanvin. Subtle aesthetic shifts will make all the difference.
3. The post-work pub party
If you’re heading for a few swift halves post-work, you don’t need to worry too much about your outfit. Coming at festive dressing laterally is the way to think. Swap out a classic crew-neck sweater for a Fair Isle tank top or jumper – something from Ralph Lauren or Gant would do the trick. Alternatively, a nice new cashmere scarf will give your outfit an elegant lift without you having to make too much of an effort – just be sure to avoid spilling Guinness on it.
4. The small startup lunch
 Special Lunch menu at Côte? BOGOF at Pizza Express? If you work for a minor startup and you’re heading for a low-key lunch with your entire team, the way to dress is to dress up a bit. The likelihood is that you’ll spend most of your days together wearing jeans, sweatshirts and trainers. In this instance, throw a nice low-key tweed jacket over a granddad shirt and crew-neck jumper, or put on a thick cream rollneck and wear with some fluid wool trousers. Low-key yet elegant is the look you should be aiming for.

5. The major conglomerate all-staff
The likelihood is, in this instance, that no one is going to see what you’re wearing and also that you’ll be given a dress code to adhere to. If it says “party”, wear a tux with a black rollneck. If it reads “black tie”, wear a tux with a dress shirt and bow tie. If it reads “festive”, revert to the former outfit. A classic wool tuxedo worn up or down should see you through any eventuality. Just don't wear a tux if the dress code reads “casual”, because you’ll look super keen and no one will hang out with you.

6. The ‘themed’ party
My advice, in the instance of a dreaded “themed” party, would be to ignore the theme altogether. Adhere to it and there will be photos of you dressed as a scrawny “Gaston” circulating the office for all time. That, and you’ll get so drunk out of sheer embarrassment you’ll do something stupid. Don’t adhere to it and no one will bat an eyelid. The choice is yours.
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