Not Sure How to Dress for That Holiday Party?

We Have the Breakdown on What is Appropriate!

With the holiday season in full swing, you are probably preoccupied with just one thing: how to glam up your look for all the parties and functions that are on your calendar! What to wear to holiday parties? Finding the perfect look can be difficult any time of year, but all the holiday parties take the wardrobe worries to a whole new level.

Knowing what to wear to the family gatherings and the bar crawls might be a no-brainer, but what about your work party or your brunch with your in-laws? Knowing when it is okay to go casual and when it is okay to break out the sequins is a skill. Luckily, for those that didn’t get the fashion gene, you have this article full of tips and tricks for glamming it up and what to wear to holiday parties.

Simple Rules for the Office Party

Before we dive into some of the specifics of the wardrobe, let’s cover a few ground rules. If your staff Christmas party is during working hours, you will want to keep your attire to items that are dress-code approved. It is okay to throw in a little sparkle or a holiday-themed piece as long as it is appropriate for a day at work.

An after-hours party can be a little more challenging. You will want to trend more towards modesty with little to no cleavage and keep the exposed skin to a minimum. While the party is taking place after dark, you still have to keep in mind that you are going to be seeing these people first thing Monday morning. The men generally have an easier time choosing attire because they can always opt for a basic suit. That being said, guys should always make sure that their shirt is ironed and that they are wearing appropriate socks.

Now that we have those ground rules taken care of, let’s discuss a few specific wardrobe pieces and what types of parties they are appropriate for.

The Festive Blazer

By festive blazer, we do not mean a crocheted monstrosity covered in reindeer and Santa hats. What we do mean is a structured desk-to-dinner piece that has a little bit of holiday flare — a blazer made of deep green velvet or a sharp black blazer with a bit of sparkle. It should be a piece that can be thrown over a dress shirt or a lace bustier depending on the look you are attempting to achieve.

Appropriate For

• Family Holiday Party
• A Holiday Luncheon or Brunch
• An Informal House Party
• A Working Hours Staff Christmas Party
• An Informal Holiday Party with Friends

Not Appropriate For

• Any Formal Holiday Event

A Sparkly Party Skirt

As soon as the holiday party season nears, the sparkly party skirts will start hitting the racks. You will be able to find them in every style, length, and color before the season is through. To get the most bang for your buck, choose a skirt that is a work-appropriate length so that it can be worn to more events. Pair it with different tops, shoes, and accessories to have a new-ish look at each event.

With a Modest Top-Appropriate For

• Family Holiday Party
• A Late Afternoon Holiday Luncheon
• A Working Hours Staff Christmas Party

With Dressy Top and Shoes-Appropriate For

• A Semi-Formal House Party
• An After Hours Staff Christmas Party
• A Semi-Formal Party with Friends

Not Appropriate for

• Any Formal Holiday Events

Party Pants

Party pants are a little more festive than you would wear on a typical workday. They may be velvet or with a little bit of sparkle. A nice pair of tuxedo pants could also be a good fit, especially if they were made from a satin or jacquard material. Avoid anything that is too tight if you want to be able to wear them to work events.

With a Modest Top-Appropriate For

• Family Holiday Party
• A Holiday Luncheon or Brunch
• A Working Hours Staff Christmas Party

With Dressy Top and Shoes-Appropriate For

• A Semi-Formal House Party
• An After Hours Staff Christmas Party
• A Semi-Formal Party with Friends

Not Appropriate For

• Any Formal Holiday Events

The Christmas Sweater

For the last few years, the ugly Christmas Sweater has become a trend for party-goers. People even throw entire events dedicated to this holiday atrocity, the tackier, the better. While it can be a good fit for a themed event, an ugly Christmas sweater isn’t appropriate or welcome at all parties.

Appropriate For

• Family Holiday Party
• An Informal House Party
• An Informal Holiday Party with Friends

Not Appropriate For

• Any Formal Holiday Event

The Levels of Holiday Attire

With the wide range of holiday events, mimosa brunches to formal New Year’s Eve balls, it can be difficult to know exactly what to wear on any given occasion. Sometimes the invitation will state the level of dress required which can be confusing on its own. What is holiday casual anyway?

Here is a complete breakdown of what each level of dress means:

White Tie: This is the top of the food chain as far as wardrobe is concerned. Think Academy Awards. We are talking floor-length gowns and tailcoats.

Black Tie: Just a short step down from white tie. This is a formal event. Men should be in a black tuxedo, and women should be in an upscale gown. Jewelry should be kept tasteful.

Black Tie Optional: This is still dressy buy there is a little wiggle room. A dark suit would suffice, and women can get away with a less formal cocktail length gown if paired with very nice shoes and accessories.

Creative Black Tie: Here the look is formal but with a more creative bent. Jewelry can be statement pieces and men can vary the types of fabric on their suits.

Cocktail: This is getting more casual. Men are okay in darker suits and women can wear cocktail length gowns or even a nice tuxedo style pantsuit.

Holiday Festive: Similar to cocktail with a splash of holidays thrown in. Red and sparkly is usual for women and men can sport holiday-themed ties.

Dressy Casual or Business Casual: Here is where your festive blazers and holiday skirts come into play. Men should still be in dress slacks but can downgrade to a sports coat.

Holiday Casual: This is casual wear with a holiday theme. A good fit would be a nice red sweater with a dark pair of jeans. If your party is themed, this might be the time to wear your ugly Christmas sweater.

Casual: Most of your family and close friend events will be of a casual nature. This means you can wear your favorite jeans. You may still want to wear a nicer shirt just to honor the season, but no one will look amiss in their favorite long-sleeved tee either.

What Not to Wear to Holiday Parties

Staying off the worst dressed list is always the goal for any event, but it is really important when it is your boss doing the fashion judging. If you want to fly under the radar and not be the talk of the water cooler on Monday morning, avoid wearing any of these holiday fashion no-nos.

• Ugly Christmas Sweaters (especially ones that light up). The only exception to this rule is when ugly sweaters are the theme.
• Anything Low-Cut, Short, and Tight. Save the smoking hot party dress for the New Year’s Eve celebration with your friends. You don’t want to turn heads at your corporate function.
• Things That Look See-Through. There are plenty of dresses on the market that are a nude colored slip with a colored lace overlay. They give the impression that you are seeing bare skin under the lace. Great for the club, not so great for meeting your coworker’s spouses.
• Wrinkled, Sloppy Clothes. You should make sure that your attire fits well, is properly ironed, and doesn’t need to be laundered.
• Sky High Heels. Save your super sexy sky high heels for date night. You really don’t want to dress in an overtly sexy way while attending a work-related function.

Glam Up Your Makeup For the Office Work Party

Noe that you know what to wear to holiday parties and have your attire squared away, it is time to focus on the next step: makeup. While you don’t want to go overboard, you still want to make sure that you look festive and just a little bit glam.

Wearing a lip stain instead of lipstick is a great way to keep your lips popping all night long. There will be no need to reapply after you eat and drink, and you won’t have to worry about lipstick making its way to your front teeth.

Limit the number of sparkles that you wear. It is easy to get caught up in the season and want to add glitter to everything in sight, but there is a thing called way too much. Instead of adding shimmer to your eyes, cheeks, body, and hair, try going for a really bold and sparkling nail polish with a more neutral look on the face. A nice smoky eye paired with a bold lip is enough glam for your corporate events.

Bonus Tip: If you normally wear your glasses during the work day, surprise your fellow office mates by switching to your contacts for the holiday party. Your makeup will look more festive when not hidden behind your eyeglasses. If contacts aren’t your thing, switch to your boldest most colorful frames for a little extra pop of fun.

Related: What’s All the Hype With Liquid Lipstick?

Festive Touch to Your Makeup

If you are attending an after-hours work party, you can push the boundaries just a little bit as far as makeup is concerned. Some colors and shades that you would shy away from during the daylight hours can be quite stunning in the evening. Here are a few festive touches that you can add to your nighttime party events:

Gold eyeshadow: a creamy gold shadow with a bit of sparkle paired with a heavily black-rimmed eye looks festive without being over the top.

Bold Lips: Now is the time to leave the neutral lip behind. Reds, burgundies, and even purples are okay during an evening event.

Metallic Smokey Eyes: A smokey eye is always a good choice for a dressed up look, but when it is the holiday season, you can go one step further by adding a metallic shadow to the mix.

Silver Eyeliner: Holiday party makeup can have a little element of fun, and silver eyeliner is the perfect way to add that little punch of shimmer to your look.

Related: Transform Your Look With EyeShadow!

Makeup Not to Wear for Your Office Party

While makeup can be a bit flexible, and if done right, you can get away with a lot of looks at a festive event. There are a few things that should definitely be left at home in the vanity.

• Don’t add loads and loads of glitter to your body, face, or hair. You don’t want to be shedding sparkles everywhere that you roam.
• Don’t wear over the top, cartoon character eyelashes. While these extreme lashes may look great in a photograph, they are a little too dramatic for your office party. They will look especially terrible if the glue doesn’t hold up for the entire evening. If you must do a fake lash, opt for something a little more natural.
• Don’t wear too much makeup. Try to stick to a makeup look that is only slightly more dramatic than what you wear on a day-to-day basis. Add a little more glam to your normal routine.

Ready to Party?

Your holiday parties should be a blast, especially if you feel dressed to match the formality of the event. Remember a good rule of thumb is that it is better to be overdressed rather than underdressed, but at the same time, you don’t want to be in a prom dress while everyone else is in jeans! When in doubt about the appropriate attire, check with the host of the party for clear instructions on what you should wear.

Finding your perfect outfit may take a little bit of work, but if you follow these tips, you are sure to look amazing at every event!  Hope this helped you to determine what to wear to holiday parties!

More Great Resources On What to Wear to Holiday Parties:

20 Festive Christmas Party Outfits That Are Sure to Stun

How to Do Your Makeup for Your Office Holiday Party

50 Stunning Makeup Ideas For This Year’s Holiday Parties