EVELYSS / Guides / Travel & Everyday

What to Wear to a Work Christmas Party (by Venue)

“The office do is the one party where the guest list will see you again on Monday morning. So I dress for the photo, not the dance floor: one festive thing, beautifully done, and everything else as polished as a good day at work.”Her take

How dressy is the office do?

Start with the invitation. If it names a dress code, follow it. If it says nothing, the venue and the time of day tell you most of what you need: drinks in the office or a local pub sit at the casual end, a sit-down dinner in a restaurant is in the middle, and a hotel ballroom with a band is at the dressy end.

If you're still unsure, ask the organiser or a colleague who went last year. It's a normal question and saves you being the only person in sequins at the pub, or the only person in jeans at the hotel. When in doubt, aim one notch smarter than your normal work clothes, not three.

Dressing by venue

Think of your work wardrobe as the base and add festive detail as the venue gets grander. The same black wide-leg trousers can go to almost every one of these with a change of top, shoes and earrings.

• Drinks in the office or straight after work: what you wore that day, plus one swap, such as a satin blouse, statement earrings or a red lip.
• Pub or bar: dark jeans only if colleagues are wearing them, otherwise tailored trousers or a knitted midi skirt with a sparkly or velvet top and ankle boots.
• Sit-down restaurant: a midi dress, or trousers with a silky top and a blazer. Sit down in it before you leave home.
• Hotel or function room with a band: a midi or tea-length dress in velvet, satin or sequins, or a dressy jumpsuit, with heels you can dance in.
• Activity first (bowling, karaoke, crazy golf): smart trousers or straight-leg jeans, a festive top and flat shoes, with something easy to move in.
• Black tie stated on the invite: a floor-length or elegant midi dress. Our black tie guide covers the details.

The 'work is watching' rules

None of these are about being dull. They're about not having to think about your outfit once the party is going, and about how it looks in the photos that end up on the team chat.

Pick one area to show and keep the rest covered: a low back with a high neck, bare arms with a midi length, a shorter hem with sleeves and opaque tights. Check sheer fabrics are lined. Sit, bend and lift your arms in front of a mirror, because you'll do all three. If you'd feel you had to keep adjusting it, choose something else.

• One festive element: sequins, velvet, satin, metallic or a bold colour, not all of them at once.
• A hemline you can sit and dance in without tugging.
• Underwear that doesn't show through or slip into view.
• Nothing with a slogan you wouldn't put in an email to your manager.

Going straight from the office

Plenty of office parties start straight after work, which leaves no time to go home. Build the day's outfit as a base that can be dressed up: black or navy tailored trousers, a simple fine-knit top or a silky camisole under a blazer, and plain shoes.

Then pack a small swap kit. Change the top or take off the blazer, switch flats for heels, add earrings and redo your lip. It takes ten minutes in the loos and looks deliberate rather than rushed.

• A festive top or a velvet blazer, folded in tissue so it doesn't crease.
• Statement earrings or a sparkly hair clip.
• Heels or dressier boots, and a bag to carry the flats home.
• Lipstick, a compact and a travel-size fragrance.

Shoes, coat and the practical bits

You'll probably stand for hours, walk between venues and wait for a late train or taxi in December weather. Block heels, low kitten heels, heeled ankle boots and smart loafers all beat a stiletto you'll want to take off by nine o'clock.

Your coat will be in every arrival photo, so wear the good one: a wool coat that's long enough to cover your hemline. Thick tights (40 to 60 denier) make a dress or skirt workable in a British winter. Keep a compact umbrella in your bag and check whether the venue has a cloakroom.

Festive without fancy dress

The easiest festive fabrics are velvet, satin and a little sequin or metallic. Jewel colours such as emerald, burgundy, sapphire and deep plum feel celebratory without trying too hard. Black is always fine, especially with one bright accessory or a red lip.

Save the novelty Christmas jumper for a party that's billed as a Christmas jumper day, or one you know is that kind of do. If you want a nod to the season otherwise, keep it to earrings or a hair accessory.

Questions people ask

The takeaway

Read the invite, dress for the venue, add one festive element, keep it Monday-proof, and wear shoes and a coat that can handle a December night.

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