A Christmas party invitation rarely says what it means. Here is how to read it, and what to wear to each of the three kinds.
There are three quite different events sharing one name in December, and the invitation almost never tells you which one you have. The office party, the evening with friends and the family gathering ask for different clothes, and the most common mistake is dressing for the wrong one.
Work out which you have been invited to first. Everything after that is straightforward.
The Office Party
This is the one with the most at stake and the least written down. The rule that holds everywhere: it is still work, and the photographs circulate.
The register to aim for is one step above the office, not three. If the office is business casual, a dress in a good fabric with a heel or a smart flat is exactly right. A midi in satin, velvet or a fabric with some surface to it reads as an occasion without reading as a night out.
What to avoid is anything you would have to keep adjusting, anything very short, and anything that shows a great deal at the neckline. Not because of propriety, but because you will spend the evening thinking about it rather than talking to people.
Sparkle is entirely acceptable at an office party and the easiest way to look festive. Keep it to one element: a sequinned skirt with a plain knit, or a plain dress with an earring that does the work.
The Evening With Friends
The most relaxed of the three and the one where you can actually enjoy getting dressed. A sequin, a velvet or a satin slip all belong here, and so does a knit dress if the evening is a dinner rather than a dance.
The practical consideration is temperature. December parties involve a walk between buildings at both ends of the evening, and a strapless dress under a coat is a colder arrangement than it looks. A sleeve, or a wrap you are happy to carry, saves the evening.
The Family Gathering
Where over-dressing is the real risk. A family Christmas evening rarely wants a full occasion dress, and wearing one makes everybody else feel under-dressed in their own house.
A good knit dress, a soft trouser with a nice top, or a simple midi in a deep color is the register. Add one festive element, a velvet, a metallic thread, a red lip, and stop there.
Comfort matters more here than anywhere, because you will be sitting for several hours and possibly cooking in it.
Dress one step above the room, not three. The photographs last longer than the evening.
Fabrics That Say December
The season is carried by surface more than by color, and four fabrics do almost all of it.
Velvet is the most seasonal and the most forgiving. It absorbs light rather than reflecting it, so it photographs deep and rich, and it holds a shape well.
Satin reflects in long sweeps and reads as an evening fabric anywhere. It shows every line underneath it, which is worth knowing before the night rather than during it.
Sequins and metallic threads do the festive work on their own, which is why everything else should go quiet when you wear them.
Lace over a solid lining gives texture without shine, and it is the softest of the four. On a dress code you are unsure about, lace is the safest interesting choice.
Color
Deep colors photograph better than pale ones in the low light these evenings are held in. Emerald, wine, navy, plum and forest all work, and all of them sit better against fairy lights than black does.
Black is correct everywhere and always has been. If you wear it, let the fabric do the distinguishing: a black velvet or a black satin reads entirely differently from a black crepe.
Red is the one color that says December without any other help. It also photographs strongly, so keep the rest of the outfit plain.
The Practical Half
Shoes for the walk, not the entrance. A block heel under a midi is invisible and is the difference between staying and leaving early.
A coat that is longer than the dress, or clearly shorter and ending at the waist. A coat hem sitting an inch above a dress hem is the one combination that never looks right.
Something over the shoulders that you actually like, because you will either wear it or carry it all evening. A fine knit in a plain color is unglamorous and endlessly useful.
A small bag with a strap. Hands free, because there is a drink in one of them already.
The Night Before
Steam the dress rather than ironing it, particularly in velvet, which flattens under a hot iron and does not recover.
Try the whole outfit on together once. Dress, shoes, underwear, jewelry, coat. It takes five minutes and it is the only way to discover that the strap shows before it matters.
Then stop. The point of deciding in advance is that you get to forget about it on the night.
The Outfits, Assembled
Three complete versions, so there is nothing left to decide on the night.
For the office party: a plain midi in a matte satin or a fine velvet, a block heel, a drop earring, a small shoulder bag, hair off the face. One sparkle at most, and let it be the earring.
For the evening with friends: a sequinned skirt with a plain fine knit tucked in, an ankle boot, and a coat you do not mind hanging up. The knit keeps it wearable and the skirt does the work.
For the family evening: a knit dress in a deep color, a flat boot, a long open cardigan and one gold chain. Comfortable enough to cook in and smart enough for the photographs.
What People Get Wrong
Dressing for the invitation rather than the room. A party described as festive drinks in an office is still an office, and the register follows the building rather than the wording.
Choosing a fabric that cannot survive the evening. Anything strapless, anything that needs holding up, anything that shows a mark from a single spilled drink. December parties are long and crowded.
Leaving the coat until the last minute. It is in the arrival photographs and the leaving ones, and a good coat over a simple dress reads better than an elaborate dress under a bad one.
Dressing for December
Common Questions
What to Wear to a Christmas Party?
Work out which kind of party it is first. For an office party, dress one step above the office: a dress in satin, velvet or lace with a heel or a smart flat. For an evening with friends, sequins, velvet or a satin slip all belong, with a sleeve or a wrap for the walk. For a family gathering, a knit dress or a soft trouser with one festive element is the right register.
How to Dress for Christmas Party?
Choose the fabric before the color, since surface is what makes an outfit read as seasonal. Velvet, satin, lace and sequins all do it on their own. Keep the sparkle to one element, pick a deep color that photographs well in low light, and choose the shoe for the walk home rather than the entrance. A coat longer than the dress finishes it.
The Short Version
Identify the party, then dress one step above it. Let velvet, satin, lace or a sequin carry December, keep the sparkle to one element, and choose a deep color over a pale one. Wear a shoe you can walk in, carry a wrap you like, and try the whole outfit on the night before.