The office end of the year party is one of life’s tricky situations: You don’t want to come off as a bore to colleagues and clients, but you don’t want to be the employee known for having too much fun. On top of the anxiety of how to behave, there’s also the question of what to wear. Here we present you with tips for how to dress for office party, so at least until that final glass of champagne sends you over the
edge; you’ll be creating a good impression.
Go The Conservative Way
If you’re having trouble choosing between two outfits or selecting one garment over another, err on the conservative side when you dress for your office end of the year party. After all, this is a work function and your colleagues, as well as clients, are likely from very different backgrounds or age groups. If you dress conservatively in a dark suit, you’ll look great and no one will be offended. On the other hand, if you wear your funkiest high tops, your cherished skull necklace and your favourite ripped denim, you might look cool, but some may find you offensive.
Remember Grooming
Remember to groom the morning of the party. You never know when you’re going to have to put in an unexpected hour or two of overtime, and you could suddenly find yourself in a crunch for time between the office and the party. Also, because some parties may start almost immediately after work, you don’t want to do a quick change into your fancy clothes only to realize you’re sporting week-old facial hair. For example, a gorgeous dark-red silk tie will look stunning against a white dress shirt, but its bright colour will draw attention to your face, so you need to make sure your mug is free of unkempt growth when you dress for your.
Go Casually Smart
Though it seems like you have to follow a lot of rules when it comes time to dress for your office end of year party, you can still have fun with your look. Get into the season’s spirit by adding touches of luxe fabrics to your outfit, like a navy velvet blazer. Or try a tie with a hint of sheen. Also, don’t dress like Santa. Save these rituals for festivities where you’re on more familiar terms with everyone.
Plan your outfit ahead
You’ll want to have your ensemble ready to go a couple of days before you dress for your office party. Otherwise, you may be surprised that your trusty suit is rather wrinkled or that you forgot to wash and iron your dress shirt. Because you may not have much time between work and the party, it’s helpful to be able to come home and change immediately. Also, don’t forget to do your research and inquire about the dress code in advance to save yourself the humiliation of turning up seriously under- or over-dressed.
Don’t wear what you normally would to work
If you normally wear a suit to work, don’t wear one of those same suits when you dress for your office party. Instead, let the dress code guide your choice of apparel so you’re sure to dress for the occasion. If it’s less strict than the regular office dress code, try a bespoke jacket they’re fun for a party but still sufficiently formal. And even if your work place is really casual, it’s still polite to dress up a bit, even if that just means wearing a dress shirt with your jeans. Plus, now that you look better than usual, it’s an ideal time to introduce yourself to the hot new salesgirl.
Bring Tide to Go
You’ve done everything right and you’ve turned up to the party looking smart and polished; but then disaster strikes – you spill red wine on your pristine white dress shirt or someone bumps into you while you’re sipping coffee. Unless you want to spend the rest of the party trying to convince everyone that an embarrassing stain is the latest accessory, bring tide to go with you. A stain remover that can fit in your pocket will make short work of any mishaps that may occur and will be your savior particularly if you’re wearing pricey clothes.
