English	español
Australia	España
International	méxico y latinoamérica
Middle East
USA

By Chrisanthi Kaliviotis

The Grazia Guide To Party Dressing. Party One, The Work Christmas Party

Don't let Gary from Finance rain on your fashion parade, embrace the work Christmas party with this boogie-approved edit

The scent of woody pine is in the air, the fairy lights are flashing and the impossible falsetto of Mariah Carey is blaring, which can only mean one thing: it’s December. Alarming for those who are still recovering from last Christmas (i.e. me) and are still in the early stages of present planning (i.e. none), but positively fabulous for those with festivity in their bones.

Of course, December is a time of celebration, which in turn means a relentless stream of parties. Now is the time to inject a little jolly into your wardrobe with festive-inflected party dressing and much like you’d spike the punch with a little extra Pimms, it’s time to spike your wardrobe with a little extra sparkle. It’s the one time of year not to fear ostentatious glamour, rather, revel in it. Which means wearing party feet with party dresses – even party bags – all at once.

But of course, there’s many a party in December, from celebratory cocktails with the girls to Christmas Day itself. First up, however, is the ol’ work Christmas party, which in itself takes on many forms. There’s the corporate kind, which thanks to big budgets equals big drinks which usually equates to a boozy, bougie affair with a lot of boogie (don’t let those suit and ties fool you, these are typically the loosest shindigs of them all). There’s the more casual affairs, a floral-filled lunch with the Rosé flowing, or the “activity” Christmas party, where co-workers are compelled into bowls, bocce and the like.

A party when HR goes into overdrive and Gary from Finance does some of his finest work (according to him), the work Christmas party is typically met with next-day regret but some ripper stories. And while a work Christmas party is very much dependent on your field, our pick for a work soiree is an interesting midi dress, or a sheeny blouse and tailored pant, paired with a tricked-up heel and kitschy evening bag. Now go easy on that Pimms.