What Men Should Wear to a Christmas Party
Just like that, the holidays are here. You're likely starting to get those Christmas party invitations rolling in. You're also likely starting to think about what you're going to wear or, for a lot of guys, the fact you have nothing to wear. Around this time, my inbox starts filling up with guys asking, “What do I wear to this Christmas party?”
Having helped thousands of men get dressed for the last decade, I’d consider myself a bit of an expert.
Today, I'll give you some tips I give to my clients on dressing up for a holiday party, as well as some actual examples of what to buy.
Let’s start with some general principles for getting dressed for a holiday party.
A MAN’S GUIDE TO DRESSING FOR A HOLIDAY PARTY
First, Try to figure out how dressy the event will be before you start putting things together. These types of gatherings give you an excuse to dress up a bit, and it's always better to be overdressed than underdressed.
I'm acutely aware that overdressing is actually a bad thing in many situations. However, being overdressed at a holiday party will typically only result in compliments.
Figure out what everyone else is likely to wear by asking around or looking at past events. A lot of the time, you can simply use Instagram, Facebook, etc., to find some photos of what the event looked like in past years. Once you’ve figured it out, dress one notch above that.
Second, try not to look like you're headed into the office. The goal is to look good, not corporate. Ditch the khaki trousers and white button-down.
Have a bit of fun with it. Try working in something a bit bolder than you might typically wear, or try adding in a dash of Christmas coloring or a plaid pattern to tie things together. But if you can't figure it out, you'd be safe choosing black items almost all the way through.
Third, it's not a costume party (unless it's a costume party).
Don't go overboard with the Christmas theme. Subtle nods to the holiday are great, but it's best to air on the side of caution and show some restraint.
Fourth, start getting things together now. You're likely going to need to tailor something, so getting it in early will be beneficial, and you'll have things ready for any event.
Let's talk about the stuff you should think about wearing, starting from the bottom up.
SHOES FOR A CHRISTMAS PARTY
Typically, I like to use a dressier pair of boots here. They're the perfect middle ground between something casual and a more formal dress shoe like a cap-toe oxford. Here are a couple of good examples...
If that's not your thing, you can use your day-to-day dress shoe, but again, we're trying to make it feel like you're not heading into the office. A black cap-toe oxford can feel a bit stuffy unless your outfit is on the more formal side of things.
PANTS FOR A CHRISTMAS PARTY
For pants, we have a couple of options, but let's keep it simple.
On the most casual end, go for a pair of nicer denim, unfaded, in either black or dark blue. This option will suffice for most parties if you dress up the top a bit more (we're getting there).
Otherwise, if we want to dress things up a bit further, I would be looking at pair of slim-fit wool trousers (wool flannel if possible) in either dark gray or black.
If you get something new, you'll likely need to tailor it. Keep it simple; keep it dark. Next, we start having a bit of fun.
SHIRTS AND SWEATERS FOR A CHRISTMAS PARTY
My go-to is a sweater for so many reasons.
I'm typically going for a solid color such as burgundy. However, you can throw in a bit of a holiday pattern here if you want to lean into that Christmas spirit.
The sweater component tones down the formality of the outfit and keeps things cozy as a bonus. For a slightly bolder look, a turtleneck works perfectly, or you can layer a solid white collared shirt underneath a V-neck sweater or cardigan. Either way, try to work in some color here.
If color isn't your thing, or if you want to work in a bolder jacket, I'd opt for a solid black button-up shirt or black crewneck sweater. This provides the perfect neutral backdrop to whatever bold stuff you want to put on top of it and keeps things sleek.
JACKETS FOR A CHRISTMAS PARTY
And now, for the cherry on top, the top layer. If you're headed to a more casual event, a sleek leather jacket works perfectly. However, most people will throw on a sportscoat here.
If you've opted for a bold sweater (color and pattern), try to keep the jacket minimal. If you've gone more subdued with the sweater, now is the time to add a touch of boldness and opt for a jacket with some color and/or pattern.
Work in a pocket square if you need a touch of something extra, and you're done. Congrats, you've dressed for a holiday party.
If you need your own help putting together outfits like this, figuring out what to do with your existing clothing, learning what colors look good on you, or how to find stuff that just fits, you can work with me 1-on-1 here.
Oh, and here's a Pinterest board we made a few years back that can give you some Christmas outfit inspiration.
Hope that helps. Enjoy the party.
x Patrick