This is what you wear to your Christmas party
Fashion faux pas and tips that can help you wish your colleagues a happy 2016 in the new year without feeling awkward.
It's that time of year again for the Christmas and New Year's drinks at work. It's the annual party where you're surrounded by your colleagues and possibly your boss. Be careful, because combined with year-end stress and alcohol, this can lead to a super dangerous combination. Add an insurmountable fashion faux pas to that and you could shake a potential promotion. Of course, you pay a little extra attention to your outfit and makeup, but it's good and wise to realize that you are not among family or friends.
TIPS
* Check if there is a dress code, and if not, ask your colleagues what they think they will wear.
* To determine your outfit, it's helpful to know at what time of day and at which location the party or drinks will take place. A lunch at a local café calls for something very different than an evening at a chic restaurant.
* Most of your colleagues you only see during working hours. The party is therefore not the time to showcase how you are outside of working hours. Stay close to the person you are at work, whoever that may be.
* Be aware of the culture within your work environment. If you work for a trendy media company, the dress code is different than if you work for a respectable law firm.
* In all cases, the rule is: never show too much skin. A too deep neckline or a too short skirt is not appropriate in this case.
* Be careful with too much glitter: it is not the intention to try to imitate a Christmas tree. Shine and glitter should be applied subtly, for example in the form of earrings.
* Don't try to be funny with a reindeer antler headband or something like that.
(I will never forget one of the directors of a large publishing house who gave his speech with a (think Geer and Goor) boa around his neck and a colorful cowboy hat on his head. I could never take the man seriously again.)
My advice finally is to adapt to the culture of your work environment, especially not to get drunk, and remember that the LBD (the classic little black dress) is also in this case the very best and safest option.
