Guide To Men’s Holiday Attire
With the holidays fast approaching, you will find that you have quite a number of party plans lined up: office parties, casual outings with friends and family, and of course, the unavoidable Christmas party. As the dapper man you are (or learning to be dapper), you might need some help navigating the tricky space of appropriate Christmas attire. What would be considered proper men’s Christmas party attire? Is there a time or place to wear that ugly knitted sweater? What does it mean to dress down for an event? There are different styles uniquely suited for various events, and we’ll look at five styles that are sure to be a hit for whatever gathering you find yourself this holiday.
The Tuxedo
No, we do not mean the 2002 movie with Jackie Chan and Jennifer Love Hewitt; we mean the classic set up of dress shirt, bow tie, dress shoes, and occasionally, the waistcoat. This is a timeless look that you can seldom go wrong with. If you are looking to be a bit adventurous, you can go for a midnight blue tuxedo which is perfect for ‘Black Tie’ events.
A classic black tux is also a go-to look. The thing with this, however, is that you will find that many others will also dress similarly. If you are looking to stand out, you can try out a few other things to spice up your look. A great example is wearing a different colored jacket to reflect your personal style. If that isn’t your speed, you could try out wearing a plaid tuxedo, which is sure to make you stand out. Look for an understated color so that while you stand out, you don’t do so for the wrong reasons.
Smart Casual
This is an attire that is necessary to master. While it has often been confused with the business casual attire, they are different. When invited to a holiday party with the dress code set at smart casual, it’s an occasion where your more casual clothes get to shine. When accessorizing for this event, a good idea would be a black tee-shirt with chinos and dress shoes.
These all look good but cap it off with a smart blazer or sports jacket. This is a men’s attire for Christmas parties with friends. You can also pair a white tee-shirt with jeans, dress shoes and a coat. White Tees are a great accessory as they go with just about anything. They are also tricky as they can get stained pretty easily.
Business Casual
As mentioned earlier, smart casual shouldn’t be confused with business casual. If the event you plan to attend prescribes a business casual attire, then you would be better served to go for a button-down shirt, chinos, or jeans, shoes, and a blazer. When planning your attire for a business casual party, think first of the environment. Is it taking place in your office? If that’s the case, what’s the dress code like at the office? This could go a long way in defining how you decide to deck out for the party. If you work in a very formal atmosphere, then a plain white buttoned-down shirt, chinos, dress shoes, and a blazer might be a safer bet.
Throw in a wool tie that has some Christmas spirit to up the ante. If you work in a less stuffy environment, then you can play around with the texture of your shirt, perhaps, a nice looking checkered shirt with understated dress pants and a slim blazer. There is no need for a tie with this look, but you can add some festive cheer to your outfit with a festive-themed lapel pin or have some fun with the colors you put on.
Full-Blown Casual
Heading out for dinner with friends during the festive period? Or perhaps you received an invitation to a house party where everyone is going to be dressing down to the bare minimum. If you wear a tux to the even, you’ll look like the old guy no one wants to talk to, and while a smart casual look could work in such a setting, you can still look incredibly stylish even while dressing down. Consider a denim on denim combo, then throw on a pair of comfortable walking shoes to complete the look, and you are good to go.
Remember to keep the denim dark, and you can pull off a pair of chukka boots to properly accentuate your look. You might consider that the combination above is a bit too casual for you. You can keep it classy with a button-down shirt, pants, and brogue shoes. You can add a sweater to this combo. If it gets too hot out, you can always take it off. If you are feeling positively reckless, you can even use red shoelaces with your shoes to give it that Christmas look and at the same time keeping it low-key and inconspicuous.
The Christmas Sweater
You might get an invitation to a party or event, and you would be asked to wear a Christmas sweater or jumper. While this can be horrifying to some, it should be a source of delight to you, because Christmas sweaters are ‘in’ now and when paired correctly, could create some of the most compelling looks. In some circles, it is referred to as the ‘ugly Christmas sweater.’ and when you are invited to one of such parties, you can have some serious fun with your outfit. Pull-on a sweater that has a story behind it, it can act as a great ice-breaker. You can then wear a collared shirt, pants and dress shoes to complete the look. Or you could wear a festive sweater vest and pair it with a nice pair of pants, a turtleneck or crew neck shirt, and comfortable shoes.
The most important thing when planning an attire, be it formal attire for men or more casual clothing, is to have fun. Looking good doesn’t have to be a chore, and your style is also a mode of expression of who you are and where you come from.
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