Is there any time of the year better than Christmas? In Australia at least, we can look forward to warm weather, holidays and, most importantly, invites to many Christmas soirees. These parties can come in many guises including the refined cocktail affair, the summer BBQ, the boozy long lunch or the one event that most fashion conscious ladies dread – the office Christmas party. However, it’s an unfortunate fact that with the multitude of fashion opportunities, come an equal number of fashion pitfalls. When it comes to the festive season, there are certain Christmas fashion traditions that I simply cannot abide by. These include:

1. Themed office Christmas parties
Apparently a themed party helps to break down social barriers by encouraging people to ‘get creative with their get up’. But seriously, who wants to see a work colleague dressed as Wonder Woman? I get a big enough shock seeing some of my work colleagues in casual clothes on the weekends. Themed parties are even worse for women because we will often go out of our way to try to look remotely attractive – even if the theme is something obscure like ‘creatures from out of space’. Inevitably, instead of painting your face green and wearing aluminium foil on your head, you, along with half the ladies in the office, will end up dressing like Jane Fonda in Barbarella (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbarella_%28film%29). This can backfire terribly. Nobody needs to see Vera from the accounts department in hot pants and knee high boots.

Therefore, if you dread the office Christmas party as much as I do, I suggest you abandon the idea of looking sexy and just get ridiculous. If the theme is ‘creatures from out of space’, come dressed as a space ship. Your colleagues will be intrigued and applaud your bravery.
 
2. Christmas hats
I know, bah humbug. There’s just something about wearing a Christmas hat that cries of desperation. They almost scream: “I’m at the worst party of my life but if I wear this stupid hat I’ll look like I’m having the time of my life.”

So this year, avoid the flimsy paper ‘crown’ from the Christmas cracker and turn up to your office Christmas party in a hat of your own creation. Maybe you even have one left over from the Spring Racing Carnival that needs another outing to justify the cost. By turning up in your own hat, you’re not looking desperate; you’re shouting “I’m a fun individual who doesn’t need a paper hat from a Christmas cracker to have a good time.”

3. Green and Red
I don’t actually have a problem with this colour combination. In fact, I love green and red together. I’m just annoyed that if you wear green and red at any other time besides Christmas, people will always comment on how ‘Christmassy’ you look.  I don’t want to restrict my colour choices to the month of December – and nor should you!

Try wearing this colour combination year-round and next time somebody suggests you’re looking ‘Christmassy’, you need only reply; ‘don’t be daft, it’s July!’

4. Candy cane/Santa/flashing Earrings
Sure they’re a bit of fun, but, like Christmas hats, gimmicky earrings seem to signal a desperate declaration that you’re having more fun than anybody at the party.

Ladies, you don’t need eatable candy earrings to indicate you’re having a good time at Christmas. All you need is a vat of Champagne and frock that makes you feel like a goddess.

And don't forget - if you're thinking of wearing those flashing  christmas tree earrings - then maybe you might like to AskBronny before putting them on.

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