Dear Bronny

What should I wear to the work Christmas party?

Love
Workin'It

Dear Workin' It,

There are two different answers to this question and they both depend on the type of Christamas Party your work will be holding. As such I have divided the answer into sections:

Formal
If the company is throwing a formal party, replete with sit down meal, hired band and dancing then you must dress formally. This doesn't mean you have to wear your wedding dress but rather the same kind of attire that you may wear to the races for Spring Racing Carnival or to your friends wedding.  Dress up - not down, a dress, heels, a bit of slap and away you go! You might even visit the hairdresser and have your hair done for the occassion.

Themed
How many Christmas parties that are themed have we all been too where someone turns up as the kitchen sink - think Karate Kid Number 1 when DanielSon arrived as a shower rplete with curtain! Themed doesn't neccessarily mean bad! It can actually be fun - but remember if you get drunk and make a fool of yourself - doing so dressed as chicken might not earn you the best reputation the next day at work. My suggestion is to try to adapt the best look for yourself.  For example if it is country and western then think Sharron Stone in The Quick And The Dead. It it's under the sea, then you might consider going as a lady from Titanic!  There are always ways around themed parties to make the most of the situation and look your best.

Office
If your colleagues favor the more informal approach of having a party at the office then you probably won't need to change much about what you wear. However, you might like to get it clarified beforehand as to the dress code. A lot of work Christmas functions these days consist of going lawn bowling, having lunch somewhere and then drinking afterwards. In this case it's best to dress casually, and chat to your colleagues about what they will be wearing.

Check out Kristen and Jane's articles on dressing for the festive season for more information on what to wear to the work Christmas Party.

My best piece of advice however I can give is to not accumulate clothing along the way at the party and to somehow manage dancing on the table with the lamp that has somehow become your hat!

Love
Bronny
xxxx