How to choose the best Christmas party dress

Posted on 3:03pm Thursday 8th Dec 2016

For a lot of us, this time of year is party central. Many of us choose December to get together with friends, to exchange cards and Christmas gifts, and to reaffirm old friendships to make sure they last well into the New Year. Added to that, of course, you probably have plenty of wilder parties to attend! From your family Christmas to your office party, you probably want to make sure that you look good at each of them. Here are some tips about how to pick the perfect party dress for December.

What’s your budget?

First of all, it’s important to make sure that you don’t overspend. Christmas is an expensive time of year and you’re probably focusing on buying gifts for other people. Once you’ve made your Christmas budget, use what’s left over to spend on yourself – and remember that if there are people you’d rather not buy extravagant gifts for, you don’t have to! Cut back on your gift giving list and treat yourself instead.

What occasions will you be attending?

We all know that different occasions require different sorts of clothes, so take a look in your wardrobe to figure out what you have already. Maybe you already have a few revealing dresses that would be perfect to wear for a Christmas night out with your friends, but that won’t be suitable for an office Christmas party or Christmas Day with your great aunt. Make sure that what you get fits for whatever occasion you’ll be wearing it to.

What parts of your body would you most like to emphasise?

A lot of the time, we’re advised to disguise the parts of our bodies that we don’t like as much. But this will lead to you looking at your body and your reflection in the mirror in a toxic and negative way. Instead, emphasise the parts of your body that you love! If you have fantastic legs, go for a short skirt, and if you have a fabulous hourglass figure, go for a dress that’s nipped in at the waist.

How can you accessorise your dress?

One of the most important things to consider whenever you’re buying a new, significant part of your wardrobe is that you should be able to wear it to different places – so it’s great to get a dress that you can accessorise appropriately to change it for different occasions. Add a statement necklace to dress it up, or a denim jacket to dress it down, so you can keep wearing it well into the New Year.

What do you feel comfortable in?

The most important thing is that you feel comfortable and beautiful in whatever you’re wearing. Make sure that you can move in it – pencil skirts that don’t stretch and heels that hurt your feet will never be comfortable halfway through a party, particularly if you want to dance! If you feel confident then you’ll automatically look fantastic.

Your most important accessory will be a big smile – and maybe, by the end of the party, a Santa hat that you’ve been forced to wear!