My days of office parties are over. But I learned my lesson when I wore a pretty white satin blouse with tucks and beading with a peplum over a black velvet skirt. While alone it looked great, at the party I looked like part of the wait staff!

This post was edited by AnnieDeighnaugh on Thu, Nov 28, 13 at 8:48

Comfort with style is the key for me. Remembering too many times I was ready to go home half way through because of trying to hard to be right in the environment. This includes undergarments.

Annie, another giggle from you with another right answer.

There was always a dressy party for the holidays where I used to work. People wore holiday dresses or pants suits. They brought out their bling for this party. Some of the younger women wore tights dresses and very high heels. They looked great but I am sure they were in pain the entire night.

For office parties (held in the office or at a casual restaurant at lunch time), I'd wear a red sweater or blouse and decorate myself with Christmas earrings and a necklace. I wore pretty much what I always wore to work , a suit. We had a silly "choir" and for that I wore my blinking antlers.

Sounds like you have all the elements for a great Christmas outfit.

This reminds me, I'll have to look through what I have. My parties are on the casual side. I'll have to look through the work party photos from last year to see what I wore...

and here I thought this thread was going to be about bread cubes.....

Heeheehee Bumblebeez!
From your posts, I'd say you are both a cook and a fashion conscious person so you could probably weigh in on either type of dressing.

I have two holiday dinners to attend. Neither require being very dressed up or sparkly. I'll probably wear black dress pants and a jacket with a scarf, always a scarf. Although I love red, I avoid it at the holidays because it's so predictable and overdone.

And as Annie mentioned, white tops with black bottoms makes you blend in with the wait staff. Depending on the event, that could be an advantage or disadvantage. It's easier to pull off a (sober) Irish goodbye if you look like the part of the staff. That can come in handy. Exit, stage right...

I usually wear black velvet pants with a dressy blouse or sweater and blingy jewelry.

Reminds me of when Bugs Bunny was drafted and was told to dress the chickens for dinner and they all show up in tuxes!
Love Bugs!

So funny, hh! And you are right.
Offhand, I think sparkly sweaters in metallic work well along with some bejeweled shoes but the range of what looks good is tuned to a persons body and culture so it's hard to give across the board, this is good.
Looks I love:
blingy sweaters with skirts, tights, booties

more blingy: ballet flats with pants (dark jeans too) yet again, the blingy cardigan

Preppy kilts, boots and stripes in appropriate Christmas colors

Silky tanks and cardis with pencil skirts, heels

At the moment, booties and shooties are big and so are thigh high socks (I wear thin tights underneath them) with skirts that end an inch or so above the knee.

Black velvet slacks and a black sleeveless shell with a gold sparkly cardigan. Gold flats or black ones with studs, depending upon the knee hi's I have available ( black shoes with black, gold shoes with nude). Pearls and diamonds, the bigger the better! I have a super festive headband of seed pearls that has a sixties vibe and love wearing that. Sometimes I throw in an Hermes scarf, sometimes not. I still covet the Judith Lieber pink pig crystal purse but cannot make myself buy it, so I go with a flat gold lame envelope clutch. I'm like Queen liz, I need something to hold onto until I get the first drink, lol.

Kswl,
That sounds like a perfect party outfit. Pretty yet comfortable.

Bumblebeez,
I also like the look of a preppy kilt with tights and boots but I don't wear it. I can't stand the feeling of tights or stockings so I don't wear skirts, or dresses, in the cold months (for me that's Oct to May).

I was at a fundraiser a few weeks ago on a very cold night. It was a week night, the dress was business casual as printed on the invitation. Many of the 20-somethings wore cocktail dresses, sleeveless of course, bare legs, and high, high shoes. They looked cold and uncomfortable. There weren't many seats since it was a move around and mingle event. I had no trouble standing for hours in my boots with a sensible 2 inch heel.

I have teal velvet jacket that gets a lot of wear this month. I have a few options for shirts (some have sequins, some are plain) and scarves so I mix it up a bit at each wearing.

Most of my events are pretty casual but I do like my sparkle and bling. I have a number of tops with sequins or sparkle that I can pair with jeans or black pants. I also like to wear all black with great jewelry. I do need some more festive shoes .. I generally wear a pair of black suede boots but this season I have my eye on a couple of pairs of dressier smoking slipper style loafers. I like it easy and comfortable with a touch of elegance.

I do have a cocktail event this week that calls for something dressier than the above.. I have a black sheath dress that I could dress up with a velvet wrap but honestly, I am likely to ditch the event. The thought of dressing up and traveling for a 2 hr cocktail party isnt all that appealing. Plus, I'd have to scurry around and pick up nylons and a winter clutch. I am just not into it. This 'ol party girl has turned into a homebody!

I am one who does not care for metallic, studs, beading, etc. The "blingiest" I have gotten with an item of clothing is a short cardigan type jacket of black velvet with a scattering of black sequins. I do love beautiful, lush fabrics though and prefer that for a dress up or festive occasion. I have a velvet shirt jacket that looks great with a tank and black pants. Or even a skirt, but I prefer the pants. I have a couple of dressier cardigans - a very silky fabric or one that is slightly fuzzy and it looks great to add a satin or lace trimmed cami under those - again with pants. I have done black velvet pants before too. Last year I bought a beautiful teal/blue "burn-out" velvet shirt. Thankfully, we do not have any really "dressy" events to attend.

Bumble - it is so funny to think that we live not that far apart, but the trends are so different! I work on a college campus - so really get to see popular trends. I have not even heard of the thigh high socks, much less seen them around here. I've not seen a kilt in years either. I do see tons of cardigans - thankfully, as I love those! Still seeing lots of leggins, skinny jeans and slim pants in calf or knee high boots. I see a few booties, but not that many. SCARVES are still very big here this year. I do see the ballet flats alot but I will not wear them. I am short and have small feet - when I look at them on me, I feel like they look almost childish. Love to add bling with a stunning necklace or scarf - depending on the occasion and outfit.

tina