Christmas Parties

It’s a party. You can do parties. You participate pretty successfully for fifty weeks of the year. It is only when Christmas is added to the invitation that you become paralysed like a novice skier at the top of a double black diamond. What is it about a ‘Christmas party’ that persuades hitherto sensible, level-headed women that they need to make a ‘special effort’? You don’t. It’s as simple as that.

Don’t go searching for a Christmas party dress and end up looking like something that should be on top of the Christmas tree. All that glitters, is not gold. Yes, the thigh-high, sequinned mini-dress with the plunging neckline looks great on a nineteen year-old Ukrainian model. It’s just not meant for you.

Go to your wardrobe and pick an outfit that you would be happy to wear to a party in February. Keep it simple and elegant. Black trousers, white shirt. Black dress with patterned tights and flat shoes. If you go for colours, try red, burgundy, or navy. Accessorise to add a bit of colour. Trust me. You will feel more relaxed and you’ll have a better time. The same applies to make-up. Try to avoid looking as if you just left the stage at the London Palladium. Stick to your usual routine. If it works in February, it’ll work just fine in late December.

Lastly, hair. By all means, get your hair done. Get it cut, coloured, blow-dried and straightened. You might even consider some form of plaiting if your hairdresser knows how to do it. Just don’t experiment too much. The time for experimenting with innovative hairstyles is the day before your annual trip to the Hebrides – not your boss’s Christmas party.