3 tips for the Christmas dress code
The holiday season fills the calendar with all kinds of parties and events. A Christmas breakfast here, an office dinner there: it is truly a busy month. To ensure everything runs smoothly and without a hitch, it is helpful to know exactly what to expect. A good way to prepare yourself is by taking the Christmas dress code into account. There is no universal dress code during the holidays. But with a bit of common sense and some research, you can easily find out what is expected of you. That is why GENTS gives you 3 tips:
- Read the invitation carefully once more.
- Adjust your clothing to the nature of the occasion.
- Ask others what they will wear or simply keep it modest and restrained.
Christmas at work
You cannot avoid Christmas at work either. As always, there are colleagues who come alive during this period and colleagues who are downright annoyed. Of course, it is not only the decorations that show it is Christmas. A problem we all face, for example: what do you wear to work at Christmas? It can be difficult to gauge what is appropriate at the office. Nowadays, tacky Christmas sweaters are tolerated in many offices—especially during the Christmas breakfast. Day by day, in the run-up to Christmas, it is better to keep things businesslike. Of course, you can update your usual outfit a bit with nice Christmas accessories. They add just that little extra to your overall look.
Christmas drinks
Furthermore, it is already time for the annual work gathering or maybe you are organising a nice Christmas drink yourself. The anticipation often starts with the invitation. You have of course sent or received it weeks ago. This way, everyone knows to block this date in their calendar. Besides the necessary shopping and arranging a suitable space, the decoration is also very important. And by that, we do not only mean the festive Christmas decorations. The clothing of the guests can also be very important at a gathering.
Generally, there are no strict rules for Christmas drinks, unlike Christmas dinner etiquette. Nevertheless, a theme is often linked to the festive gathering, complete with a dress code. That makes the event just a bit more special. Therefore, always make sure you have the necessary smart clothing items in time. GENTS helps you with this both online and offline. Clothes make the man, after all!
Christmas dinner etiquette - the main points
Of course, we all do our best at Christmas. If you are responsible for the Christmas dinner this year or are attending such a fine dinner for the first time, do not forget the accompanying etiquette. To help you along, GENTS has gathered the main points below for you.
- Are you going to someone’s home for dinner? Then be thoughtful and bring a small gift.
- Set the table neatly according to the general rules that apply.
- Before sitting at the table, turn off your phone or at least put it on silent.
- As host or hostess, give a signal (usually by toasting) when eating may begin. All guests wait politely for this start signal.
- Place the napkin ‘invisibly’ on your lap.
- Serving and clearing new courses always happens on the right side.
- Use the cutlery from the outside inwards.
- Do not rest your elbows on the table while eating.
- Each new wine gets a new glass.
- Finally, thank the host or hostess for the meal (even if it was not tasty) or receive the praise yourself.
Festive New Year’s Eve
Although Christmas has not yet begun, the turn of the year is already just around the corner. The days between Christmas and New Year’s often pass in a blur for many people. Therefore, start early with organising a festive New Year’s Eve. Are you going to give a big party with friends, for example? Then it is fun to attach a theme to it. That can be something small like a gold accent. With a golden bow tie, for example, you already meet the requirement. Besides, you can of course also go all out. Think, for example, of a dress code as a theme. All together fully in black tie is secretly very special and how better to usher in a new successful year?
