5 Tips on How to Dress for a Family Christmas Party

It's time to dress up and sparkle this holiday season at family Christmas parties and gatherings. Between work celebrations, Christmas parties, and festivities to ring in the new year, it can be hard to find the right outfit for every occasion. One thing's for sure: the holiday season is not a time to be dull. Instead, whip out your favorite holiday colors and fun layers for a style that speaks to the season, featuring everything from colorful tights to sparkling sequin shirts and Christmas sweaters.

At family parties, keep in mind that many generations will be in attendance, meaning it's best to be more conservative with your choice of outfit. When dressing for a family Christmas party, it's important to keep your ensemble fun, festive, and family-friendly. Here are five tips for how to dress for a family Christmas party this holiday season.

1. Keep it conservative but fun

The holidays are all about twinkling lights, sparkling ornaments, and frosty winter wonderlands. Shine bright this holiday season with your wardrobe, but be aware of your audience. When preparing for a family gathering, remember to err on the side of caution with your clothing choices to avoid any awkward side glances from disapproving relatives. This means avoiding any too-short skirts or low-cut tops and instead opting for a more classic look for time with the family. Consider wearing an elegant cashmere sweater or cardigan for a sophisticated and feminine look.

2. Accessorize for the occasion

It's time to shine this holiday season! Christmas parties are an opportunity to dress up and wear your favorite styles. You can take casual winter favorites like women's flannel shirts and pair them with your favorite sparkly accessories to put a fun spin on everyday casuals. Add accessories like necklaces, bracelets, and earrings to chunky winter sweaters for a completely different and glam look. Not only will you withstand the cold weather, but you'll also look great as you celebrate with family and friends.

3. Have fun with luxurious textures and fabrics

This holiday season, experiment with new and luxurious textures in jewel tones. Cashmere is so soft and gentle on skin, yet keeps you warm all day (and night) long. Better yet, the luxurious material comes in all different colors, perfect for the holiday season. Wear a cashmere sweater or wool sweater to a party with jeans and a sparkly accessory for a cozy yet elevated look. Another fun fabric and texture to toy with this holiday season is corduroy. Women's corduroy pants are soft to the touch and look extra rich when compared to regular denim pants or leggings. Choose them in a festive color like merlot or green to really champion your Christmas spirit!

4. The updated Christmas sweater

Once a tacky gimmick saved only for cheesy parties, the Christmas sweater is now a fun and festive look made more modern with fashionable bright designs. Leave the fuzzy Santa beards and reindeer behind; today's Christmas sweaters are adorned with pastel colors and simple, modern designs like Christmas trees, gift boxes, and snowflakes. Pair a Christmas sweater with everyday blue jeans or a more vibrant pair of corduroy pants, depending on how daring you are feeling, for a fun and family-friendly look.

5. The golden rule: Wear layers

No matter how much you prepare, winter weather can really throw a wrench in your holiday season, especially when it comes to planning outfits for social gatherings and family parties. There's nothing worse than dressing for the frigid cold outside only to be sweating in an indoor party. We recommend layering up for your holiday shindig so you can always take something off once inside. For extra-cold temperatures, we recommend wearing a thick winter layer like a down or down-alternative coat over several layers of tops, including a long-sleeve winter sweater or flannel shirt. This way, once you are indoors amidst the merry festivities, you can shed a layer depending on the temperature to be comfortable. When it's time to go home and brave the outdoors again, simply add your sweaters and long sleeves back on and you'll be perfectly warm for your trip home.

Remember, above all, to enjoy this holiday season with family and friends. When attending parties in your favorite winter and festive outfits, consider bringing along thoughtful gifts like personalized hand-stitched Christmas stockings to make the season merry and bright.