What will you be wearing on Christmas Day? Do you ‘dress to impress’ or go casual?
How formal should we dress for Christmas?
I see two sides of this – it is a special day and it’s nice to show respect to your hosts by dressing well, but it is also a day for being with people you care about so what you wear shouldn’t be the most important thing. Let’s face it, family should love you whether you dress up or go casually, but turning up in old gardening clothes is probably pushing it a bit far!
Obviously, the type of event has an influence – if you are picnicking on the beach or in a park you probably won’t wear stiletto heals or a formal outfit – but even so, there are levels of dressing up for most locations and situations.
And the weather is a factor – who wants to wear a suit on a 30° day? Poor old Santa is usually overdressed for the heat of an Aussie Christmas.
Peer pressure is always part of it – it can be awkward to be the only one dressing casually or formally – and families tend to have an established pattern or dress code.
So what do you wear?
I have relatives who buy a special outfit for Christmas every year – it gets used again afterwards so is not as decadent as that may sound! It makes the day special and makes them feel sparkling and excited.
I also have relatives who turn up in a t-shirt and shorts from their everyday wardrobe. They seem comfortable enough with this and being a bit ‘underdressed’ compared to everyone else.
Personally, I like to dress up a bit – it’s part of the celebration to dress myself, just like I decorate the house, wrap presents nicely and try to make the food above the ordinary, too.
How about you, how do you dress for Christmas? Do you go casual or dressy? Do you change outfits between family gatherings on Christmas Day (if you have more than one, obviously!)?
