In some companies it seems like there’s always a cause for celebration. Either you’re having an office party to celebrate a merger, someone’s retirement, or having a fundraiser for a new charitable project. Whatever the reason for the occasion, you’ll want to make sure you’re dressed appropriately. Dressing for your office party isn’t like dressing for any other kind of party. You’ll be surrounded by colleagues, bosses and possibly some very important people in the community. You may even have an opportunity to network with higher-ups in the industry. One thing is for sure. You certainly don’t want to leave your office party dress choice up to chance! Here are five tips for choosing the right dress for your office party.
- Dressing for a Daytime Party
If the office party is in the daytime, you’ll want to choose a completely different dress than if it’s at night. Daytime office parties will naturally be more informal, so you should choose a dress that’s also informal. That means no sparkles or sequins. Avoid full length gowns for a daytime office party, too. You’ll look overdressed, which will make you and everyone feels a little uncomfortable. One very smart option to consider for daytime office parties is Gingham and Heels midi dresses. Midi dresses are those that fall midway between the knee and the ankle. These types of dresses are very chic and entirely appropriate for daytime office parties. The best thing is, you have lot of different choices for the hem with these kinds of dresses. You could have a scarf hem, straight hem or a wrap around hem. This is why a midi dress is ideal for reflecting your personality, even at an official office party.
- Dressing for a Formal Evening Party
If the office party is being held as a formal evening party, nothing less than a gown will do. Look for an evening gown that accentuates your curves without being overly ostentatious. Unless you’re the guest of honor, you don’t want to appear as if you are the belle of the ball. Instead, a beautiful flowing gown in a premium fabric like silk or satin is appropriate. You could even get away with an off-the-shoulder gown as long as it’s not overly revealing. Remember that this is an office party, not a private party. Since it’s an evening formal party, your dress could easily have sequins or studs if you like the extra sparkle. This kind of embellishment would fit right in for such a formal occasion. And, for a formal office party, you could even get away with an extravagant gown like a princess gown, so long as the skirt isn’t overly wide.
- Luncheon Office Party
If the office party is a sit down luncheon affair, consider wearing a suit dress. Suit dresses perfectly bridge the look between office attire and pleasure attire. You’ll fit right in with anything that other people at the luncheon decide to wear. Suit dresses are feminine but they can also exude power. Avoid wearing a suit skirt that is too short, however. Again, since it’s an office party, you’ll want a more modest length that falls just below your knee. If you dislike the idea of a suit dress, you could wear a simple shift dress. Sometimes these are called a sheath dress. To be extra stylish, you could opt for a sheath dress with a high waist and a thin gold or silver belt and matching necklace and earrings. Bring along a thin sweater to toss over your shoulders for an even more chic look.
- Nightclub Office Party
Sometimes employees and management like to get together for a very informal office party, for instance at a nightclub. Nightclub office parties can be tricky as far as choosing the right dress. Naturally, you want to have a good time and enjoy yourself. But you don’t want to dress in an overly provocative way that could sabotage your professional standing among your colleagues and supervisors. Still, you want to dress in something that doesn’t make you appear stodgy or unwilling to let your hair down a little. Since it’s an office gathering, even though it’s a nightclub, a tight mini dress isn’t really recommended. Instead, you could wear a dress that flatters your silhouette in a more modest fashion. Instead of choosing a dress that emphasizes your physical assets, opt for an eye-catching dress in an interesting cut or color. You could wear a dress that has cutouts, or a dress that’s made with an unusual fabric, such as metallic mesh. A nightclub office party is a great chance to show off your fashion sense without showing off something you might regret on Monday morning.
- Office Picnic Party
Many companies like to promote family values by throwing a summertime office picnic party. This type of office party is usually held outdoors at a public park. There may be games like tag races or Frisbee. There may be music and dancing. In other words, this is an active type of party, where you’ll want to be dressed in a way that you can move freely. First off, leave the high heels at home and opt for flats. Your dress should be made out of a casual, breathable material such as cotton or linen. The lines should be simple, with a simple yoke neckline. The more simplistic your dress, the more chic you will appear for an office picnic party.
These are five tips for choosing the right dress based on what kind of office party you’ll be attending. Remember that the idea is to appear that you know how to dress no matter what the occasion is. These five types of office parties and their corresponding dress tips should get you through every office party you’ll ever need to attend!
Featured Image
