19 Days ‘Til Xmas!

Fashion writer Nathan figures out what to wear to the Christmas party


I should probably start with something more imaginative than the cliched “It’s that time of year again.”

However, I have an essay deadline looming, I’m recovering from a stomach bug which helped me lose a stone and a long session of churning out blog entries has exhausted any creative reserves I had left. With that in mind…

It’s that time of year again.

A lifelong dedication to cynicism should ensure I’m a festive ‘Scrooge’ in the most Dickensian sense of the word, but I can’t help feel a childish sense of nostalgia at this time of year.

Christmas lights turn every street into a miniature kitsch Blackpool and garish but charming Christmas jumpers flood the frosty window displays of the high-street.

However, Christmas also brings the disadvantage of meaning I have to socialize with people (always a trying endeavour) on an unhealthily regular basis, and with an irritatingly seasonal spin.

I am referring, of course, to the dreaded Christmas Party. This week I was invited to my first of the season. As it happened, the aforementioned stomach bug meant I could not attend.

However, that didn’t stop me planning an outfit in the (somewhat unlikely) event that another such invitation should come my way.

The Christmas Jumper

No Christmas outfit would be complete without the iconic/ironic Christmas Jumper, but even an item this silly should be subject to a style critique. I picked my one last week from Topman (I’m ashamed to say), but what it lacks in quality it makes up for with character and a warm burgundy colour.

Just to smarten things up, I layered it over a light blue, button-down Oxford shirt from Gap. If you’re feeling extra quirky, you could also add a knitted tie in burgundy or grey, or a tweed tie in flecked brown for a healthy dose of prep.

Layering Pieces

If you’re heading to a club, piling on the layers probably isn’t the most practical of routes to take but for the plans I had in mind (namely a pub crawl), I thought the layering look was perfect for that extra wintery touch. I personally went for traditional fall fabrics, adding a tweed jacket and lambswool tartan scarf.

The Socks

So far, so festive, but I was keen to add a bit of character to a rather traditional look. So I picked up these brilliant Christmas tree print socks from Topman, paired them with some tan desert boots and gave my indigo skinny jeans a couple of turn ups.