What to Wear to an Office Holiday Party

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The office party is still a relatively novel concept to me.

As in, I’ve been working in a law office for almost four years, with two of those years having pandemic restrictions that prevented anything more than an afternoon of socially-distanced drinks. I haven’t had much of a chance to get festive at work.

The reintroduction of the office holiday celebration also creates a brand-new dilemma for those of us who started a career in lockdown: what do I wear?

You really cannot go wrong with a red sweater. This one from Zara (a Christmas gift from a few years back) has pearl embellishments on the sleeve which make it a little fancier. I love how it’s such a gorgeous deep red, and this is always in my holiday rotation.

It’s also the time of year that I start wearing my wide flare pants. This pair is from Banana Republic, but you can also snag a similar version here at Gap. Something about a wide-leg pant makes a sweater look much more elevated and professional. This look just wouldn’t have the same impact with a pair of straight-leg pants.

I need to show off these shoes. These were a recent thrifted find, and they’re in amazing condition. I love a two-tone black and beige shoe. They make me think of old-school Chanel flats.

For my accessories, I kept the pearl theme going to match the sweater sleeves. The necklace is by Monét (a middle-school graduation gift, if you can believe it), and the earrings are from Mejuri. Mejuri did take the mini pearl hoop earrings out of rotation a while back, but there are lots of similar ones around, like these ones at Saks Fifth Avenue.

I don’t wear headbands very often (aside from that one time in ninth grade when I decided I wanted to dress like Blair Waldorf), but I’m really liking the Hair Halo from Invisibobble. It’s super comfortable and literally just sits on top of my hair. The rare headband that I’m not tempted to take off and throw across the room by midday.

You can shop pieces inspired by my office party look below, or take a look at my full holiday party edit here.

And a friendly reminder: don’t drink too much at the office party.