Christmas is a time of peace on earth and rest … and meeting your significant other’s family for the very first time.
Christmas often serves as a time to meet your significant other’s family because of its obvious convenience. You’re at home, and you’d like to see your significant other over the break, so why not invite them to come home with you, right?
So what happens if you are one of these lucky guests? Well, you know what they say. First impressions are the most important.
Besides being irresistibly dashing and perfectly polite, the best way to impress the parents is by dressing appropriately.
What to wear when you visit over the holidays varies by situation – certain occasions are just dressier than others.
No matter the occasion, though, the best way to start picking out your “meet the parents” outfit is to talk to your significant other.
Guys, you know how particular girls can be. If you ask your girlfriend what to wear to her parents’ home over Christmas, she will likely pick out your outfit for you (or at least give you a really good idea of what to wear).
Girls, we may not be so lucky. If your boyfriend is like most, you probably won’t get a very specific answer here, so it’s up to you to figure this one out.
Still don’t know what to wear after this conversation? Not a problem. Just analyze the situation.
There are a lot of Christmas events you could be invited to, each having a slightly different dress code. For simplicity’s sake, I’m going to present you with the typical dress code for three common events: holiday open house, Christmas Eve church service and Christmas dinner.
Christmas open houses are normally pretty casual events, but showing up in jeans and a T-shirt is a big mistake.
Guys, I would recommend khakis or nice slacks and a festively-colored sweater or button down. In the spirit of Christmas, I recommend wearing winter/holiday-colored tops – white, red or green.
If you’re not into Christmas colors, just stick with natural colors – tan, grey or black.
For girls, it’s a little trickier. If the open house is more casual, you could get away with dressy dark jeans and a festive top. I’d wear either a Christmas colored sweater or a top and cardigan.
I’m a big fan of winter cardigans – white or cream with pearls or beading. These go great with solid tops and dark jeans.
If the party is a little dressier than that, I’d wear dress pants or a casual dress. Remember to keep to the Christmas colors.
A Christmas Eve church service is a little dressier.
Guys, I would go a little dressier than khakis. The ideal outfit for you would be dress pants and a sweater or button down and tie. If you’re going the button down route, I’d recommend a white button down and a red tie.
Ladies, I’d go with a dress and heels. Try a red dress with a white winter cardigan – my favorite Christmas combination!
Christmas dinner falls somewhere in between. Some families don’t dress up for Christmas dinner, but other families consider it to be very formal. In this case, it’s really important that you talk to your significant other and see how dressy their family’s dinner is.
In most cases, for guys, I’d say khakis and a sweater is appropriate.
For ladies, I think you’d be fine with dressy dark jeans and a sweater or other winter top.
Again, I want to stress wearing Christmas colors. I’ve always liked wearing Christmas colors around the holidays, but I know some people (especially guys) don’t like that.
Keep in mind, even if it’s not really your thing, your significant other’s mom will probably think it is endearing.
I hope this has given you some insight into what to wear to important holiday functions. You can do it. Go out and make a good impression!