28 | Family Life
Belfast Telegraph | 13 December 2019 Oliver Top Chelsea Boots, £115, Clarks, www.clarks.co.uk Tuxedo Blazer, £90, Zara, www.zara.com
Jumper, £24.99, H&M, www2.hm.com
Selected Homme Knitted Polo, £45, various outlets
Oxford shoes, £160, Meermin, www. meermin.com
already have one) and go for a well fitting jacket with a shawl lapel paired with black merino roll neck jumper. Not only does this avoid the whole bow tie issue, but it gives you a bit of flair while staying sophisticated. A pair of plain black wool trousers will do too, along with a pair of black Oxfords so well polished they can double as a mirror. Festive themed There’s only one thing that matters at the festive themed party: the jumper. The tacky Christmas themed jumpers are all well and good but you may as well invest in something that you can wear more than once or twice a year. The Fair Isle jumper passes as a Christmas jumper but doesn’t look out of place in November or January when it’s still freezing either.
Crimboclassics
T
he festive calendar throws up plenty of occasions for going out. Dinners with family, nights out with mates, Christmas parties, corporate events, a trip to the Christmas market, dates and many more will have you rummaging through your wardrobe to piece together the
right outfit. To help you find the balance of landing somewhere in between trying too hard and not trying hard enough this Christmas, here’s a few tidbits to keep in mind.
The Formal Event You would need to be mingling in some particularly fussy circles for anyone to call you out for going slightly off script at a formal event. Save yourself the hassle of renting a tuxedo (assuming you don’t
Work night out Depending on where you work, the office party is usually a smart/ casual affair so you don’t have to change too much from your usual Monday-Friday uniform. Shake things up a bit by opting for a roll-neck jumper instead of a shirt and tie. A knitted polo would work too. An unstructured blazer with soft shoulders will also work as a comfortable alternative to your usual sharp 9-5 jacket. You can ditch your day-to-day office shoes too for a pair of Chelsea boots, brogue boots or a smart pair of loafers — if your ankles can bear the cold. The friends or family reunion The easiest one to get right since it will be with friends/family who know your style already. But there’s no harm in dressing to impress a little – it is Christmas after all. Ultimately go with what you’re comfortable with here, but layer up to make sure you will be warm enough for the journey from the restaurant to the bar/club and any ill-advised late night treks to the kebab shop. A decent jacket or overcoat, a flannel shirt (with the option of a tee underneath for extra warmth), your thickest jumper, jeans that aren’t full of holes and a pair of boots will set you up and keep you on the right side of respectability.
Wool Cashmere Blend Blazer, £285, Reiss, www.reiss.com
Fair Isle Jumper, £49, Mango, shop.mango.com
Checked Shirt, £49.99, H&M
Merino Wool Jumper, £34.99, H&M
Classic Overcoat, £75, Topman, www.topman.com