How to dress for the year’s best party season
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The Best Menswear for Christmas and New Year’s Eve Parties in 2021
Finally Festivity!
Christmas last year was, let’s face it, a bit of a wipeout. But this year the parties are on and everyone is itching to dress in their festive best and have twice-as-big-a-boogie to make up for it.
The perennial question remains: how to dress for the festive season? Menswear at this time of year can seem a little dull, dispiriting or restrictive. Is a full suit too formal? Are your jeans and t-shirt not nearly enough? Don’t worry: we’ve got the answers for you.
This post is for anyone who’s seeking to straddle that famous smart-casual divide perfectly this wintry party season. We’ll take a look at familiar social events on your Christmas-holiday calendar like the office Christmas party, Christmas drinks down the pub and the New Year’s Eve dance to help you out with some tips and inspiration.
What to Wear for…
Part of the art of festive dressing is toggling between the different events, and having a few tricks up your sleeve for each.
The Office Christmas Party
Seems difficult, but is, in fact, easy! Just remember: shirt (definitely, even if you work in a ‘trendy’ office - it’s worth making the effort), a pair of chinos, suit-adjacent trousers or at a stretch a very smart pair of jeans, and a jacket.
Those are the basics. Shirt-wise, you want something smart but a little playful: this is a good opportunity for a check or a pinstripe. We recommend an Aigle shirt for wearing without a tie: these are made for smart - but not fusty - events. And with a tie: the Regent shirt. Kent collar, single cuff, mother of pearl buttons, split yoke and butterfly gusset (for extra comfort when you eat one too many of those pigs in blankets…) - what more could you need?
Jacket-wise, something like The Harvey or the Harley should do nicely: smart but with an aptitude for partying, not too serious… If you do want to impress your boss - or that colleague you’ve got a crush on - whip out the Yates.
Drinks with Friends
Be it for a little evening soiree at someone’s house, or a good old romp down the pub, it’s important to dress up a little for these kinds of social events around Christmas time. It might be the first time you’re seeing good friends in months, and there’s something heartening about everyone having made a little effort…
With this in mind, we’d recommend the ultimate smart-casual outfit: Vetra jacket, Portuguese Flannel shirt, Edwin jeans, Red Wing Chukka Boot. The iconic Vetra French Workwear jacket was positively made for occasions like these, and there’s something a little festive about the blue hue: like a Wes Anderson postman cycling through the snow to deliver a Christmas card.
Portuguese Flannel have such a beautiful array of wintry shirts, it’s hard to know where to start: every single one is a winner. Their ‘Winter Blanket’ shirt has got a Christmassy colourway and is ridiculously soft, so that could be a good place to start.
The ED-45s from Edwin are a great bet: with a slightly broader calf and a taper toward the thigh, they’ve got an awesome fit that’s not too skinny, not too baggy. Finish off the look with Chukkas: the ultimate desert boot, smart, but rugged and robust (in case you get caught in a snow flurry walking home).
Christmas Day
Ah, the big day itself! Tempting as it is to just don the trackies and begin the boozing, it’s especially lovely to come down on Christmas morning dressed to impress. Show your family everything that’s changed over the past year! Prove to your Gran you’ve got a job that affords you the finer things in life! Illustrate to the dog exactly how clothing exerts a mood-altering pull on everyone in its orbit!
With all that in mind, a shirt collar poking out of a pleasant festive-adjacent jumper, like the Bryer Crew from YMC or the Goodwin from Edwin, never goes amiss - or you can slip into a lovely Geelong Lamb or Cashmere number for warmth, comfort and suavity.
Either a pair of smart jeans, like the 11MWZ Western Slims from Wrangler, or a hybrid jean-chino like Regent’s unique hybrids are a comfortable but smart way to play the trouser department. Alternatively, you can go for something idiosyncratic and seasonal, like Wrangler’s corduroy numbers, or - our personal favourite, add a dash of iconic style with a flexible pair of smart-but-dress-down-able tweed troos like these Garbuts...
New Year's Eve
This is the night to blow out all the cobwebs: blast out the woes of the old year and introduce optimism, good vibes and new year’s resolutions (ready to break in the following week), so it’s worth going all out for this.
If you’re going to a proper party, it’s got to be the full DJ. Be it in a club, casa or castle, the DJ is fit for kings of the realm and of the dance floor equally. Wear with a bow tie and evening shirt for the full kit and caboodle.
If you want to go fancy, but don’t go in for the DJ, then try a wool or tweed waistcoat under your jacket. You can even pair it up with a baker boy cap to see in the New Year in full style.
Out to the club? Try a YMC Curtis, a Wrangler Denim, a Filson Chino or an Edwin Labour - our best bets for beautiful smart casual shirts, and finish them off with a Casey Chore Coat or the exquisite Portuguese Flannel Bomber Jacket. Mission accomplished.
Your Very Own Xmas Elves…
Because the festive season can always risk being a little fraught, we’re here to be your very own little Christmas elves, helping out with anything from outfit ideas to gift inspiration.
If you’re still scratching your head about what to wear this festive season, why not book a personal styling appointment with Mr Regent. We believe that true style is knowing who you are, so we place an emphasis on listening, discussion and collaboration: our wide range of products catering for a great variety of styles ensures that we’re confident we’ll have something that’s up your street.
We’ve also got a wealth of gift ideas if you’re stuck buying for that difficult dad, fussy friend or particular partner.
From classics like socks, ties and cufflinks to unique booze, books, bags, bicycles and more, it’s worth nipping by our mini-department store in Salisbury for some gift-inspiration.
