Holiday parties are a lot more casual than they used to be. Dressed up jeans are often one way to go, as are trousers with tees, jackets and heels. Jeans or a skirt with a relaxed cozy sweater and boots have also become perfectly acceptable attire. Add a little sparkle and bling to your casual outfit and you’re holiday ready. 

As much as I love the comfort, warmth and ease of a casual outfit, the casualization of holiday parties makes me sad. I so bat for Team Dressy and love to dress up. For many of us, this was the one time of year when we could pull out all the stops and not look overdressed. Now that things have taken a casual turn, I feel robbed of my annual formal outfit occasions. 

The only way I’m going to be able to dress up for a formal holiday event at this rate is if I host one at home and specify a formal dress code. We actually did precisely that last year and it was great fun — for me anyway. Yet, it has only just dawned on me that it may have been a drag for my guests to have to dress up! Perhaps they would have preferred to dress casually for the occasion. 

This brings me to asking you about your feelings on the subject. Do you wish for dressier holiday parties so that you can wear a theatrical tulle skirt, maxi gown, sparkly frock, gold jumpsuit, lace trousers, or whatever your dressy heart desires? Or are you relieved that parties have become casual because it’s less stress all round?