For most Christmas parties, men should wear dark trousers, a collared shirt and a jacket or sweater, then add one festive piece like a Christmas bow tie, a velvet blazer or a red plaid accessory. For a work Christmas party, dress one step up from your normal office clothes and keep the festive touch tasteful. For "festive attire" or "holiday cocktail attire," wear a suit with a red, green, velvet or plaid bow tie.
Christmas party invitations come with confusing dress codes: festive attire, holiday cocktail, casual, ugly sweater. This guide explains what each one means for men, with simple outfit formulas you can put together from clothes you already own.
What Should Men Wear to a Christmas Party?
Men should wear a smart, comfortable outfit with one festive detail to a Christmas party. The easiest formula is dark trousers, a collared shirt, a blazer or sweater, leather shoes, and a Christmas bow tie or holiday pocket square. One festive piece looks stylish. Three or more festive pieces start to look like a costume.
Christmas Party Dress Codes for Men at a Glance
- Casual Christmas party: Dark jeans or chinos, a sweater over a collared shirt, boots or sneakers, and an optional plaid Christmas bow tie.
- Work Christmas party: Chinos or wool trousers, a button-down shirt, a blazer, leather shoes, and a classic red or green Christmas bow tie.
- Festive attire: A suit or blazer with a bold holiday accent such as a velvet bow tie, a tartan bow tie or a velvet jacket.
- Holiday cocktail attire: A dark suit, a dress shirt, dress shoes, and a velvet or silk-look bow tie in red, green, burgundy or gold.
- Black tie Christmas party: A tuxedo with a black bow tie, or a black or burgundy velvet bow tie if the host welcomes a holiday twist.
- Ugly Christmas sweater party: The loudest sweater you can find, with a collared shirt and a Christmas bow tie underneath for bonus points.
What to Wear to a Work Christmas Party (Men)
Men should dress one step above normal office clothes for a work Christmas party. If your office is casual, add a blazer. If your office is business casual, wear a suit or a blazer with wool trousers. Keep the festive touch professional: a red plaid, green velvet or tartan Christmas bow tie looks celebratory without being silly in front of your boss.
Work Christmas Party Outfit Ideas for Men
- Office party after work: Navy chinos, light blue oxford shirt, navy blazer, brown shoes, red plaid Christmas bow tie.
- Company party at a restaurant or venue: Charcoal suit, white shirt, black shoes, green velvet bow tie.
- Casual team lunch: Dark jeans, gray sweater over a collared shirt, boots, a small tartan bow tie under the sweater collar.
Work Christmas Party Mistakes to Avoid
- Wearing anything with inappropriate jokes or slogans
- Dressing more casually than your normal workday
- Head-to-toe novelty pieces, like a Santa hat with a light-up sweater and a reindeer tie
- Uncomfortable new shoes for a party where you will stand for hours
What Is Festive Attire?
Festive attire is a holiday dress code that means dressy, celebratory clothing with seasonal color, pattern or texture. For men, festive attire usually means a suit or blazer with a holiday accent, such as a red velvet bow tie, a tartan bow tie, a green velvet jacket or a plaid pocket square. Festive attire is less formal than black tie and more fun than business attire.
Festive Attire for Men: 4 Easy Outfits
- The velvet classic: Navy suit, white shirt, red velvet bow tie, brown leather shoes.
- The tartan gentleman: Charcoal suit, white shirt, red and green tartan bow tie, black shoes.
- The velvet jacket: Green or burgundy velvet blazer, black trousers, white shirt, black bow tie.
- The relaxed festive look: Gray flannel trousers, cream sweater over a collared shirt, buffalo plaid bow tie, suede boots.
What Is Holiday Cocktail Attire?
Holiday cocktail attire is a cocktail dress code with a festive twist. For men, holiday cocktail attire means a dark, well-fitted suit, a crisp dress shirt and dress shoes, plus one seasonal accent like a velvet bow tie, a metallic gold bow tie or a holiday pocket square. A tie is expected, and a bow tie is the most festive way to wear one.
Casual Christmas Party Outfits for Men
A casual Christmas party calls for comfortable clothes with a festive detail. Wear dark jeans or chinos, a collared shirt or flannel, a quality sweater, and boots or clean sneakers. A Christmas bow tie worn with a sweater over a collared shirt is a fun way to look festive while staying relaxed.
Best Christmas Colors and Patterns for Men
- Red plaid and tartan: The most classic Christmas pattern, and easy to match with navy, gray or charcoal.
- Buffalo plaid: Red and black check. Great for casual and rustic parties.
- Red velvet and green velvet: Rich texture for festive attire, cocktail parties and New Year's Eve.
- Burgundy and emerald: Subtle holiday colors for the work Christmas party.
- Novelty prints: Santa, reindeer, gingerbread and Christmas lights. Best for family parties and ugly sweater parties.
Shop handmade, pre-tied Christmas bow ties from The Bold Bow Tie in all of these colors and patterns, or complete the look with a Christmas bow tie and suspenders set.
How to Wear a Christmas Bow Tie
- Choose a collared shirt and button it all the way to the top.
- Flip up the collar and wrap the bow tie strap around your neck.
- Fasten the strap and adjust it until it feels snug but not tight.
- Fold the collar down and center the bow tie under your chin.
- Match one color in the bow tie to your pocket square, socks or sweater.
Every Christmas bow tie from The Bold Bow Tie comes pre-tied, so there is no knot to learn. Christmas bow ties also come in sizes for boys and toddlers, which makes matching father-and-son Christmas outfits easy.