Style Scenario: What to Wear to a Dressed Down Holiday Party

What are you going to wear? Sometimes it’s good to look at a few suggestions then add your own tweaks and ideas. That’s what these are for. First we went dressed up. Then it was somewhere in between. Now it’s time for a dressed down but still put-together look for those holiday parties that are more beer, cookies, & board-games, and less cocktails, appetizers, and schmoozing.

The Sweater: Goodthreads Lightweight Merino Wool Cardigan Sweater in Navy – $22.40 ($45). An easy layering piece to keep you from getting cold, and it’s easily removed if the house party is hopping and body heat is driving up the indoor temps. A basic that a lot of us lean on all the time. 100% merino. Not thick or bulky. Thin to some, but strong and does a terrific job keeping you from overheating while still keeping you warm.

The Shirt: J. Crew Long-sleeve Cotton T-shirt in Stripe – $24.75 w/ SHOPFAST ($49.50). Keeping to the dressed down mandate here, but the addition of stripes to this long sleeve tee makes it look just a little more intentional.

The Jacket: Amazon Essentials Lightweight Water-Resistant Hooded Puffer Jacket – $24.40 ($44.50). Super affordable. Just water-resistant (not water-proof), so best for dry weather or dry snow. But good gracious it’s hard to beat the price on these casual puffer jackets from “the everything store.” Available in not one, not two, but twenty three colors, if that light grey isn’t your thing.

The Pants: Spier and Mackay 5 Pocket Corduroy Pants – $48 ($58). Burgundy cords are a classic holiday pant with their soft texture and rich color. But make no mistake, these can be worn all winter long and will likely find a good rotation in your winter wardrobe. Looks like sizes here moved quick during the Black Friday-Cyber Monday sale. So if they don’t have your size… back to J. Crew for their “burnt henna” cords.

The Belt: Made in the USA Flint & Tinder 365 Belt 2.0 – $85. Full review over here. Yes, this belt demands a higher price, but it’s an investment that should last a very long time. Know that you’ll need to go up TWO sizes instead of the usual one. So if you wear a size 32 pair of pants, get the 36. Sizes are limited on the dark brown. Hoping for a restock.

The Watch: Seiko 5 Sports SRPE Black – $185.63 w/ FRIEND ($275). Automatic movement, clean versatile looks, trusted brand. Review (of the gray dial option) can be found here.

The Socks: Bombas Holiday Calf Socks – $16. While cotton, these socks take their cue from thick blankets and chunky sweaters. With an extra cushy knit, these’ll be cozy and look good if you need to remove your boots once in the house.

The Chelseas: Rhodes Jackson Chelsea Boot – $250. Chelseas with a rugged look that works really well for a casual outfit, and a build and materials that can stand up to the kind of weather that can come with late fall and winter. Part of Huckberry’s in-house brand Rhodes, these boots are Goodyear welted in Leon Mexico. Uppers are LEFARC’s Article Trooper leather, which has been waterproofed to handle what winter can throw at it. They’re not Sorels, but they’ll get you to and from a party. Give yourself some time to break them in. They’re tough. They’re substantial. And they need a little bit of time to bed in before wearing out and about.

The Hat: J. Crew Cashmere Beanie in Old Forest – $34.75 w/ SHOPFAST ($69.50). Casual luxury. Plus the color most definitely works as a nod to the holiday season.

The Winter Warmer: Jack Daniel’s Bonded Tennessee Whiskey 700 ml – $30.99. Recommended in our man Adam’s Father’s Day Bourbons Roundup (he did two different versions: under $35 and under $70). From his review: This one has notes of caramel, oak, brown sugar, bananas foster, and a warming spice finish. All those flavor notes fit right in with the holidays.