Style Scenario: What to Wear to a Casual Holiday Party (nothing over $100 edition)

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. (Top Photo by Bob Ricca on Unsplash )

The Swazer: (Amazon Sourced) PJ Paul Jones Knit Blazer – $62.99. Got in person with one of these and it’s surprisingly not terrible quality. It’s a poly/viscose blend but feels decent enough and is mostly unlined. That should help knock down some of the stuffiness that can come with inexpensive, mostly poly-blend clothes bought off Amazon. For a throw-and-go sweater/blazer hybrid, it’s pretty good. Does run a little short in the tail, but that’s not uncommon for swazers. They’re a hybrid of a sweater and blazer, and therefor meant to be worn casually. A size medium fit my 5’10″/185lbs pretty well.

The Pocket Square: Wool Blend Tweed Plaid Pocket Square – $12.99. Blackwatch tartan-ish. Something you could easily wear with a suit to make it more “holiday-y” too. Ships via Amazon at post time.

The Sweater: Nordstrom Washable Merino Crewneck Sweater – $74.99 ($89.50). Ships and returns for free. Washable. Appears to have a decently structured neck, so it won’t look schlumpy and ragged when worn on its own under the blazer.

The Jeans: Target Goodfellow Slim Fit Jeans – $36: Inexpensive, and they can sometimes be had for less when on sale.

The Watch & Strap: Green Bezel Casio Diver – $54 & Burgundy Crown & Buckle Supreme NATO – $27.20 ($34). Ho… ho… and might I add… ho.

The Belt: Made in the USA L.L. Bean Essential Belt – $44.95. The new standard. Review here.

The Socks: Smartwool Everyday Light Cushion Merino Wool Sweater Print Socks – $27. There are much, much cheaper holiday socks out there. But they’re either cotton or cotton synthetic blends, and during the holidays that’s a one-way-ticket to regretsville. Stick with wool socks. Always, yes, but especially during winter.

The Boots: Nordstrom Griffin Chelsea Boot – $77.99 ($119). Ships and returns for free. Subtle studded rubber sole. Slips on and off easily in case you’re headed to a house party with a “no shoes past the front door” rule.

The host/hostess gift: Some sort of reserve/holiday beer. If someone is opening their home to you (a likely scenario for a casual holiday party,) then don’t come empty handed. If they’re a beer drinker, figure out what type of brew they like, then get a reserve/beefed up version of that. They’ll appreciate it. And if it’s BYOB, this is not to be shared. It’s for them. Stick it in their pantry/a cupboard. This is something for them to sip on, if they so choose, once everyone is gone and they’re cleaning up. And take it from someone who has hosted his fair share of house-parties: The clean up is always significant. Some of us have dear friends who get… feisty after a couple, and may even start to, oh I don’t know, hide empty beer bottles in random places all over the house (hi Pete). A drink during clean-up would be appreciated. If your host/hostess doesn’t drink, try some tea or nice coffee or even breakfast treats for the following morning.