Over Dressing: How to Avoid it This Christmas

If every piece of your outfit is screaming for attention, you are most likely over dressed. But often it is not easy to tell if you are afflicted with fashion overdose. For a season where you are supposed to be jolly, Christmas party dressing can pose a bit of a dilemma. Do you need to get dolled up or do you keep it casual?

How to avoid over dressing

Christmas office party can put an end to your promotion because of wrong apparel. You have to remember, it's a business event first, a party second. Fashionistas consider over dressing even worst than being outdated.

In today's working environment, one of the tricks that expert designers use to determine if a person is over dressed is called Rule of 14. When you think you are ready to walk out of the door, do some quick addition. Give yourself one point of the following:

* Each visible item of clothing
* Each accent color
* Each pattern or texture
* Each decorative trim
* Each piece of jewelry
* Colored nail polish
* Colored toe nail (if wearing toes show)
* Colored or textured hose
* Hat
* Handbag (3 points for 2 or more colors, has contrasting trim or decorative metal)
* Exposed handkerchief
* Contrasting belt (2 points for ornate belt)
* Decorative buttons
* Eyewear in black color (2 points for ornate or in other colors)

Add your points. If your total is over 14 points, you are probably over dressed. Move to remove or change something to reduce the sum. The result will be a more pleasing, unified, impressive appearance.

Avoid jeans and sneakers, ski-type sweaters, baggy pants, sweatshirts, and hat. Don't show up in tight clothes, or a sleeveless top without a jacket; cleavage-baring deep-cut blouses, see-through tops, hats of any kind, too-short skirts, or flip-floppy plastic shoes. The rule of thumb is, if you wear the shoes and the clothes when you walk the dog, or when shopping for groceries, then it is not a good idea to wear them at a party.

Never over-accessorize -- many women feel the urge to wear that beautiful chunky necklace with matching earrings. The result is over dressing around the face that takes away the look. For maximum impact, wear one embellishment item at a time. Like most things in fashion, these are fads. If you hate it, you may skip it.

Sometimes over dressing is just simple lack of common sense. Common sense could save you from the worst of the fashion faux pas.

Wear for men should be a choice between a dark suits with collared shirt and tie or dress slacks and sport coat with shirt and tie. Formal event usually requires a tuxedo or a suit one step up from the one you wore to work yesterday. If you want to look thin, then stick to darker, duller, cooler colors.

Wear for women should be a choice between suits, dresses, skirts with dressy sweaters or blouses or a matching suit or blazer with slacks or the perfect little black dress that can go from a cocktail party to a semi-formal event. Wear dress boots only with a long skirt that covers the top of the boot or metallic shoes and evening bag with that black dress. Large intricate jewelry looks best with streamlined, simple clothing.

Although office parties are intended as social events to reward employees, they remain strictly business events. Therefore, conservative party clothes are the best choice. Dress in one color. Wearing one color from shoulder to shoe streamlines the body. It is called monochromatic dressing. If you want more than one color, then choose colors that are closely matched.

A holiday party is an opportunity to network with people who can influence your career, so do introduce yourself and build your network. Try these icebreakers: "Tell me about your plans for this holiday season." "How does the holiday season impact your work/industry?" "What is your favorite thing about the holiday season and why?"