All boils down to the right look at an office party

Liesl Van Der Schyff|Published 9 years ago

A woman looks at clothes inside a Zara store in Madrid September 12, 2014. Zara owner Inditex on September 17, 2014 posted a smaller-than-expected 2.4 percent drop in first-half net profit as strong cost controls helped compensate for negative currency effects. Picture taken September 12. REUTERS/Andrea Comas (SPAIN - Tags: BUSINESS TEXTILE) A woman looks at clothes inside a Zara store in Madrid September 12, 2014. Zara owner Inditex on September 17, 2014 posted a smaller-than-expected 2.4 percent drop in first-half net profit as strong cost controls helped compensate for negative currency effects. Picture taken September 12. REUTERS/Andrea Comas (SPAIN - Tags: BUSINESS TEXTILE)

Jemma Buckley

Daily Mail

London: For many women, it is one of the thorniest issues of the year – what to wear to the office Christmas party.

So, fashion expert Trinny Woodall has issued her set of tips to help those agonising over outfits. She warns against anything too revealing – in case it damages your career prospects.

The former presenter of What Not To Wear said: “You are going to be judged on this for months to come by the water cooler. It’s not the moment to don a deep-cleavage bra as you don’t want to be ogled at, and I think it can take away your standing.

“It could be that your colleagues only ever see you in work clothes, so this is your moment to shine. But the office party is not the time to dress the sexiest in your life.”

Woodall, 51, says most women err by dressing with their age in mind rather than their body type and by opting for black even if it does not suit them.

“Regardless if you are 25 or 70, if you just dress for your age, not your shape, you are going to miss out on showing off what’s great about you and you might make an expensive mistake,” she said.

If you are going to invest in a new item for your wardrobe, Woodall – who sells a clothing range through US television shopping channel QVC – suggests opting for a sequin jacket or a faux fur gilet.

She believes one of the biggest errors a woman can make is ruining a glamorous outfit by wearing a drab work coat.

When it comes to colour, women are automatically drawn to black as they believe it makes them look slimmer. But Woodall warns that the Little Black Dress, hailed as the classic party outfit, will not suit everybody.

She said: “We are drawn to black because we think it makes us thinner, but what makes us thinner is continuity of colour. So, if you wear a burgundy or navy dress, make sure you have matching tights.”