The Ultimate Battle: For & Against Dressing Up On Christmas Day

These two writers have VERY different understandings of what’s appropriate on Christmas Day…

Dressing Up For Christmas For & Against

by Phoebe Parke and Polly Foreman |
Updated on

In Favour Of Dressing Up: Social Media Editor And Innate Glamour Puss Phoebe Parke

Dressing Up For Christmas For & Against

There are a few times in the year when it’s completely acceptable to be outrageously overdressed; your birthday, New Year’s Eve and Christmas Day.

Christmas Day is pretty much the only time of year when you can wear red head to toe, try out those experimental earrings you’re not sure about, or match a sequin skirt with a gold jumper without anyone batting an eyelid.

If we’re going to be overindulgent with our food, decorations, drinks and gifts… why not our clothes? If the turkey (or chicken in my case) takes say 2 to 3 hours to cook, why can’t I take half that time to get ready? If you can’t dress up on Christmas Day, when can you?

For me, Christmas is a celebration – a time to come together with family and celebrate one of the most important moments in the Christian calendar, so I like my outfit to reflect that. The beauty of a Christmas Day outfit is that, for most of us, only family will see it so it can be a little off the wall, and you don’t have to worry about painful heels or not-yet-worn-in boots.

Teaming a red dress with thick tights and your favourite slippers is totally acceptable, trying out a hairstyle that you know full well the wind and rain outside would ruin is fine because you won’t be going out there, and it’s time to get out those earrings that you always almost lose because one keeps falling off – because you will always be able to find it in the house again.

It sounds so cliché, but I feel good when I dress up. I sit up, I smile more, I feel more confident, I engage more. A glitter bath has been the staple of my Christmas morning for a few years now (thanks LUSH) and wearing something I feel special in (and something with the ever-essential loose waistband) is just an extension of that marvellously bougie, over the top festive spirit.

Against Of Dressing Up: Writer and PJ Aficionado Polly Foreman

Dressing Up For Christmas For & Against

Christmas Day is a time for eating 10,000 calories, drinking several bottles of wine, and having a confusing nap while watching *Jesus Christ Superstar *or whatever questionable musical is on TV – and I fail to see where dressing-up all fancy fits into this. Unless you’re having lunch with the actual Queen, what’s the point?

I’d actually go so far as to say, what’s the point in getting dressed at all? It’s not like the people you spend Christmas with – probably your family and at a push some close friends – don’t know what a slobby mess you really are deep down. So, why pretend for Christmas?

And as well as all the aforementioned drinking, eating and passing out, there’s also the small matter of it being December and it being LITERALLY FREEZING COLD. This renders the possibility of a dress/jumper-free outfit not only inconvenient but a health hazard.

Due in part to my laziness and not having remembered to bring any clothes but pyjamas and gross jumpers back to my family home, last year I wore black jeans and a fluffy non-festive jumper. Call me Scrooge; I dare you. It was old, horrible and a bit too small but also very, very comfy.

Christmas is stressful enough without the added pressure of having to look nice in front of the people you probably see every day. Anyway, we all know that after the first round of lunch you’ll be changing back into your PJs, so let’s stop this façade once and for all, purhlease.

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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.

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