- Dec 12, 2016

Holiday Lookbook: The Corporate Party

While the majority of our time in December is dedicated to our family and close friends, we also cannot overlook all the new friends we made during the first couple of months of our new jobs and the memories we shared with the teams we work with every day. It is absolutely crazy to think that just a short 8 months ago, we were fresh college graduates anxious and curious about life in unchartered waters and now, here we are, surviving the first few months of life in the corporate world. The best way to celebrate all of the late nights, stressful times, and hard work is with a banging, awesome corporate holiday party! In past years, we only interned during the summer months, so this will be the first year that we will both be attending our respective office holiday parties. Although a part of us wants to wear our glitziest, slinkiest party dresses, we do find ourselves reigning each other in and reminding ourselves that while this is a party, we still must act and look professional. That being said, a full-on stuffy suit is not necessary for this event, so keep on reading to see a few looks that scream party-time, but still tick off all the boxes for a chic business casual look.

Mel: Since I had already bought a couple of dresses for the different parties I will be attending this month, I decided to opt out of purchasing yet another holiday outfit. I found inspiration in my own closet by mixing and matching some pieces to make an appropriate ensemble that I will be wearing to my company's holiday lunch party. My feather skirt was the first article of clothing I was immediately drawn to since 1) I never really have the opportunity to wear this skirt (most of my Friday and Saturday nights are spent blogging or watching Netflix) and 2) The feathers added enough "oomph" to the look while the length was still long enough for an office setting. To add a little holiday spirit to my look, I chose an oxblood mock turtleneck top and layered an asymmetrical strapless peplum top over to break up the collection of solid pieces by adding some fun with stripes to the outfit. Lastly, nothing screams "WORK" more than a blazer does, so incorporating one into your look will instantly make any outfit go from casual to business casual. The best part is that the jacket will keep you warm while you make your wintery trek (for you east-coasters out there) more bearable, and you can check it in once you arrive at your destination.

Jess: My holiday office party involves a few thousand people maneuvering their way through two entire floors of a Manhattan hotel in Times Square, which sounds incredibly fun and also extremely nervewrecking at the same time. I really don't know what to expect, but only have an idea of what it will be like from co-workers who have gone in the past (aka AMAZING!). I will undoubtedly be meeting tons of new people that I have never seen or worked with before, and I want my outfit to be memorable, classy, and also appropriate for the occasion. I have always been addicted to lace, and chose to pair two of my favorite lace pieces in my closet to rock for this holiday party look. I bought this top from Zara during my time abroad last Fall, since I fell in love with it at first sight. It's actually one of my most frequently worn tops (See it worn during Octoberfest in 2015 on my personal travel blog before P&D days). My white skirt from Topshop always screamed "summer" to me, but I found a way to make it work for a winter occasion. the detailed pattern is so intricate and I love that the bottom hem of the skirt shows off the beautiful lace cutouts. I also added a white blazer to cover up my arms in case it gets a bit too cold since lace isn't the warmest thing you can wear. Fun fact: I bought my blazer in France this past summer after Melissa left Nice before me (Read our France diaries and lookbooks here ). She spent the next few months in search of something similar and now we are twinning yet again haha.