Christmas Work Events - advice requested

[RuthieK]

Hi folks I am hoping for your wonderful advice.
I have three work based Christmas events which I'd like some clothing advice for.

1 - This event is a briefing for the part of our company in our area, probably 100-150 people.
There'll be a business update session followed by a buffet and drinks.
I am not presenting but have been asked to sell charity raffle tickets for the local children's hospital.
Its in a local hotel conference room but starts at 3:30 in the afternoon. The buffet part is from 6:30 onwards.
(I went to a similar thing last year and we all wore business suits)

2 - This event is a meal with less than 10 of my colleagues who I sit with at work every day (we get each other coffee and chat but don't all work in the same team). This is on a Friday evening in the city centre. This is just colleagues, no managers. There will be chance to go home and get changed.

3 - This event is another meal, this time with the team I am part of but they are in another city 2hrs away.
I will be in the office in the other city during the day and then out for a meal in the evening with the team. Managers will be part of this group which could be up to 30 people.

All the events are within 2 weeks of each other so I will be the same size at them all at least :-)
Can you say what you think would be good things to wear to each one. I do have some special occasion wear from last time I was slimmer and various fabrics which I could use to sew dressier clothing too.

[SewingLibrarian]

Ruthie, with the caveat that I'm a fairly conservative dresser, I would recommend a suit with a dressy blouse. You can remove the suit jacket in the evening, maybe add a necklace or big earrings, and look great. After all, when you are sitting at a table in a restaurant, only your top half shows, so the skirt or pants don't matter as much. You want to have a really lovely top or blouse that flatters your face.
My 2 cents!   
Linda

[Robin]

Ruthie, I bought 2 pieces of fabric recently specifically for work events during the holiday season.
Both of them glitter.  One is a red knit with gold metallic thread woven through and the other is a boucle with that sort of ribbon-y shiny tape-like stuff woven through.  I'll make simple tops using TNT's.

There is a lot of fabric out there now with a metallic touch.  I am normally on the conservative side, but it seems festive for the hoilidays.

So maybe you could sew something in a conservative cut - but use a sparkly fabric.  (Use a TNT!)
It is a fun challenge to consider, eh?

[RobbieJo]

Make a sparkly top to go with your favorite, best fitting pants or skirt.  Be sure the top is a good color for you and fits.  Then collect compliments. 

[Ann]

Ruthie, I would begin with pants and skirt in a dark neutral - dark brown for you. They can be the basics for these occasions. Then I would add some tops that sparkle in a cream, a burnt orange, teal that you just love. Add a pair of dark brown dressy shoes, a bit of gold jewlery and you should be set. If you need a shawl, just buy a piece of cream or chocolate fabric and make one.You should be ready to go and you will have a dressy portion to the Swap you plan on making.

Just my thoughts.

Ann

[karent]

Ruthie, those are good ideas.  For the first one, where there is business first, perhaps a nice fitted/semifitted suit jacket and skirt.  Wear a pretty blouse underneath, with a sparkly or lacy cami or tank underneath that.  Then, after the business, you can shed the jacket and unbutton the top several blouse buttons to show a little more skin and some pretty sparkle.  For the other two, the sparkly top with nice fitting slacks or skirt in a dark neutral is good.  You may have time to go home, but it is still hard (at least for me) to change from skin out in a short period.  If you only have to change your top, you can spend a bit more time freshening the hair and boosting the makeup.  Just in case you don't make it home - you never know what's going to happen - you can toss the top and a makeup bag in your tote and take with you in the morning, with perhaps a dressier pair of shoes.  Then you can make a quick change in the ladies' room and look cool and calm when you arrive, rather than rushed and flushed!  K

[RuthieK]

great ideas Karen.
I think I am going to make a simple scoop cowl neck blouse in a satin - maybe burnt orange or more safe in cream, and pretty much follow your advice :-)

[Terri K]

Hi Ruthie and all.   I'll bet there are many others who have to sew something quick for a special event, even for your daughter or sister, as I used to do.   I get an e-mail from the Cotton: Fabric of our Lives org featuring velveteen for the holidays.   I especially thought this Tracy Reese sheath dress from Nordstrom was special and would be so easy to do.   Look, no hemming!

[zora]

What a cute dress Terri and very festive. Too bad I don't need a dress at all but perhaps I could make a top like that.

[Fox Valley Patti]

Darling dress!!  That would be easy to make for my daughter, I have some leopard print velveteen that I bought for her, and it would be cute with black or brown trim!  And Black Tights.

She's at that fussy Tween stage, so I imagine it would feel "grown up" to her.

As far as Christmas Work Events - I agree about a simple shell in a sparkly, shiny or special fabric, with the suit.

Ruthie - why not go with the orange?  Don't be safe - it's the holidays!!

[Terri K]

Yes Patti,  I can see it!   I also thought that if the bow on the front was too much, one could just make the horizontal bow instead of the "package" look.  That's what I thought when I saw it - a package with a bow.

[Fox Valley Patti]

Yep - I just have to find the perfect sheath for a pre-pubescent ... but I think there are some in McCalls maybe. 

She carries her weight in the "apple" area, so the bow focus up high would be very flattering for her.