FANCY DRESSES
Office Christmas parties aren't simply an opportunity for overeating, drunken debauchery and photocopying various parts of your anatomy. That's right - they're also about the crazy getup people wear to them - and I'm not talking about traditional Mr & Mrs Santa costumes as you'd expect. Like Hallowe'en, dressing up for Christmas does not immediately imply that your fancy dress costumes are going to be Christmas-related. You can react to this in one of two ways - mourn the loss of Christmas tradition with ever-increasing cynicism and regret; or be glad that the party will no longer consist of everybody dressed up as Father Christmas, a reindeer with a bright red nose, or an ironically oversized elf.
Santa costumes are old hat anyway - you're only endorsing and perpetuating the Coca-Cola stereotype, and that's just boring. After all, 'tis the season to be jolly, so why not go for the full 360-degree ironic reversal and come in a Batman costume? Portraying yourself as the muscular, brooding dark knight of Gotham city when everybody around you is dressed in white-lined red fat suits with beards is sure to be an icebreaker. People wouldn't think anything of somebody turning up to a spooky Halloween party dressed as Fred Flintstone or something even less scary (does it get more innocent than Fred?), so use that leeway to your advantage!
Or perhaps you could put your own unique spin on traditional Christmas outfits. Santa doesn't have to be his cheery self - you could give him some attitude with some dark glasses, colourful threads and an afro wig - though be warned that you'll probably end up having to explain your costume to everybody at the party. Some people just have no imagination, and at occasions like Christmas when we're expected to believe in all kinds of mythical figures, maybe it's time you pushed some boundaries yourself.
So think about injecting some novelty into your fancy dress - put a twist on tradition and make it your own!
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