The office holiday party is usually a pretty great time (and yes, it is often paid for) but make no mistake about it, big man, this is WORK.  This is not play.  This is not the club or the lounge or the links or wherever you go to do your usual looking and acting like Turtle from Entourage.  Knowing that means bringing your professional "A" game to the office holiday party is a must; looking like a putz to display your "rebellious side" is about as stupid a professional move as sleeping with the VP of HR.Right about now, the invitation comes over email or in your mailbox that your office is having a party for the holidays.  Yessss! Free food and booze! Score! Someone else picks up the tab for a swanky night at a country club or classy hotel!  Rock and roll!  And you get the added opportunity of hitting on the recent graduates just hired by the marketing department!  Bonus!

Quite the opposite, brother. This is the time to step up your game and show not just your boss but your colleagues that you know how to bring elegance, class, style, grace and most of all, professionalism, to a highbrow event.  Remember, people make judgments based on how you look, and that goes for your boss (and his or her spouse, too, who will size you up and make positive or negative comments about you to your boss - guaranteed). Now is not the time to unbutton your shirt to below your chest line and show off your chest rug or wear those “I always get hit on when I’m in these” pants that hug your ass “just right.”

This is about playing defense, not offense.  You probably won’t make your career at the holiday party, but you could torpedo it.  So play this one with some forethought and know what to wear and just as importantly, what not to.

A tuxedo.  If the party calls for formal or semi-formal, break out your tux.  If you don’t have a tux, this is a perfect excuse to get yourself one and unleash your inner Bond.  Along with the tuxedo go the following:  a formal white dress shirt, a black bow tie that isn't pre-tied, and smooth, highly-polished black shoes (lace-ups or slip-ons).  See our article on What to Wear When:  Formalwear for more details.

If not a tuxedo, your nicest suit, potentially in black.  Most office parties don’t require black tie, but you’ll crush the competition in a stylish black suit.  Don’t own a black suit?  Wear your nicest dark-toned suit and go for some flamboyance .  Now is the time to tastefully stretch stretch the limits a bit by breaking out the type of suits that may not be acceptable at the office but are classy enough to wear to a party.  If you have a double-breasted suit, or one that has a classy plaid or peak lapels (something perhaps too risky to wear at work or with clients), now’s the time to break it out. This does not mean you should reach for your purple or canary yellow suits, Deion Sanders.  Those need to be burned.  Immediately.

Rich-fabrics and texture.  Some office holiday parties may be less formal, like the one I once went to at a bowling alley, but you can still bring your “A” game by wearing fabrics that have some richness.  For example, a cashmere v-neck sweater over a collared dress shirt, a merino wool polo or turtleneck, or even a velvet blazer (in a deep tone,  TI, not in scarlet red) are classy ways to send a professional message to the room.

Bold colors…tastefully.  Got a tie you wouldn’t normally wear to a client meeting but you dig it anyway, even if it is a bit too vibrant for regular Wednesday?  Trying to find a reason to put on your boldly colored dress shirt?  What if that cashmere v-neck you own is light blue?  Or bright green?  Or a flamboyant argyle?  Is it ok to wear my burnt orange pocketsquare?  Should I even buy a burnt orange pocketsquare?  With a dark suit or sportjacket  and some low-key dress trousers, the holiday party is an opportunity to show your bolder sytle.  The key is doing so in good taste.  It’s a party so you can dress like it’s a party.  But it’s a work party, it’s not bling-time with Chamillionaire.

Funky shoes.   Mmmm, maybe...  Yes, you can wear the zip-up brown ankle boots you have in the back of your closet that you bought on your weekend to Manhattan, but not if they belong on the feet of a guy riding a Harley.  If you have shoes with some personality, though perhaps too much for the office on a normal Tuesday, but can match with a stylish suit or sportsjacket and pants, put ‘em on.  Smooth leather, suede, and shoes in lighter tans and browns are all in play.   If in doubt, ask yourself this – would the guys in Velvet Revolver or Panic! At the Disco wear these shoes?  Yes?  Leave ‘em at home.

Anything you wouldn’t wear to the office.  The list includes sandals, hiking boots, sneakers, ripped jeans (or any jeans, for that matter), printed t-shirts, gymwear, hats and ballcaps, and most of all, sexy clubwear. For those of you thinking this list is elementary, I was at a holiday party for a company I worked (for less than a year) and I saw just about everything on this list on the guys at the function.  I kid you not.  Anyone still wondering  why I left this place in under a year?

Speaking of sexy clubwear…. Some guys think, “Hey, I’m out on the town, aren’t I?  I’m going to dress like I am OUT. ON. THE. TEE-OWN!!”  Wrong.  You are at work.  Even if it’s not “the office” or “an office,” if your work colleagues are there, if your boss is there, if the people who sign your paycheck are there, if it walks like a duck, it’s the office.  And that means that your sexywear (too tight shirts or snug pants) are going to get you noticed for all the wrong reasons.  Wear that stuff the next night when you’re out around town with your woman, not when you’re out with your supervisor.

No holiday or Christmas-themed clothing.  You shouldn’t own holiday-themed anything anyway, but if you do, we know of plenty of guys who think it’s “cute” to break those items out when it’s the holiday office party.  Let me clue you into something, Chachi.  It’s not.

No Santa hats, antlers, or any other stupid headgear.  This is your job, brother, not a weekend at the Mirage in Vegas. 

Your bling.  Look, I’m not going to pass judgment on guys in earrings (I think they belong on women and yes, I used to wear one before I saw an 8-year-old with three earrings; so much for not passing judgment), but your boss may not take kindly to that little hoop in your ear that he or she’s never seen before tonight.  You’re going for a polished, professional, stylish look.  Not a press conference as Terrell Owens’ homey.  Same goes for bracelets, necklaces and multiple rings.  We know you want to unleash your rebellious side and show your boss what you’re really like outside the office.  Trust us, your boss would rather not know.

If you have tattoos, they should not see the light of day at the office holiday party.  Figure out how you’re going to cover up the scorpion at the base of your neck because, much like your flamboyant jewelry, your boss may not dig your “expressive” qualities.

I have both committed mistakes at office holiday parties and witnessed my share.  Guys, take a tip from me on this one – this is a defensive play, these parties.  They can be a minefield if you misstep.  You want people talking the Monday after about how crisp and tight you looked, not how goofy.