Men’s Style 101: The Christmas Piss-Up
by Nathan Beesley
I would like start today’s entry with something rather more imaginative than the proverbially festive “It’s that time of year again,” but frankly, I have an essay deadline for a piece of work I’ve barely started, I’m still getting over a stomach bug which lost me about a stone in my own vomit and a long session of lyric writing has exhausted any creative reserves I had left. With that in mind…
It’s that time of year again. As much as I feel my lifelong dedication to contrarian cynicism obliges me to be a ‘Scrooge’ in the most Dickensian sense of the word, I can’t help but feel a childish sense of nostalgia on seeing the trees being erected outside work, the lights turning every street into a smaller and more kitsch version of Blackpool and the garish but charming christmas jumpers flooding the frosty window displays of the highstreet.
But Christmas also brings the added disadvantage of meaning I have to socialize with people (which is a trying endeavour in its own right) but on a more regular basis, and with an irritatingly seasonal spin. I am referring to, of course, the dreaded Christmas Party. I got invited to my first one this week. As it happened, the aforementioned stomach bug meant I could not attend, but that did not stop me planning an outfit in the (somewhat unlikely) event that another such invitation should come my way.
The Christmas Jumper
No Christmas outfit would be complete without the iconic Christmas Jumper, but even a piece that is only fashionable in the ironic sense should still be subject to a stylish analysis when you are purchasing it. I picked up my one last week from Topman, I’m ashamed to say, but what it lacks in quality it makes up for with character and a warm burgundy colour. Just to smarten things up, I layered it over a light blue, button-down oxford shirt from GAP. If you were feeling extra quirky, you could add a knitted tie in burgundy or grey, or a tweed tie in flecked brown for a healthy dose of prep.
Jumper by Topman
Layering Pieces
If you’re heading to a club, piling on the layers probably isn’t the most practical of routes to take but for the plans I had in mind (namely a pub crawl), I thought the layering look was perfect for that extra wintery touch. I personally went for traditional fall fabrics, adding a tweed jacket and lambswool tartan scarf.
Tweed Jacket (off Ebay and then tailored to fit). Scarf by Barbour.
The Socks
So far, so festive, but I was keen to add a bit of character to a rather traditional look. So I picked up these brilliant christmas tree print socks from Topman, paired them with some tan desert boots and gave my jeans a couple of turn ups.
Socks by Topman, Boots by ASOS, Jeans by GAP
