I’m a fashion expert and these are my top picks for Christmas parties for over 50s – but shop them now before they SELL OUT

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Trying to find something to wear to Christmas parties is the biggest dressing challenge of the year for one reason: we think we have to pick from the classic Christmas party playbook. 

Something black and lacey, or burgundy and velvet, or gold or silver lurex, with heels, and tights, with sparkling jewellery. You might think that would make life easier, but the trouble is none of the above work anymore.

The LBD that was once a no-brainer, the black tuxedo, the sequin or otherwise shimmery top, they all now look dated – because times change and ‘dressing up’ means something very different in December 2026 (plus no one over 55 suits head-to-toe black or a gold lamé top).

And here’s where the good news starts. The secret of great Christmas party dressing in 2026 is to stay in your comfort zone and then glow-up your dressing type. 

Start with the clothes that work best for you any night of the year, and then ratchet up the glamour, the gleam and the festive flourishes. 

Don’t think: ‘Oof it’s November, better go in search of a spangly dress’ if you’re favourite after-dark look is a trouser suit. Don’t opt for a jewel-coloured velvet suit if in your heart you want to party like Sharon Stone in a sharp white shirt and a statement skirt. 

The new rule is spark-up your own style and maybe push the boundaries and try something a bit different. It is Christmas after all.

The natural tailoring woman

In years gone by, your natural Christmas upgrade would have been a black tuxedo. 

These days, black is no longer the cool or flattering option, and the answer is a tuxedo plus, which means special fabric, colour, print or some extra embellishment.

Mango does a soft velvet trouser suit with a deep V-neck jacket and flared trousers, crucially in maroon (the browner side of Christmas burgundy) or dark navy. 

In recent years, the fashion forward wore their suits buttoned up with nothing underneath. Now, a glimpse of an ivory lace-trimmed top worn underneath is the way to go with an exotic necklace or earrings – Boden have some great statement jewel earrings this season.

Something else you can do is bling-up your pinstripe suit in the manner of Emma Willis on Strictly Come Dancing – hers was Stella McCartney, but for something that won’t burst your budget, try Mango at John Lewis. 

Wear it to the office with a skinny polo neck, swap that for a silky blouse come cocktails time, or dispense with the jacket altogether and substitute a faux fur chubby, or Zara’s giant faux lynx triangular scarf, then just add heels and jewellery.

Other options include a blingy jumpsuit – for example, Boden’s velvet V-neck jumpsuit with tulle polka dot sleeves. 

This is black, but it’s the black that we can still do business with – lightened by the sheer sleeves, very plain and easy to spark-up with a silver belt and egg-sized earrings.

The Secret: Wear with heels.

The everyday trousers or jeans woman

It used to be that, come party season, you could simply switch to black velvet trousers and add a pretty blouse. These days, after dark you need more going on. Repeat: old school minimalism is not our friend.

The current party top of the hour – if you have the arms for it – is a lace camisole and M&S have one, covered in sequins, lace-trimmed and cut high enough to avoid showing any cleavage (arms only is the look).

You won’t feel naked in this, but if you do, sling on a velvet or fur jacket. A go-with-everything option (and praise be it has sleeves) is M&S’s ivory satin waisted shirt – i the cinched waist makes it extra flattering and allows you to leave it out, not tuck it in.

The best party trousers are still fluid, wide legged and velvet or satin, but ideally not plain black. Anthropologie has a black/gold subtly patterned velvet pair. Boden does silky copper and black print trousers with feather-trimmed hems.

Or, if you feel like taking a step into fashion forward territory, there’s the silky balloon pant, surprisingly easy to wear and sophisticated looking with a mid-height sandal. 

Wyse does a pair (they call theirs harem pants) in midnight satin and M&S has balloon trousers in brown satin and black sequins that are sleek and different enough that you can get away with wearing a plain top and a pair of bold earrings.

 Alternatively (another arm revealer but…), try the matching sequin bubble hem top with a neck tie and you‘ve got yourself a spangly co-ord.

The Secret: Choose a light party heel, especially if you’re going for a balloon cut which means your footwear is on full display.

The one-stop dress woman

A few years ago you would simply have upgraded to a Little Black Dress with tights and sandals, but that’s the 50-plusers shortcut to looking like a funeral director, so we have two easy choices: One, a party dress; two, a co-ordinating dressy top and skirt (Christmas party co-ords). 

This winter, the dress has taken a back seat to the skirt and, while there are a lot of black dresses out there – plenty of velvet fit-and-flare styles – these are going to drag you down, not lift you up and blow away the years: a co-ord in different colours or matching is the future.

Lace is a good option providing you’re prepared to experiment with colour. Autograph at M&S has a cinammon brown long sleeved top and a chocolate brown pencil skirt (browns are a good way of breaking your black-after-dark habit, and softer on the skin) to wear together or apart. 

The key with lace now is that it’s raw edged, looks handmade, it’s not black and not clinging. If you don’t mind revealing your arms (again) Mint Velvet’s black sequin textured fringe top and matching midi skirt look like Chanel, and either on their own would score top points (see below).

The Secret: No stretch, no knees on show, no cleavage.

The everyday skirt woman

You’re in luck this party season, because: a) skirts have knocked dresses out of the spotlight (see above), and b) a very festive skirt worn with a plainer top (maybe a soft sweater) is the hot smart casual look for parties. 

It’s all about the skirt, the more OTT and fabulous the better.

The place to look for inspiration (prices are high) is the cool British boho fashion label Wiggy Kit, which does skirts of every description, including in strong pink toile de jouy or fringed sequins.

The sequin fringed skirt is the breakout star of Christmas, from Wiggy Kit’s (sold out in days) to Mint Velvet’s and Next’s navy version. Wear with a camisole under a satin blazer, sweater, satin shirt, or with a ribbon-tie blouse.

Otherwise you could get some mileage out of Anthropologie’s midi sequin skirt in silver, or try something more low key but still glam, such as in silver, or try something more low key but still glam, such as M&S’s foil silver textured midi skirt, and wear it with an embellished elbow length sleeved sweater. 

The contrast of shiny and opulent with soft and simple is bang on the money for the party season.

The Secret: Keep the silhouette streamlined and the length midi to ankle grazing. It’s mini or midi with this look, nothing in between.

The maximalist woman

Very easy this: simply do as you always do, but maximise the mixture of tactile textures in your outfit and don’t be afraid of colour. 

Gold and silver trims, faux fur collars and cuffs, feather add-ons (Boden’s trouser hem trims are detachable) are all very much on the fashion money. 

Pile on necklaces, add fun sandals with fringed toes – try M&S – and get a River Island zebra print jacket to sling over your shoulders. This is your moment. 

The Secret: Keep it playful.