Munster Express Online

Work Christmas nights out….are they the highlight of your year, or does the thoughts of it make you want to hand in your notice?
Isn’t it funny that more often than not, we spend more time with our work colleagues than our families but never really get to know them properly until we’re all bouncing around The Reg, full of gargle. The placid office boy morphs into a sleaze, Horrible Henry turns out to actually be quite sound and Mary from accounts who hasn’t opened her mouth all year is rocking it out to One Direction in the middle of the dancefloor. This night out will usually result in the worst dose of ‘The Fear’ that we’ve had since last year’s office shindig, whether we were involved in the crazy japes or not. However, it’s considered bad manners not to attend so we may as well get spruced up and get over it. It might be ‘out of office hours’ but unfortunately, we’re still representing our companies so some basic dress code and decorum will still need to be followed (but will ultimately help with the fear in the long run, so just bear with me here). If this all sounds quite preachy, you’ll have to forgive me as the voice of experience is writing this column rather than myself, if you catch the drift of my Mojito.
When it comes to dress code, by all means, dress to impress but not to shock. There’ll be plenty of nights out with our friends where we can wear our daring dresses, our boss should never see us in a plunging neckline that could leave us prone to a “wardrobe malfunction”. Speaking of the boss, have a drink but not as many as him or her, this is the one time you want to be one step behind. Getting bladdered on the office night out is a complete no-no, it will always end in tears…always!
Work night party wear will vary from company to company and will depend on where you’re going. I’ve been to a few Christmas Party nights in hotels around Tramore and Waterford over the years and it seems that anything goes but the usual for ladies would be a dress. From all-out cocktail to jersey wrap dresses, from what I’ve seen, as long as you’ve made an effort you’ll fit right in. As with any occasion, if you’re uncomfortable, you won’t pull off any outfit so make sure your shoes are broken in and your dress is comfy.
I had a run around town last week and I have to say, Waterford has outdone itself in terms of party dresses this year as you can see in the images. There are loads of options around town at the moment and it’s well worth popping in for a look around.
It’s the season to eat, drink and be merry and everything in moderation is the key to enjoying it fully. I think it may be time for me to start practicing what I preach but in the mean-time, I’ll see you out on the town!