What to Wear to a Christmas Party: Teenager Edition

5 min read · Your Era

What to wear to a Christmas party as a teenager depends on the party. For a family dinner, go smart-cozy (a nice knit or velvet top with trousers or a skirt). For a friends' party, wear your cutest going-out outfit with one festive detail. For Christmas jumper day or an ugly sweater party, the sweater is the outfit, so keep everything else simple.

If you're dreading the "what do I wear" spiral before every holiday plan, Your Era tells you which of 7 problems is keeping your style stuck and builds outfits from what you already own. Find my era

Figure out the party type

Before you pull anything out of your closet, answer two questions:

1. Who's going to be there? Grandparents, your friend group, your whole class?
2. Where is it? Someone's living room, a restaurant, the school hall?

Then match it:

If you're not sure, ask the host or look at last year's photos. Dressing one level up from what you think is usually safer than one level down.

Family Christmas outfits

The family Christmas outfit brief: look nice for the photos, be comfy enough to eat a lot, and not get comments from your aunt.

For girls

• Red or green knit sweater + black flare trousers + loafers. Classic and cozy.
• Velvet top + straight jeans + ankle boots. Velvet instantly says "Christmas" without trying.
• Plaid mini skirt + black tights + cream knit + Mary Janes. Very cute for a family photo.
• Satin midi skirt + fitted long sleeve + small gold jewelry. A little more dressy for a nice restaurant dinner.

For guys

Christmas outfits for teenage guys: a quarter-zip or crewneck knit over a collared shirt, chinos or dark jeans, and clean sneakers or boots. A burgundy or forest green knit looks festive without being loud.

What to wear on Christmas Day at home

Christmas morning is pajama territory for most families. For the afternoon, a soft sweater, comfy trousers and fluffy socks is the move. Casual Christmas outfits count too.

Friends' party outfits

A friends' Christmas party is the one where you actually want to look cute. Christmas party outfits for teens at a friend's house:

• Sparkly or sequin top + straight jeans + boots. One sparkly piece is enough.
• Black mini dress + tights + a red bow in your hair. Festive and simple.
• Red corset top + wide-leg trousers + cropped cardigan. A red Christmas outfit that doesn't feel costume-y.
• Satin slip skirt + oversized knit + boots. Cozy but still a party look.

For guys: a black or dark knit, clean jeans or trousers, and a nice jacket. Add a chain or a cool watch if that's your style.

Christmas party outfit themes

Some friend groups do themes. Popular Christmas party outfit themes:

• Red and green only
• Sparkle night: everyone wears something that shines
• Matching pajamas
• Grinch vs. Whoville
• Winter white

Trying to pull a themed look together from what you own is where most people get stuck. You know you have a red top somewhere. Does it go with any of your bottoms? Will it look good in the group pic?

Your Era does the matching for you. Each day's era drop is built from clothes you already own, shows why it works, and suggests one optional swap you can shop if something's missing. Find my era

School Christmas jumper day

In the UK, Christmas Jumper Day is a big school tradition, often raising money for charity. In the US and Canada, it's usually called holiday sweater day or ugly sweater day. Either way, the jumper is the star.

Christmas jumper outfits that still look cute:

• Jumper + school trousers or skirt if your school stays in uniform otherwise.
• Jumper + flare leggings + mini Uggs. Comfy for a long day. More ideas in Uggs outfits for school.
• Jumper + collared shirt underneath + jeans. Pull the collar out for a preppy twist.
• Jumper + mini skirt + tights + boots. If your school allows non-uniform.

Ugly sweater party ideas

For an ugly sweater party outfit, go big on the sweater and keep the rest plain: black jeans or leggings and simple sneakers or boots.

Ugly Christmas sweater ideas if you don't own one:

• Thrift one. Charity shops and thrift stores are full of them in December.
• DIY it: glue pom-poms, tinsel and felt shapes onto an old sweater.
• Sew bells onto the cuffs.
• Go for a pun: "Sleigh All Day," "Yule Be Sorry" or a llama in a Santa hat.

Just don't ruin a sweater you actually love.

Captions for your Christmas post

Christmas captions for Instagram and TikTok:

• "Sleigh the season."
• "All I want for Christmas is this fit."
• "Home for the holidays, dressed for the group chat."
• "Tis the season to be slay."
• "Jingle all the way to the snack table."
• "My era: festive."

Heading out on New Year's Eve too? Our casual New Years Eve outfit guide has you covered.

Know what to wear to a Christmas party, teenager edition, before the invite drops

Your Era takes about two minutes. Answer 17 questions, see which of 7 problems is holding your style back, and get one era drop a day from your own closet, each with a caption to post and a song to put under it. Find my era

FAQ

What should a teenage girl wear to a Christmas party?

It depends on the party. For family, a knit or velvet top with trousers or a skirt. For friends, a sparkly top with jeans or a mini dress with tights. Add one festive detail like red, velvet or sparkle.

What should I wear to a casual Christmas party?

A cozy knit or festive sweater, jeans or trousers, and boots or clean sneakers. One festive accessory, like a bow or red lip, is enough.

What do you wear on Christmas Jumper Day at school?

Your Christmas jumper with either your normal uniform bottoms or comfy jeans or leggings, depending on your school's rules. Keep the rest simple so the jumper stands out.

What do you wear to an ugly sweater party?

An ugly Christmas sweater with plain black jeans or leggings and simple shoes. Thrifted or DIY sweaters work great.

What do teenage guys wear to a Christmas party?

A knit or quarter-zip in a dark festive color, jeans or chinos and clean sneakers or boots. For a dressier party, add a collared shirt or blazer.