Why Christmas Isn’t About Being Chic

For Citizen Femme’s Fashion Director, Christmas isn’t about being chic. Here’s why.

There seems to be a terrible rise in the number of people seeking a tasteful Christmas. Neutral colours, minimalist style choices and subtle decorations – all these things are anathema to the spirit of the festive season – and yet they are increasingly aspirational. Victoria Beckham’s in-store ‘naked’ Christmas tree was adorned with not a single decoration. Fuss-free tailoring is this year’s partywear look of choice, as led by Thom Browne and Dolce & Gabbana. 

Christmas is no time for austerity, and I think it took a bingewatch of Jilly Cooper’s deliciously decadent ‘Rivals’ for me to talk about this issue. The concept of chic is at odds with the whole festive premise, which hinges on comfort, joy and wonder. To adhere to understatement and tastefulness at Christmas is to misunderstand it. The real spirit of Christmas is in the mismatching decorations that you’ve collected over years, some from family members long gone, many of which have sentimental value. Yes, artfully tied velvet red ribbons – a favourite look on the trees of tastemakers this year – look nice, but there is also joy in a chipped glass angel ornament that has survived 20 Christmases.

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The festive season is about leaning into the chaos, sparkle and silly paper hats. It doesn’t have to be cheesy either; Selfridges’ Christmas windows – a collaboration with influential sculptor Andrew Logan – celebrates festive maximalism through carefully curated magical grottos filled with the artist’s signature texture and colour. The Henrietta Hotel’s pop-up Miracle cocktail bar is back for its seventh year, and its gloriously nostalgic festive décor looks as inviting as ever. It’s so popular that booking slots are limited to an hour and 45 minutes, in order to meet demand. There is no magic in understatement, no warm fuzzy feeling in hating ‘The Fairytale of New York’ and no reward for refusing to watch ‘Home Alone’ for the millionth time.

It’s true that what we wear at Christmas is often completely contrary to what we wear in usual life, which is, of course, the whole point. We choose to sparkle, shimmer and go big in a way that would look utterly out of place in mid-February. One of the great advantages of the festive season is that it breaks up the gloomy winter – for a few weeks, our homes are filled with lights, decorations and music. We host parties, eat and drink more than we should and try our best to find gifts that the people we love will love. All of it would be unsustainable for longer than a few weeks, which is why we should make the most of it while it lasts.

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You can be a bastion of quiet luxury for all other 11 months of the year, but don’t pass up a chance to shine when the season demands it. January will be here before long, when sartorial restraint will reign supreme again, so for now embrace the idiosyncrasy and playfulness. Wear that sequinned dress, invest in those attention-grabbing statement earrings and dig out your sparkliest jumper and favourite satin heels or jazziest flats. Remember you don’t have to be out to dress up. If you’re planning a night on the sofa with a takeaway and a Christmas movie, then now’s the moment for your plushest PJs and costume jewellery. The sillier the better, it’s Christmas.

The downside of this time of year is the disposable fashion problem, so whether you decide to stick to existing wardrobe heroes, or to buy anew, make sure there’s longevity in what you invest in. Avoid synthetic materials. If you have a party dress you’ve been wearing for years that makes you feel incredible, then bring her out and wear her all season long. My favourite Christmas dress is a scarlet red silk-satin long-sleeved look from Ghost that I’ve had for six years; it’s just as great now as it was when I first bought it.

Everyone has their line in the sand when it comes to Christmas chintz, mine is tinsel. My husband refuses to wear a Christmas jumper, and my youngest brother really struggles with multi-colour fairy lights. And yet, this year – having moved in with his girlfriend who loves them – he buckled. Their tree glows with tiny lights of pink, blue and green – and that is what Christmas is all about: love and joy.