How to dress for Christmas Eve

Family, in-laws, third-degree uncle, relatives, family friends, grandparents who we hate seeing less of.

Everyone brings under the same roof their bizarre personality shaped by the time spent apart from others. Christmas sounds the rallying cry and with it the clash of isolated trajectories.

Everyone arrives for New Year's Eve with, in their heads, the particular drawings of their particular thoughts. We realize that we are not the same. And that's okay. Everyone can keep their thoughts quiet for an evening.

On the other hand, clothing cannot be silenced. And what it says, it says loudly and immediately in the brains of those who see it. All it takes is for your way of dressing to enter into cognitive dissonance with the way they perceived you before and there is a feeling of unease.

I remember these Carmina tassel loafers that I wore last winter, during the holidays. My sister-in-law's father-in-law (found there by a sum of coincidences that the universe has the secret) remarked on them almost after the "hello", taking my father to task who didn't really care because he had already seen them and he knows well what I am like by now.

I was surprised by the length of the discussion that followed, between clichés about Mitterrand's "pompa-glands" or young Sarkozystes and climatic considerations ("it's still not very practical where we live!", I come from the countryside).

I think Christmas discussions should not be about how you dress but about how you think and how you live your life and all the interesting things you have to say.

And that's why I'm going to recommend outfits to you, pieces that shouldn't raise too many superficial discussions.

A beautiful sweater is the spirit of Christmas: softness, warmth, comfort and simplicity! I think you should organize your outfit around this central piece and not overdo it.

The Shetland sweater

I think we will have the opportunity to write an article dedicated to this sweater that keeps you warm, is available in multiple colors and for not too much money. The best thing, for New Year's Eve, is to choose it in a color other than navy blue and to associate it with basics: beige jeans or chinos and white sneakers or brown derbies.

Life is simple.

You can also find them at Harley, Jamiesons's of Shetland and Kestin Hare among others. Why not combine them with the following products.

Sneakers as simple as they come.

But it can be dark brown derbies in suede or nubuck ( Orban's , Meermin , Septième Largeur , Yanko and others). Or even Converse shoes that have been a little worn out by time.

The turtleneck

The turtleneck is the queen of winter sweater shapes. It's practical, especially for people who have a pathological tendency to lose their scarf when they're out late at night. The turtleneck sweater can be worn on its own or under a dress jacket. Maybe avoid tweed for the jacket, so as not to look like an old retired philosophy professor. Although. What's wrong with looking like you've mastered Kant's categorical imperatives?

None I think.

You have more accessible turtlenecks at Paris Yorker , Uniqlo , Hircus or even Albam Clothing, Drapeau Noir , Monoprix , John Smedley , Mads Norgaard and many others.

With a turtleneck, why not wear a little dressy pants? It makes for an interesting combination.

But it also works very well with jeans or classic chinos. For your shoes, I recommend simple white sneakers in this case that will break the formality of the pants and make the link with the sweater.

The wool polo shirt

I don't particularly recommend wearing a shirt under the polo shirt. In fact, I recommend a white round-neck t-shirt instead. A double collar is not something elegant. If it's done well, it can give a certain nonchalance to a silhouette but in the end, in real life, you mostly come across as a redneck with two collars on top of each other.

They are also available at Uniqlo , Editions MR , John Smedley , From Future.

I usually like to wear it with high-waisted pants, but for Christmas Eve, a simple pair of jeans will do. A washed one, for example. A good old 501, worn with desert boots. Come on.

To get a bit of the same effect you can also find some well-washed 501s in thrift stores for something like €30. An economical alternative that has the same effect.

The big cardigan

In the team, I often see David, Michel and Nicolò in big shawl collar cardigans. And, each time, they rave for hours about the versatility of this piece, its comfort and congratulate themselves every day for having bought such a piece. Sometimes, I can even read in their misty eyes the trace of some love and then, I tell myself that I need one. That I will need one. But hey, there are always other priorities...

Alternatives in different budgets: Drake's , Paris Yorker , Hircus , Howlin' by Morrison, SNS Herning .

Below, just put on a slightly thick white t-shirt or even a henley!

Wearing the henley in winter instead of a white t-shirt is a great idea. It brings a touch of workwear style that is somewhat western. You can also find them at Hemen Biarritz , Merz B. Schwanen , Momotaro , Pure Blue Japan.

Choose with a bit of texture, life in the fabric, relief. A simple white would be a shame and perhaps ecru would also be more likely to enhance you.

With this, raw jeans will do the trick and then suede calfskin boots.

Cheaper alternatives to these boots include Septième Largeur , Ypson's , Chippewa, Meermin .

Normally if you choose one of these options you should be able to be well dressed without causing endless debate about this or that piece of your outfit. And thus, not having to reveal your clothing budget because you would then have to enter a spiral of justification from which you would not necessarily come out a winner, because we must not forget that, for most people, investing money in clothes is totally futile.

You and I know otherwise, but we wouldn't want to lose our cool while the turkey is still hot.

A small part of the BonneGueule team took part in the impromptu shooting on the theme of Christmas Eve. Well, you'll see that some people don't follow the advice I give here at all, but that's their choice, and it's yours too!