My boyfriend’s office has a very glamorous holiday party every year, and last year, my life was a total shit show when it came to deciding my outfit. There’s a ton that goes into deciding on an office-appropriate, yet glamorous, yet comfortable holiday outfit. Here’s an easy checklist to save you the pain from what to wear to your office Christmas party:

1. Plan in advance.

Start looking in November. A lot of clothing sellers like ModCloth or Express feature early sales on these dresses before the rest of the general public rushes to buy them. Since I waited until the last minute last year, I ended up wearing the same dress as another girl – and she sat at the same table as me. It was a little mortifying.

2. Watch those necklines.

I don’t know what it is about holiday dresses, but necklines often plunge too low for work functions. You want to drink champagne and have a good time – not tape your boobs to your dress and worry about the sisters falling out.

3. Remember that sleeveless sequined dress is going to destroy your armpits.

I have made this mistake before. Sequins are wonderfully beautiful, but your hair gets stuck in them and strapless dresses will give your arms a sturdy rug burn. grab a cardigan or blazer over these sequined dresses to keep your comfort level up, and go long-sleeved if you absolutely NEED sequins (another feeling I 100% understand).

4. Figure out cost per wear.

Holiday dresses are normally more expensive than a “normal” dress because of their intricacies. Everyone wants to sparkle under the mistletoe. But before you drop $450 on a dress, think of the cost per wear. Are you going to wear this dress again? Maybe twice? That goes to about $225 per wear. Statement dresses, or “sizzle pieces” are great fancy events, but if you’re never going to wear it again, maybe keep shopping. The dress above from Forever 21 is only $32.90 – so you also won’t feel bad if you get a little tipsy and dump a glass of wine on your dress.

5. You don’t have to wear a dress.

Not a fan of dresses? Then don’t wear one! You can still dress up for a holiday party without a dress – focus on the fit of a great pair of pants or jeans and grab a more formal top. Then, no worries about tights or having to shave your legs.

6. Consider accessories, shoes and undergarments.

Does this dress have a crazy back that means you have to buy sticky boobs you’ll never wear again? Then keep shopping. If you spend more on a dress, but already have a great pair of shoes to go with it, it definitely lessens the blow. The dress above from ModCloth already has the sparkle – you can wear black shoes and no jewelry and be ready to go.

Need a dress recommendation for a specific event? Comment below with the details and I’ll help!