Choosing the right outfit for an office party is a compromise between business casual and sleepwear. Although office parties are usually less formal than the typical workplace days chance of dressing too casually should not be therefore taken. A common question that arises is: “Is it appropriate to wear a polo t shirt and jeans for an office dinner?” Of course, there is no ‘one approach fits all’ when it comes to this combination but the following points can guide your judgement whether it will be efficient for the office party.
1. Understanding the Office Party Dress Code
First of all their types should be considered to examine what kind of office party is being talked about. The type of event will greatly determine what you are supposed to wear. Office parties may be formal or informal, therefore first and foremost, one has to assess the nature of the party.
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Casual Office Party: For instance, if your office party is somehow informal, for example, after work or company’s picnic, the reasonable wear is a polo t-shirt and jeans. Polo shirts are therefore considered to fit the middle casual and formal wear group, when well fitted jeans are worn with it, it depicts classy casual wear.
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Semi-Formal or Formal Office Party: When the party is more official or even semi-formal like a holiday party or a party at a sort of better restaurant, a polo t-shirt would not be preferable. Classic collared polos are casual or athletic attire; ensuring they respect the dress up code may be tricky. Thus, choosing between the button-down shirt or a smart blazer over the dress pants would be wiser decision.
2. Quality of the Polo T-shirt
It is equally important to understand that all polo shirts for online selling are not the same. Where office attire is concerned, it is possible that odds are in the favour of a qualitative difference of the apparel worn. A low-quality, inexpensive polo shirt may have the colours washed out or the fabric pills, or it didn’t fit correctly, and this is not casual competence. On the other hand, a well-fit polo shirt made from good fabric cloth such as cotton, pique or cotton blend embraced well with tailored jeans gives a polished touch.
Choose polos that have simple cuts and small company insignias. Overall logos that are in large size or occupy too much space along with bright color make the outfit look informal. Plain coloured garments or even small diagrams (like stripes, or a small company’s logo embroidered near the chest pocket) are considered to be optimal for an office party.
3. Pairing Polo Shirts with Jeans
Levis are generally associated with casual occasions, but if you get a formal cut you could easily wear them for an office party. It is much more acceptable to wear skinny jeans or straight-leg jeans in a dark wash – such styles are regarded as more formal than, for instance, distressed jeans or pale wash jeans, which are better for casual weekends.
Here are a few tips on how to make the polo shirt and jeans combo look more polished:
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Fit: This is the case of the polo t-shirt and the jeans; the clothes should fit the person well. No tight or too loose clothes should be worn since this has an appalling effect on one’s appearance. Tapered or fitted is going to look a lot more polished and add that air of sophistication to the outfit.
-
Fabric: Select jeans cut from good quality denim and the approved wash should be dark or indigo. Farther the shade of blue of the jeans, better it combined with a polo for a smart-casual look; dark jeans are less formal than the lighter washes.
-
Accessories: Anything from a classy belt to clean shoes (loaner slippers like loafers, smart sneakers), an appropriate wristwatch, or bracelet can be added to the get-up. Want accessories to not be exaggerated as this will make a look casual but stylish and elegant.
4. Company Culture and Office Norms
Probably the most significant factor which will decide if wearing a polo t-shirt and jeans combination is acceptable is your own company culture. Relaxed dress codes either pervade the corporate world where employees are free to wear what they want and in some settings even to formal events at work. In such circumstances, where a man wearing a polo shirt with jeans is going to be alright and maybe a sign of the friendly nature of the working environment.
Related : Why Yoga Pants are Better than Jeans?
But, for instance, in companies that have a formal context, working attire may prohibit wearing casual clothes even to office parties. In case your office is on the formal side or you work in a conservative setting where dressing appropriately is critical (be it banking, law, etc.), you might just need to add a little bit of dress code to make you not look too relaxed. In those premises, it is better to dress code minimum of formal wear to business formal, for example putting on a dress shirt or blouse together with tailored trousers or a pencil skirt.
5. Personal Style and Comfort
Last but not the least; those attires that one has to wear in an office party depends on your preference bearing in mind the attendant corporate standards. If you do not feel like a formal suit and tie plus Blazer and jeans worn with the company’s approved polo and appreciated at the event, then do it. Confidence is said to even pull up an ordinary dress code to an enhanced and highly professional appearance.
But if you’re in doubt it’s safer to choose something a tad more formal if only because it prevents misunderstandings. While you may reduce the formality of a linen blazer and chinos by wearing a polo shirt underneath, you cannot exactly make your sweatpants and hoodie any smarter if you intend wearing them at lunch.
Conclusion: Polo T-shirt and Jeans for Office Parties?
Therefore, the combination of a polo T-shirt with jeans to an office party is appropriate, but it depends on the circumstances. The key here is that if such occasion is relaxed, and a man chooses form-fitting polo of the highest quality and a pair of comfortable, but fashionable jeans, he is going to look perfectly fine. But if the occasion is somehow more official, then it is advisable to opt for a slightly neutered, for example a button up shirt or a smart blazer.
Finally, these factors are defining by company’s culture, event formal/informal character, and your personality. In case you are unsure, it is always better to dress better than you would for work, which means, you can dress up a little more fancy for an office party.
Anonymous 
Choosing the right outfit for an office party is a compromise between business casual and sleepwear. Although office parties are usually less formal than the typical workplace days chance of dressing too casually should not be therefore taken. A common question that arises is: “Is it appropriate to wear a polo t shirt and jeans for an office dinner?” Of course, there is no ‘one approach fits all’ when it comes to this combination but the following points can guide your judgement whether it will be efficient for the office party.
1. Understanding the Office Party Dress Code
First of all their types should be considered to examine what kind of office party is being talked about. The type of event will greatly determine what you are supposed to wear. Office parties may be formal or informal, therefore first and foremost, one has to assess the nature of the party.
Casual Office Party: For instance, if your office party is somehow informal, for example, after work or company’s picnic, the reasonable wear is a polo t-shirt and jeans. Polo shirts are therefore considered to fit the middle casual and formal wear group, when well fitted jeans are worn with it, it depicts classy casual wear.
Semi-Formal or Formal Office Party: When the party is more official or even semi-formal like a holiday party or a party at a sort of better restaurant, a polo t-shirt would not be preferable. Classic collared polos are casual or athletic attire; ensuring they respect the dress up code may be tricky. Thus, choosing between the button-down shirt or a smart blazer over the dress pants would be wiser decision.
2. Quality of the Polo T-shirt
It is equally important to understand that all polo shirts for online selling are not the same. Where office attire is concerned, it is possible that odds are in the favour of a qualitative difference of the apparel worn. A low-quality, inexpensive polo shirt may have the colours washed out or the fabric pills, or it didn’t fit correctly, and this is not casual competence. On the other hand, a well-fit polo shirt made from good fabric cloth such as cotton, pique or cotton blend embraced well with tailored jeans gives a polished touch.
Choose polos that have simple cuts and small company insignias. Overall logos that are in large size or occupy too much space along with bright color make the outfit look informal. Plain coloured garments or even small diagrams (like stripes, or a small company’s logo embroidered near the chest pocket) are considered to be optimal for an office party.
3. Pairing Polo Shirts with Jeans
Levis are generally associated with casual occasions, but if you get a formal cut you could easily wear them for an office party. It is much more acceptable to wear skinny jeans or straight-leg jeans in a dark wash – such styles are regarded as more formal than, for instance, distressed jeans or pale wash jeans, which are better for casual weekends.
Here are a few tips on how to make the polo shirt and jeans combo look more polished:
Fit: This is the case of the polo t-shirt and the jeans; the clothes should fit the person well. No tight or too loose clothes should be worn since this has an appalling effect on one’s appearance. Tapered or fitted is going to look a lot more polished and add that air of sophistication to the outfit.
Fabric: Select jeans cut from good quality denim and the approved wash should be dark or indigo. Farther the shade of blue of the jeans, better it combined with a polo for a smart-casual look; dark jeans are less formal than the lighter washes.
Accessories: Anything from a classy belt to clean shoes (loaner slippers like loafers, smart sneakers), an appropriate wristwatch, or bracelet can be added to the get-up. Want accessories to not be exaggerated as this will make a look casual but stylish and elegant.
4. Company Culture and Office Norms
Probably the most significant factor which will decide if wearing a polo t-shirt and jeans combination is acceptable is your own company culture. Relaxed dress codes either pervade the corporate world where employees are free to wear what they want and in some settings even to formal events at work. In such circumstances, where a man wearing a polo shirt with jeans is going to be alright and maybe a sign of the friendly nature of the working environment.
Related : Why Yoga Pants are Better than Jeans?
But, for instance, in companies that have a formal context, working attire may prohibit wearing casual clothes even to office parties. In case your office is on the formal side or you work in a conservative setting where dressing appropriately is critical (be it banking, law, etc.), you might just need to add a little bit of dress code to make you not look too relaxed. In those premises, it is better to dress code minimum of formal wear to business formal, for example putting on a dress shirt or blouse together with tailored trousers or a pencil skirt.
5. Personal Style and Comfort
Last but not the least; those attires that one has to wear in an office party depends on your preference bearing in mind the attendant corporate standards. If you do not feel like a formal suit and tie plus Blazer and jeans worn with the company’s approved polo and appreciated at the event, then do it. Confidence is said to even pull up an ordinary dress code to an enhanced and highly professional appearance.
But if you’re in doubt it’s safer to choose something a tad more formal if only because it prevents misunderstandings. While you may reduce the formality of a linen blazer and chinos by wearing a polo shirt underneath, you cannot exactly make your sweatpants and hoodie any smarter if you intend wearing them at lunch.
Conclusion: Polo T-shirt and Jeans for Office Parties?
Therefore, the combination of a polo T-shirt with jeans to an office party is appropriate, but it depends on the circumstances. The key here is that if such occasion is relaxed, and a man chooses form-fitting polo of the highest quality and a pair of comfortable, but fashionable jeans, he is going to look perfectly fine. But if the occasion is somehow more official, then it is advisable to opt for a slightly neutered, for example a button up shirt or a smart blazer.
Finally, these factors are defining by company’s culture, event formal/informal character, and your personality. In case you are unsure, it is always better to dress better than you would for work, which means, you can dress up a little more fancy for an office party.