In holiday style

 
Friday was the my department's holiday party. This was not just any ordinary gathering, however—this year, the entire group was invited to the White House for 2 hours of bowling! This presented a number of challenges in terms of what to wear.

1. It was the White House, so wanted to put my best foot forward. I'd have to dress a little more upscale than I usually do for work.
2. There would be bowling, so I'd have to wear clothes that didn't impede my mobility.
3. We'd be riding Metro there and walking from place to place, so I had to wear Sensible Shoes.
4. We might be spending a good bit of time outside after the party, so also had to wear something warm.
5. The outfit had to be festive and seasonally appropriate.

Wow—upscale, sporty, walkable, warm, and festive all in one outfit? With so many criteria to meet, it's no wonder it took me an hour and a half to pick out what to wear!

After trying on every red thing in my closet, this is what I came up with: an almost all-black ensemble with Christmasy accents.

After I so thoroughly enjoyed my sheer star top last fall, I decided to get another one with a winter snowflake theme. For the holiday party, I wore the snowflake blouse with almost the exact same outfit as when I wore the star top, substituting fur-lined quilted boots for the simple unlined ones, and a full-length camisole instead of the cropped one. I even wore a similar style of earrings, but this time I went with red.

Hanging from my badge is the squirrel puppet I won during the games.

After the party, I was very flattered when a stranger saw me on the staircase and commented, "That's a hell of an outfit." If I do say so myself, I have to agree. My outfit had a holiday theme, but it wasn't overdone. The black-and-white palette and relative formality of the silhouette seemed to hit just the right note of respectability for the venue. The knee-high wedge boots were a good compromise between elegance, warmth, and walkability. The length and looseness of the skirt was ideal for bowling in.

Once we were safely past security, I felt like it would be a great idea to cut loose and project a more fun-loving image! So underneath my boots, I wore my snowflake knee socks! I was really delighted when I realized how well they worked with the look. In the end, I met all my criteria and even managed to work in a surprise element of fun!

The bowling shoes just happened to perfectly match my outfit!

The bowling party, unfortunately, wasn't quite such a success. It turned out not to actually be in the White House, but the Executive Office Building next door. The bowling alley ball return was broken, so only three people in our group got to throw a ball before it jammed up permanently. At least I got a fun photo shoot out of the misadventure.

Bonus picture!

The bowling party was the second of two holiday parties this week. For the first, which did not involve any prestigious government buildings, I felt safe wearing a more casual and colorful outfit. Here it is!