Jewelry for the Office Christmas Party: How to Choose
Somewhere in the middle of November the email lands in your inbox: Friday the fourth, Christmas party, from 17:00, venue to follow. And then the planning starts. You are coming straight from your desk, going home first is not an option, and you do not want to look like you are still in the middle of your working day — which is exactly what is going on. The good news: you do not need to change. Different earrings, and you have a different evening.
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In this article we walk calmly through what to wear to the office Christmas party or work Christmas dinner: which piece gets the attention, how to choose by your neckline, when to leave the necklace off, and how to go from desk to party in thirty seconds. All Lundholm jewelry is made from premium stainless steel — skin-friendly, waterproof and made to last.
Let one piece do the work
The most common mistake at a party is not too much and not too little either — it is everything at once. Big earrings, a bold necklace, three rings and a bracelet that jingles: lovely one by one, together a competition nobody wins.
So choose one piece that is allowed to stand out and let the rest play along in the background. At a drinks party that is almost always your earrings. You are standing, you are talking, people look at your face and the light is low. A necklace half disappears behind the glass in your hand or sinks under a turtleneck; earrings do not.
Wearing a plain dress, a black blouse or a simple fine-knit sweater? Then you have exactly the canvas statement earrings were made for. The quieter the fabric, the more room they get. The Lymée chunky statement earrings (EUR 27.95) do it with a smooth, sculptural shape; the Kaia long oval drop earrings (EUR 29.95) do it with length and movement. If you like a hint of color, the Felina vintage statement earrings with a bordeaux stone (EUR 33.00) are a lovely middle ground between bold and warm.
Statement earrings that do the work
Choose by your neckline, not by your jewelry box
What looks good depends less on what you like than on what you are wearing. So look at your neckline first — after that, choosing suddenly gets simple.
High neck, turtleneck or buttoned-up blouse
With a closed neckline a short necklace has nowhere to go: it sits on the fabric instead of on your skin, and that always looks slightly awkward. Leave it off. Your earrings can then be bigger, and a ring or bracelet finishes it. If you do want something around your neck, choose a long necklace that clearly falls over the fabric — not one that only just reaches it.
V-neck or deep neckline
An open V asks for something that follows the line. A pendant works best here, as long as it hangs above the lowest point of your neckline and does not disappear into it. Rule of thumb: the pendant sits somewhere between your collarbones and the lowest point of the V, never below it. The Monique necklace with a cubic zirconia pendant (EUR 29.95) falls exactly in that zone. Prefer layers, like the Tove 3-layer layered necklace (EUR 39.95)? Then keep to small earrings, or you get that competition after all.
Boat neck, square neck or bare shoulders
Here the line of your clothing is already the statement. Choose something short and quiet that stays on your collarbones, or skip the necklace and go for large hoop earrings. You can read more about those combinations in our guide to which jewelry goes with which dress.
Necklaces for an open neckline
When to leave the necklace off
Sometimes wearing nothing is the best choice. Leave your necklace at home if you are already wearing statement earrings, because those two always fight over the same attention. Leave it at home too if your fabric already shines — sequins, lurex or glossy satin catch the light perfectly well without help. Against a busy print a pendant simply disappears, and with a bow, ruffles or a high collar there is plainly no room left.
And then the practical version: a necklace you spend the whole evening straightening is the wrong necklace. If the clasp keeps turning to the front or the pendant keeps sliding under your neckline, take it off and let your earrings take over. And if you are walking around all evening with an access badge or lanyard around your neck, that is already enough there.
From desk to party, without changing clothes
This is where it gets genuinely easy. Your outfit does not have to change; your earrings do.
During the day: small cubic zirconia stud earrings under your blazer, like the Nikki cubic zirconia studs (EUR 25.00). Neat, quiet, nobody looks twice in a meeting.
At five o'clock: those come out and chunky hoop earrings go in. The Lea chunky hoops (EUR 37.95) or the Vera chunky hoops (EUR 34.95) change the whole thing: same blouse, completely different evening.
Why does that work so well? Because earrings sit next to your face and are therefore the first thing anyone sees. An outfit does not become more festive because of the fabric, but because of what happens near your face. Want to go one step further? Choose something big and sculptural like the Skadi sculptural statement hoops (EUR 39.95).
Practical: put that second pair in your bag in the morning, in the box they came in. That is what the box is for. Thirty seconds at the sink, hair down, and you are ready.
The five o'clock swap
Cubic zirconia catches the light in the room
December venues are dark. Candles on the table, string lights, a couple of spotlights and dim everywhere else. That has consequences for your jewelry: matte and smooth pieces look beautiful in daylight but do little in a dark room. Cut stones do — they catch every point of light and give it back.
That is why the earrings we normally call bridal are so good at a Christmas party. A cubic zirconia drop does not only belong with a dress that has a train; it belongs with any evening where the light is low. The Celeste bridal cubic zirconia drop earrings (EUR 49.95) are the clearest example, and the Nora bridal hoops with cubic zirconia (EUR 49.95) do the same in silver-tone. Looking for something smaller with the same sparkle? The Sam earrings with a cubic zirconia pendant (EUR 34.95) are a nice middle ground.
Cubic zirconia for the holidays
Prefer subtle? That can be just as festive
Not every workplace is somewhere you want to stand out, and not everyone feels comfortable in big earrings. There is no need. Festive lives just as much in sparkle as in size.
Small hoop earrings with a stone, huggies with a little drop or a pair of cubic zirconia studs all say the same thing: thought went into this. The Delia small hoops with cubic zirconia (EUR 32.95) and the Avélie huggie drop earrings (EUR 29.95) are lovely examples. Want to keep it truly minimal: one pair of smooth stud earrings and one ring. That is all it is, and it is enough.
Subtle, but that bit more festive
A long evening, practically speaking
A Christmas party is not a photoshoot. Drinks get spilled, people dance, coats go on and off, and by eleven you are glad you are wearing something you do not have to think about.
Waterproof. Our jewelry is premium stainless steel. A knocked-over glass, a warm room, washing your hands: no problem, the color does not change.
Skin-friendly. You wear them six or seven hours at a stretch. Stainless steel is hypoallergenic, so itchy or red earlobes towards the end of the evening are very unlikely. You can read more in our explainer on hypoallergenic jewelry.
Weight. Big earrings do not have to be heavy. The chunky models are made hollow: they look big but wear light — exactly what you want when they have to stay in for six hours.
Coat on, coat off. Long drop earrings like to catch on a scarf or a collar. If you are in and out all evening, hoops or studs are easier.
Everything arrives in a luxury Lundholm gift box, so your second pair has a case for your bag straight away. Shipping costs EUR 3.95 and is free from EUR 75, and we ship jewelry worldwide. Order before 15:00 CET on a working day and we ship the same day.
Ready for the Christmas party
From chunky hoops to fine cubic zirconia studs — all in skin-friendly, waterproof stainless steel, in a luxury gift box.
Shop statement earringsFrequently asked questions about jewelry for the office Christmas party
What jewelry do you wear to the office Christmas party?
Choose one piece that stands out and keep the rest quiet. At a drinks party that is usually your earrings, because people look at your face and a necklace half disappears behind a glass or under a turtleneck. Statement earrings with a plain dress or blouse are the easiest and safest combination.
Can I wear statement earrings with a business outfit?
Yes, and with a business outfit they work best of all. A plain blouse, a blazer or a simple dress is a quiet canvas that gives big earrings all the room they need. Leave the necklace off, so the earrings stay the only eye-catching element.
Which necklace suits a deep neckline?
A necklace with a pendant that falls above the lowest point of your neckline. The pendant belongs somewhere between your collarbones and the lowest point of the V, never below it — otherwise it disappears into your neckline. With layers or layered necklaces, keep your earrings small instead.
What do I wear with a turtleneck or high neckline?
Leave the short necklace off: it sits on the fabric instead of on your skin. Go for bigger earrings instead, with a ring or bracelet if you like. If you do want something around your neck, choose a long necklace that clearly falls over the fabric.
How do I go from desk to Christmas party without changing clothes?
Swap only your earrings. Wear small cubic zirconia studs under your blazer during the day and put chunky hoops or cubic zirconia drops in at five. Because earrings sit next to your face, your whole look changes in thirty seconds without touching your outfit.
Can I keep this jewelry in all evening?
Yes. Premium stainless steel is waterproof and hypoallergenic, so a spilled glass, a warm room or washing your hands does not affect the color, and irritated earlobes are very unlikely. The chunky models are also made hollow, which makes them light to wear.
Heading straight on to New Year's Eve after the Christmas party? Then read our guide to jewelry for New Year's Eve. Looking for a gift rather than something for yourself? Our tips for a Christmas gift for your girlfriend and our list of Secret Santa gifts under EUR 30 will get you further. Mostly unsure about the combination with your outfit? Have a look at which jewelry goes with which dress, or browse calmly through all earrings and necklaces.
Love, the Lundholm team
