As temperatures drop, we are brought closer and closer to one of UCD’s most fashionably festive days of the year, College Christmas day! Amelia McCarthy, guides us through the occasion with her tips and tricks for a flawlessly executed college booze up!
Yes, the rumours are true, UCD Christmas Day will be back on campus this year! Whether it’s your first, or your fourth College Christmas Day, choosing an outfit that is chic while simultaneously being both comfortable and cosy, is no easy task. But luckily for you, I’m here to provide the perfect styling guide no matter what your potential plans are!
The most vital thing to remember when creating your Christmas Day ensemble is that it’s Ireland… and it’s late November. One second it could be drizzling down, the next you could be wishing you had sunglasses on! It’s important to dress prepped for the Irish weather and the best way to do this is layering! My number one piece of advice is to make sure your layers are light and many, I’m getting flashbacks while writing this to last College
Christmas, packed like a tin of sweaty sardines on a busy Lost Lane dancefloor in my thermal long sleeve layer I had put on 12 hours prior. In hindsight, my ideal layering situation would have consisted of a cooling short sleeve tee, a snug woolly jumper, a waterproof jacket to swerve the showers and lastly the warmest hats, scarves and gloves that you own!
Contrary to popular belief, beauty doesn’t have to mean pain, and on one of the busiest days of the college year, comfort is key! While yes, those brand new Doc Martens would look
amazing with your Christmas day outfit, your feet will most definitely thank you if you choose an old reliable pair of shoes. College Christmas is your regular night out - on steroids. While your tightest pair of jeans might work for a couple of hours in Coppers, they might not be ideal for a fifteen hour session or a delicious Christmas dinner with your friends. My advice is to opt for your tried and tested broken in pair of shoes and loose, breathable bottoms, I always think you can’t go wrong with a pair of Adidas Sambas or those pair of boots you’ve been wearing to house parties since you were sixteen and a pair of baggy, wide leg jeans that provide both comfort as well as style.
If you’ve been on campus for College Christmas over the past couple of years, I have no doubt you’ve seen a large quantity of sequin skirts in a variety of colours and styles and I for one hope this trend continues, after all I do believe sequins are a neutral. In a society where fast fashion is so prevalent I would love to see these festive staples being worn again, or in the case of avid haters of repeating outfits like me, reused by lending it to your friend or perhaps sold on Vinted. Of course I couldn’t leave the College Christmas staple that is a Christmas jumper out of this guide, personally I love a Christmas jumper but if you either don’t own one or (wrongly) think they are cringe, I recommend a cosy jumper in a festive colour like green or red as an ideal alternative.
Above all enjoy your College Christmas Day and if you see someone rocking a cute, festive outfit don’t be afraid to spread the Christmas cheer and let them know you like it.