So, what to wear this Christmas?

Forget the mistletoe and wine; for most of us, Christmas means hours spent wrapping gifts we don’t want to give to people we don’t want to see, attempting to keep children entertained and well-mannered, especially in public; and gorging ourselves on more chocolate than we consume for the rest of the year.

Deciding what to wear should be way down the priority list, but it would seem that dressing up for Christmas is actually quite high up – judging by the number of TV specials on the subject, not to mention the number of pleading letters asking me how to dress for the Christmas party without inviting unwelcome advances from Dennis in IT (it’s always the IT guys).

For this shoot, we wanted to take a down-to-earth approach and offer a selection of Christmas-appropriate looks in a range of prices for all of the family, without suggesting that anyone wear sequins at home or don six-inch heels while dressing the tree.

Ugg boots may be absolutely anathema to my every fashion-related thought, but when it comes to wrapping Christmas presents, what else would you be seen in? Skinny jeans and a jumper complete the cosy, festive feel. Leaving the house requires a cosy winter coat (jackets are for spring/summer), and Pauric Sweeney’s stunning metallic handbag adds a luxurious – if expensive – touch. For Christmas dinner? A wrap dress will disguise even the greediest glutton.

For children, there are two particularly ridiculous things that seem to get more than their fair share of air time around Christmas: boys in suits (really?) and girls in semi-sheer tights. Maintaining a degree of decorum while wearing a dress is a challenge for the best of us; for a three-year-old with myriad distractions, it’s a Herculean task. Just put her in a pair of leggings.

For Fursey, green skinny cords are a great alternative to denims (and softer), and Zara’s have an adjustable waistband that grows with him, so they will last more than one season. Plus, they are super-long, so he can wear them well into next year.

When it comes to the gentleman in the family, the Christmas jumper has become a seasonal standard. And why not? No one dislikes a jumper. They’re soft and cosy, and, as you can see, you have a great choice between plain and understated and Christmassy and ironic.