What do you wear for a xmas party at a shoes off house?

[Isthisreasonable]

We were having a discussion at work about what to wear for a xmas party at a shoes off house. Most people felt it was automatically less dressy (say jeans and nice top) because you'd be wearing socks which would look silly if you were all glammed up. Others would go glammed up regardless. Some would be very casual.

All this assumes that the host hasn't specified a dress code. What would you wear?

In which case do you make them take their clothes off, given they will be covered in germs from the seats on the tube?

Having just got rid of of a fungal infection I picked up at a spa, I’m never doing bare feet again unless I have to. I don’t even walk barefooot at home anymore & I also don’t expect people to take off their shoes. That’s why I replaced my carpets with tiles so I can mop.

I'd love it! Always feel so much happier and more relaxed with shoes off. I'd wear wide trousers and socks in winter and a skirt in summer. No one's looking at your feet anyway

I wouldn't be going.
I have reunauds and am never seem without shoes on, slippers just aren't enough - soles are too thin & they're too flimsy.

I'd be comfortable at home.

@YetiRosetti no, don’t be silly. In the same way we don’t change our own clothes every time we come in the door (although I would never get on the bed with outside clothes).

But frankly the pavements at this year are wet, dirty, and there’s dog poo everywhere. There’s not enough street lamps and it’s hard to watch your step especially when they’re still covered in wet leaves. Shoes are absolutely filthy by the time people get here and no one would ever dream of not taking them off. People tend to bring good socks or change into indoor shoes.

if I were going to a formal house party I would bring a change of shoes.

Now you’re talking! I can actually see those working if I absolutely had to take my shoes off 😄

I’d take slippers. Not big Tony the Tiger ones….though maybe….

I wouldn’t go. I have deformed and ugly feet and would hate the possibility of them being exposed. I don’t go barefoot at the beach or by the pool, so couldn’t bear it at a party.

I'd wear clothes, at least to begin with...

Shoes are never part of my outfit anyway so it makes zero difference to me, and all parties in people's homes are shoes off where I live. Everyone just wears what they want to wear and enjoys being comfortable without shoes. Then by the end of the night half the people are naked in the sauna anyway so who cares about someone seeing your socks or even barefeet?

My feet get really cold. So if you want to host a shoes off party you’d better have installed fantastic underfloor heating in every room guests would be in.

Personally I find it a bit sad that people host without considering the comfort of their guests and accepting that hosting a party requires some clean up afterwards.

Whenever I have plans to go to a get together at someone's house I always assume that the rules will be "shoes off", because 50% of the time it is. And if you plan for shoes off and they say leave your shoes on, fine. But if you plan for shoes on and they ask you to take your shoes off, you might be in a bad position.

Take the opportunity to buy some fun and festive socks and or slippers. You never get to show those off except for this time of year when you're out of shoes off party. And it doesn't look silly if everyone else is doing it. If you were at a family party in the house and everyone else had their shoes on and you were running around in bare feet, that might look weird but, why does anyone care what's on your feet anyway? Who cares. Shouldn't be looking at your feet should be looking at people's faces.

Buy some lovely fun or fancy socks and or slippers and your problem will be over

@YetiRosetti I agree.
Id be far more concerned about people sitting on sofas having come off public transport and people are more likely to touch sofas with their hands.

In any shoes off house with the person being ultra fascist about it I've found shocking lapses of hygiene elsewhere. Eg sharing utensils with DC when ill ,pouring urine from a potty splashing around a sink ,allowing DC to play in the loo !
Trapping us in rooms with no windows open becusee they feel a bit nippy and merrily sneezing and coughing all over , us.
But hey they feel their carpets which no person will ever make contact with to get germs...are clean ??

Where do you live Natsku, some kind of Scandiwegian commune? I like the sound of it!

Finland. Shoes off is the default everywhere (including nurseries and primary schools) and most house parties end up in the sauna! Even office Christmas parties.

Wow, a Christmas party where half the people at the end of the night end up naked in the sauna, now that's my kind of party!! Why wasn't I born Finnish???

I recently went to a party a what is normally a shoes off house. And they’d recently got new wooden flooring done in their hallway. Pretty much everyone took their shoes off automatically at the door, even though the host didn’t ask anyone to, I guess we all know she’d prefer us not to wear shoes when though she didn’t say a word. I think once you see a few shoes at the door it’s just done without thinking.

anyway, I wore a short dress with thick black tights. I’d had black heels ankle boots on that would look good with it but it wasn’t an outfit that was ruined by flat feet.

You can get quite fancy slippers now that look like shoes. I have some with quite a chunky sole that gives a little height boost!

I would need to find an outfit that worked with a flatter shoe then, as I would feel so dumpy taking off heeled shoes on arrival, when wearing a certain dress or trouser, that needs a heel.

Hah! It certainly makes things a lot less formal!

All this and schnapps too! Or is it vodka? Sounds like a dream - I hate shoes almost as much as I hate bras

Koskenkorva - like vodka but not quite as strong. Or then jaloviina - cut brandy (nasty stuff)
Hate shoes too except for my cleaning crocs - love them!

@Checknotmymate

I love to host a party, we do quite often. I think people enjoy it, they come back and invite us to theirs.

Lots of delicious food, lots of drinks, music / atmosphere, decorative touches, sometimes catering and staff to help. It’s fun and the best bit about hosting is that you can just crawl into bed without worrying about taxis and getting home.

Always shoes on at ours, I agree with Carrie Bradshaw that shoes are part of the outfit. I can’t imagine a shoes off party, unless it’s a certain type of party of course….

When I was little I think probably thanks to Columbo and Murder She Wrote I thought these were the height of sophistication. I longed to be a grown up strutting around in my fancy slippers, and long silky nighty.

Wouldn’t give it a second thought. Glittery dress and tights.

I love parties - we have on big one every year.

every indication is that the majority of attendees love attending - there’s a few people, mostly neighbours, who might just pop in for a couple of hours and maybe they don’t love attending but usually we have a full house until 1ish and there’s always a core group keeping things going until 4am

its such a lovely thing to have everyone together and now my DC are older I love that we have a real mix of generations

I have plantar fasciitis so need to have arch support at all times. Socks, thick tights or barefoot is not an option.

I am not in any way a fashion type of person but I assume that all the fancy shoes that are sold are intended to be worn indoors with a matching fancy outfit.