Going to my work party, I am 5 mins from pulling out

[workpartypanic]

Work party tonight. It’s a hired hall, buffet, music etc.

I’ve been off for a week with severe endometriosis flare and depression. I’ve promised I’ll go for a short while (been told it’s OK) but I’m panicking, everyone’s putting photos on Facebook of cocktail dresses.

I’ve been bleeding for six weeks, I’m exhausted, I’m suffering hot flushes.

I’m wearing navy jeans, a black top, a bright pink sequin cardigan and black ankle boots. Minus the cardigan and heavy make up I’d wear the rest on a normal day…

Is this ridiculously bad? I’m exhausted. I tried on a dress and I honestly look ridiculously bad. The only dresses I have are 2 summer dresses, and a wedding day dress and just no.

I’ve also been struggling for cash lately so didn’t want to buy. technically this pink thing is meant to be a wrap dress but it’s a shit fit, my belly bloat bulge is visible when I sit down.

Are jeans honestly OK? I’m not intending on staying too long. I’m so close to just not going, I don’t want to make myself look a prat.

I would call it off because the thought of wearing a cocktail dress at the best of times is awful so I could not put myself through it if I were feeling as shit as you do!! It doesn’t matter. It’s just a work party. You don’t have to people please x

There is nothing wrong with jeans.

I personally wouldn’t attend a work jolly while off sick.

Honestly? Despite what your employer says, I wouldn't go to a social event if I'd been off work sick, all week

I’d not go. If you don’t feel well enough, you don’t feel well enough. If you’re also planning on staying off sick for longer it would look pretty bad.

I would stay home.

There's never anything wrong with jeans and a smart top for a work Christmas do.

You will look very nice, and (sorry to be a bitch) at least some of the cocktail dresses won't.

Go along and have a nice hour or so, you'll feel much better, then you can come home after a job well done.

This

Your boss might think it's fine, but other people will have a lot to say about it

Stay at home and relax and don't worry about what you're dressed in!

Jeans are fine. Go and enjoy yourself.

Stay home do what you feel is right for you - you’ve been unwell so okay not to attend

Neither would I. It doesn't look good, no matter what anyone says. People will think "too ill to work but well enough to come to a party."

Do you even want to go?

Jeans is fine, feeling pressured into going to an event when you are sick is definitely not. Sack it off if you want to, put yourself first.

You won’t regret going. The thought is always so much worse than the reality. People obviously want to see you, if you’ve promised to be there. They won’t care what you’re wearing.

Or they might just ALL look great.

I’m back on Monday, I know it looks daft. The endometriosis I can manage at work. It was/is the depression but as been told the more I hide at home and convince myself the world hates me the harder it will be to go back on Monday.

Why do you even want to go, given that you're still not very well?

Hoping it will lift my mood and stop me from being on ‘the entire world hates me and would be better off without me’ path I’m on.

Jeans are fine, but you've been off sick & still feel grotty

Stay home, change into your PJs, order a takeaway away & enjoy your sofa/bed 💐

You will look very nice, and (sorry to be a bitch) at least some of the cocktail dresses won't.

That's probably one of the weirdest things I've read in a long while.

How on earth can you know either of those things?

If I don’t go they’ll probably think even worse of me, because I’ve been asked specifically to go. I’m going for an hour then going home. I’m not drinking (I can’t) and not dancing.

Honestly I wouldn’t go.

This. It's a hired hall, cocktail dresses sound OTT.

It is also ok to show your face for an hour and head off even if you have been ill. Even more excuse to duck out early.

If you think you'll feel worse after then don't, if you think you'll feel worse/cross with yourself if you don't go, then go.

Go and say you're just popping in to say hello - then you have attended, said hello to people, but you can leave as soon or not-as-soon as you wish. Try it... xxx

I love your call sign! (Sorry, can't think that name is.)

Because it's hard to make jeans and a nice top look bad, which is why it's such a cliche

But if you get a bunch of people who don't normally wear cocktail dresses (and this lot don't, or they wouldn't be posting them on social) then inevitably some of them will not have chosen wisely and look like floral bin bags full of yogurt 😳

anyway we digress @workpartypanic I am quite surprised by the PJ party on this thread - honestly I think you should go for an hour and have a chat and a bougie, you will feel better and you are due back on Monday so no one will think you're a big skivey skiver

If you’re feeling too physically unwell to go out then don’t feel bad about not attending. But please don’t stay home just because you’re worried about your outfit - what you have described sounds lovely to me and a perfectly acceptable outfit for a work Christmas do.