Neighbours Xmas eve party - glam or no?

[whyno]

Just moved to a small country town last week. Yesterday our neighbours popped a note through the door inviting us to an 'open house party' from 4.30 to 9 on Christmas Eve.
Don't know anyone hear yet and don't want to make a bad impression.
Do you think it's casual or dress up? What would you wear?

*here

I would RSVP in person and take the opportunity to ask whether people are likely to get their tiaras out of the bank vault or if it will be jeans and Christmas jumpers.

Peer out the window at 4.30pm and see what people are wearing!

I doubt it will be a jeans, unless you pair them with heels and a silky top. But it won't be cocktail dresses either (I shouldn't imagine, anyway - not from 4.30 onwards) so I'd opt for something like a nice plainish smart-casual day dress, with some simple chunky costume jewellery or similar.

When I moved to a village I had the same dilemma. I went a bit dressed down assuming they would be too. I was wrong. It was quite dressy. Might be best to check with host.

Interesting. Definitely a dress then I think. Maybe a woollen one. Will also be nosing out the window as suggested!

I would dress up too, but nothing OTT

I would not over do the glam, it is a neighbourly thing, which I think is quite informal - have you seen how your neighbour dresses? It might give you an idea. To me Christmas eve invite is informal glamour = smart casual.

Not s woolen dress. Smart trews and top

Skinny trousers silky shirt heels and glitzy earrings?

we go to one of these every yr
first time I went I wore dress , I was only one
most are in smart top/jumper etc ..not dressy at all

but I could be in slovenly town

reminds me of time new neighbour invited us for drinks ..I thought it was party and got quite dressed up , was an hr late as ds had puked ..turned out they had only invited us .. and they were practically wearing their pyjamas

I had this sort of dilemma last New Years Eve - we were invited to the neighbours for early evening drinks (ending pre-midnight, as everyone was going on elsewhere I presume). DH and I were going there, then home to bed. He wore smart trousers, shirt, jacket. I wore a LBD and heels. We decided if we were overdressed we would say we were going on somewhere else!

Could you do that? Slightly overdress, and then say you had been/were going on to dinner or something?

I wouldn't call round and ask that's embarrassing for you all. What do you have in your wardrobe that's dressy casual a simple black dress is usually perfect On these occasions with a piece of simple jewellery. If it is open house it wo t be too dressy so don't worry. Simple little black dress with a low heal of dress down with boots even. Make your hair and make up great x

Why would asking be embarrassing, sweetiepie?

Agree. Just do something smarter than daily grind clothes