Do people buy a new christmas party dress every year for the work ‘do’ (and then never have occasion to wear it again..!)

[Poppysball]

Every year I feel I have to buy a new dress for the christmas party and i spend far too long wasting time trying to find one I like that doesn’t cost the earth. My DH says just wear the one you wore last year, no-one will remember. But I think I would remember if my close colleagues wore the same dress particularly as some of them are quite glam and memorable. It’s almost like an unwritten rule that you don’t wear the same dress twice!

Once I’ve found something that I’m reasonably (never fully) happy with, I never seem to have anywhere to wear it again and so it just goes back in the wardrobe, having been worn for just a few hours.

I haven’t got alot of spare money for clothes and so I’d rather spend it on things I’m going to get wear out of. But our xmas party is such a dressed up affair I feel almost under pressure to find a fab new dress, just as everyone else seems to but I’m starting to really not want to spend the money.

So was just wondering if other people feel similar or if not what do you do/buy?

My work takes thousands of photos so if I wore the same dress it would be noticeable.

I don't buy new though - eBay, Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace, borrow from friends.

I enjoy shopping but it can be tkmaxx or charity shop
I don’t go to many dressed up dos so wear once then resell on eBay
Sometimes I even make a profit

I have a couple that I have worn a few times but I also have lots that I have worn once that I keep meaning to ebay. I'm really trying to buy less new stuff so won't be getting a new one this year.

I have a floor length black velvet shift dress and embroidered jacket that is my go to party outfit. I love both pieces as much now as I did when I bought them. Evening wear doesn't date as much as daywear and it still attracts very positive comments 15 years on. The jacket was about £40 in a sale and the dress was £18 from TKMaxx. Cost per wear is negligible now.

I occasionally wear something different but I will usually go to a dress exchange event so stuff gets rotated and it doesn't seem so wasteful.

I normally buy new but do get to wear them again at one or two parties throughout the year.
I have worn blacks ones again - I don't think anyone really remembers and so what if they do!

My DH says just wear the one you wore last year, no-one will remember. But I think I would remember if my close colleagues wore the same dress particularly as some of them are quite glam and memorable. It’s almost like an unwritten rule that you don’t wear the same dress twice!

Your dh is right.
Who wrote this 'unwritten rule' ? What do you think would happen if you 'broke it' ?

My work takes thousands of photos so if I wore the same dress it would be noticeable.

Noticed by whom ?
Who sits and goes through the photos from the 'do', then retrieves the photos from the previous year and starts comparing them ?

Even if anybody were that sad, and had that much time on their hands, what, exactly is so terrible about wearing a dress twice ?
In the incredibly likely event someone said something about somebody wearing a dress they'd seen before, wouldn't you just think (and hopefully say ) "and?" or "so?"

Just ask your self - can you remember what John from HR wore to the last Xmas do? If you can/ can't - that is your answer.

I don't tend to go to very dressed up events so if I do buy something new I make sure it's something I will wear again eg a jersey dress with blingy jewellery to go out but can be worn with boots and a cardigan for work.

I would never get a dress and only wear it once or twice. I keep my dresses for years and wear them over and over again. I have a range of styles and wouldn't need to buy new ones. Can you not get one that could be worn when you are going out with friends? Or wear one of the dresses you bought for the Christmas party a few years back?

Think of the environment/ climate change emergency. When the world ends will you be wearing a new dress or an old one?

Do you think the men are out looking for new suits and shirts each year? Or is this a burden which must only be borne by the women?