Stylewatch: dressing for the office Christmas party in storm season

Tumultuous weather across eastern Australia and Christmas party season are colliding. Here’s our guide to dressing to go out in weather that makes you want to stay in

The complete Guardian guide for dressing in storm season. Photographs: Nick Evershed for the Guardian

Deciding what to wear to the office Christmas party is bad enough. But deciding what to wear in a storm is even more difficult.

Crazy weather across most of Australia during the Christmas party season has given dressing for going out an extra layer of complexity.

Stilettos sink in this week’s muddy lawns. Blow-dried hair turns fly-away or fizzy. Dresses and suits get soaked and stay damp. Eye makeup runs, turning carefully painted cat’s eye into goth tears. Skirts fly over heads in gales.

A cursory flick through fashion magazines covers the latest trends for Christmas parties: lace and leather, flapper dress, embellished sequins, bronzer, tulle, cleavage sparkles. But in the past few weeks we’ve been lashed by hail, dust storms, lightening strikes and flash flooding – with more to come. It’s bad news for embellished sequins.

Some retailers – such as Gorman, are trying to make practical items pretty. A polka dot raincoat over your party frock can keep it dry as you wait an hour for the cab to the party in horizontal “hard” rain.

Shoe stores are selling platform sneakers – which can give you the lift of a pair of heels but will protect against trench foot.

Want to stay dry and stylish for your Christmas party? Follow our guide for dressing for parties in storm season.

The man-wrap (ma-rap)

Men! This one is for you. Protect your party clothes from storms by wrapping yourself in a protective sarong or wrap. Once at the party, the sarong comes off to reveal … a dry suit!

The man wrap

Hat hair

Hats are in. Were they ever out? Protect your hair from going crazy in the humidity by bolting it down under a massive hat. Wide, with a sturdy brim or panama are all the rage this season. While the weather may be wild, your hair will stay tame.

Stormwear … a hat, light parka, umbrella and boots

No eye makeup

Walking to the party in the rain? Lest you want BLACK TEARS running down your cheeks, go with minimal eye makeup. Lipstick should be applied at the party. Go bright red to distract from lack of eye makeup.

Shorts instead of skirts in high wind, go easy on eye makeup

Boots on

Slipping on wet tiles, sliding in mud, getting your shoes stuck in soil – the wrong footwear can ruin your night. Be sensible. Wear boots. And when you can’t get a cab at the end of the night, you’ll be in a good position to walk the two hours home.

This party season rock your sensible shoes

Poncho or parka

Waterproof your clothes by going old school with a bin liner (with arm holes) or pull out your parka. Lightweight is good. Don’t roast in an overcoat – save your sweat for the dancefloor.

Stay dry in an old-school parka