Ladies - Time to Trot Out the New Pony

The biggest topic of conversation among the single women in offices today may just be the company holiday party. This isn't because the company holiday party is going to be any great shakes - we all know what company parties are like. However, it is a chance to dress up, and even more, it's a chance to integrate your work life with your personal life by introducing that special man to your career colleagues.

Now, you ladies who are looking at skimpy dresses and spiky heels and a big chance at the open bar for four straight hours need not read further. The fact is that it really doesn't matter who you bring to your company party and what he looks like: just keep picking up your hourly check and watching the clock. You're not the kind of girl that gets promoted, so go ahead and kick up your heels and let off some steam. Get drunk, even.

No one expects anything more of you.

This article is for those of you who have a career plan and hope to use this social opportunity to advance your job path - by playing it smart and showing management that pulling you up to their level is going to benefit them and the company.

The tone of your holiday party outfit should be sleek and sophisticated. Your cleavage and your hemline should be modest - let the festivity come from the quality of the material and construction, not from glimpses of your birthday suit's finest moments. The outfit should not be overly loud or tight.

Think Audrey Hepburn, not Britney Spears.

If you aren't certain how formal the event is, ask around. It's probably best to ask someone who has impeccable office style; I would say that if someone is getting it wrong at the office, she'll probably get it waaaaay wrong at the holiday party.

You can take a cue from the dress code in your office. If most days you wear suits, find a simple, pretty suit and wear it with a dressy top and great earrings. The little black dress - provided it's not too little - is always a great alternative, and a good quality LBD will be an investment that lasts you for years. An elegant shirt or sweater with well-tailored pants or a great skirt will also be a hit.

One aside on the sweater: say 'no' to the holiday sweater. People shouldn't wear snowmen or candy canes or Santas on their clothing once they've graduated from toddlerhood.

You look great - professional, smart, and ready to accept any challenge. Now it's time to concentrate on what will take you slightly longer: getting your man up to snuff.

Everyone wants a date for the company party. However, this is probably not the time to have a date night with the guy you got drunk with at the club the other night. If you don't have a reasonably good idea of how he behaves in public, do not bring him to a work function. This could be your last date with him, but your colleagues will remember it forever.

In addition, this is not the time to leave a man to his own devices. Tell him what to wear. Tell him what to wear. One more time: tell him what to wear.

For your company holiday party, your boss may decide to wear a silk shirt unbuttoned to his navel with jeans embroidered with daisies. It doesn't matter. He's the boss, and if he wants to exhibit all kinds of bad taste, that's his poor choice.

Your date - whether he is your husband, your partner, your boyfriend, or just a good friend who is serving as your chummy eye candy for the evening - should wear a suit. A classic two-button or three-button suit, made of excellent dark fabric, and sewn with vent construction is what every man needs. If your man doesn't have one, make it his holiday gift. A four-button suit will make him look like a member of OK Go or a member or the ESPN football panel, and people will remember him - just not in a good way.

For the most formal of parties, a classic white shirt with French cuffs is de rigueur. A colored shirt will work well for less formal - or even casual - parties. A dark-colored tie with a sophisticated, understated pattern and well-polished dark shoes will look classy and timeless.

A pair of holiday cufflinks will give this ensemble a bit of personality as well as polish. There are number of holiday styles available for those men who will want to stay true to the spirit of the event, but a pair of enamel cufflinks will add a splash of stylish color and still be perfect for other times of the year. Even a set of French knots - classic silk cords available in a variety of color choices - will add a great finishing touch.

Go forth in style. And don't drink too much.