Christmas outfits for an Australian summer

Christmas Day, the work party and New Year's Eve, dressed for the heat in this summer's colours.

An Australian Christmas happens in summer, which rules out most of what the word "festive" suggests. Tourism Australia gives Sydney's summer average as 18.6–25.8 °C with humidity up to 65%, December averages 74 mm of rain, and lunch is often outside. So the December wardrobe is a summer wardrobe with a little more occasion: fabrics that breathe, one festive colour or one shine piece, and a bag that can take sunscreen and a swim. Here is what to wear to the three big nights, in the trends this summer is built on.

This summer's festive palette

Australian Fashion Week's Resort 27 shows, the collections for this summer, did half the work for Christmas: berry reds (wine, cherry, raspberry and purple) softened with coral, pale pink and ballet pink, and high shine, from liquid sequins to iridescent fabrics in jewel tones and ice blue. Berry is Christmas red without the tinsel. Shine is the party. RUSSH's advice for wearing sequins carries straight into December: put them with plain basics, a white tank or relaxed denim, so they look worn rather than costumed.

Christmas Day

Dress for lunch outside and a swim after. A loose linen or cotton dress, or a linen shirt and trousers, in white or one berry shade; flat sandals; a hat. The bag carries the sunscreen, a small present and your togs, so it is the 35cm tote: the magenta (a saturated pink-purple PVC) or the translucent purple in TPU brings the berry; the light pink is a pale, ballet pink for a softer table. It wipes clean after the pavlova, and it goes to the beach on Boxing Day without a second thought; the beach case is on beach bags in Australia.

The work Christmas party

Wear your work clothes and add one shine piece. Tailored trousers or a midi skirt with a sequin top, or a satin camisole under the blazer you wore all day, takes you from the office to the bar. Keep the rest plain. A shoulder bag leaves a hand free for a drink, so this is the East West: the black in TPU if the office is formal, the ice (frosted, with a soft blue tint) if the outfit already shines, or the purple if it doesn't. A plush animal charm on the handle is the one joke a work party allows.

New Year's Eve

In Sydney the harbour fireworks are at 9pm and midnight, so NYE is a long night outdoors before it is a party. Wear shoes you can stand in for hours, bring a light layer for after dark, and put the shine on top: a sheer shirt over a slip, a sequin skirt with a plain tee, or anything in ice blue or silver. The crystal 35cm tote is the most see-through bag we make and catches the light like the rest of the outfit; the white East West is the clean option. Harbour vantage points set their own entry times and rules, so check the official viewing guide before you pack.

If it's a present

A jelly bag is an easy present to get right: there is no size to guess, and jelly is one of the year's trends. The 35cm tote is A$150 in TPU or A$95 in PVC, and the East West is A$120 in TPU or A$75 in PVC; a plush animal charm is A$15, or A$10 for one added to an order with a bag. Those are our Australian prices. Australian orders ship free from our stock in Sydney by Australia Post, dispatched the next business day, and take 1–3 business days door to door. Order by early December to be safe. More ideas by budget are in the gift guide, and the charms are on bag charms in Australia.

For the rest of the season, the trends behind these outfits are in summer outfits, Australia.

Questions

What do you wear for Christmas Day in Australia?

Something you could also wear to the beach that afternoon: a loose linen or cotton dress, or a linen set, flat sandals and a hat, because Christmas lunch is usually outside and it is summer. For a festive note without red and green, this season's berry shades and ballet pink do the job, and a bag that wipes clean survives the lunch, the sunscreen and the swim.

What should I wear to a work Christmas party in summer?

Your work clothes plus one shine piece. Tailored trousers or a midi skirt with a sequin top or a satin camisole goes from desk to bar; keep everything else plain so the shine looks easy. A shoulder bag keeps a hand free for a drink.

What should I wear on New Year's Eve in Sydney?

Plan for a long night outdoors: the harbour fireworks are at 9pm and midnight. Shoes you can stand in, a light layer for after dark, and a little shine. Vantage points have their own entry times and rules, so check the official viewing guide before you pack a bag.

When should I order a jelly bag to arrive before Christmas?

Australian orders ship free from our stock in Sydney by Australia Post, dispatched the next business day, and take 1–3 business days door to door. Order by early December to be safe.