Holiday Party Outfits: Velvet, Printed Cloaks and Ugly-Sweater Alternatives for December

The coat pile on the guest bed tells the story of a December party before anyone says hello. Charcoal wool. A black puffer. Another black puffer. And across the top of the heap, one long hooded cloak printed with cats lounging between ringed planets, its faux-fur lining turned up like an invitation.

By midnight, three strangers have asked whose it is.

December stacks its parties close: the office party, the ugly-sweater party where the loudest knit wins, Friendsmas on a friend's couch, a warehouse holiday rave, and New Year's Eve to close the year. Each asks for a different outfit, and one statement piece can walk into all five.

We're Magus and Lylyth Fawn, Los Angeles artists who wear our own prints all December, and this is our party-by-party guide to holiday party outfits: printed velvet for the warm rooms, a faux-fur-lined cloak for the walk in and another for the couch, and the order dates that get it all to your door in time.

What should you wear to a holiday party?

Wear one statement piece that carries the whole look, then tune the rest to the room. Magus Fawn's December formula is printed crushed velvet for the warm indoors and a faux-fur-lined festival cloak for the cold walk between car, door and coat pile.

Our pick for the season is a cloak: outerwear in the office lobby, a costume at the sweater party, a couch blanket at Friendsmas and a queue-warmer outside the warehouse.

The cloak that steals the coat pile. The Cosmic Space Cats women's festival cloak ($250) is a night sky crowded with cats: glowing tabbies and wide-eyed kittens tumble between ringed planets and bright moons in violet, cobalt and electric blue, with wisps of tangerine and rose nebula curling between them. It has all the cozy kitsch of a holiday sweater, painted as a galaxy (Space Cats' story: The Cat Comet).

On the back, one large cat sits upright at the center, traced in light, keeping watch over the rest. The build matches every Magus Fawn cloak: a micro-mink poly outer and an ultra-soft microfiber fleece lining in black or white faux fur (listed at 200 g/m²), a double front zipper, heavy drawstrings and four pockets, two interior stash pockets (one zippered) and two deep side pockets. Unisex fit, XS–5XL.

A cloak is the biggest purchase on this list and the one that works hardest: five parties this month, every cold walk after. Our cloak buyer's guide goes deeper on fit and warmth.

What do you wear to an office holiday party?

Dress a step above your everyday work look and let a single print carry the festive part. A collared crushed velvet polo or a dark printed dress reads polished, and the cloak from the top of this guide handles the commute and the lobby. Magus Fawn keeps office-party art symmetrical and dark-grounded, so it looks intentional, never loud.

The collar for the conference room. The Galactic Alien Oracle crushed velvet polo shirt ($65) washes lavender, violet and silvery white across crushed velvet, and on the back a symmetrical alien face with dark eyes looks out from between the shoulder blades, wrapped in fine filigree and flecks of starlight. Turn toward the buffet and the oracle greets the room. It's listed as collared with short sleeves, in 95/5 crushed velvet at 240 g/m², regular fit, S–5XL.

What can you wear instead of an ugly Christmas sweater?

Wear a printed crushed velvet hoodie. It keeps the spirit of the ugly-sweater party, loud art nobody can ignore, and trades the scratchy knit for soft velvet you'll reach for all winter. Magus Fawn's sweater-party pick is a hoodie with a dragon on it, because nothing outshines tinsel quite like a beast with horns.

The ugly-sweater party has a short, joyful history. According to CBC News, two university students, Jordan Birch and Chris Boyd, threw the first one at a friend's house in Coquitlam, British Columbia, in 2002, and by its fifth year it had moved to Vancouver's Commodore Ballroom. Two decades on, CBC reports, the parties run from San Francisco to Sydney.

The sweater-party dragon. The Electric Dragonscape crushed velvet pullover hoodie ($100) runs a dragon's head down the chest, bristling with silver horns and frost-blue scales, its swept wings fanning across the shoulders in cobalt, sky blue and violet, with a glowing blue jewel at the belly. Reindeer pull a sleigh; this one could pull the whole party. It's 95% poly, 5% spandex crushed velvet at 240 g/m², with a drawstring hood, long sleeves and a kangaroo pocket, regular fit in S–2XL (the design's river story: Let Her Have the Tube).

Still want the trophy? Wind a strand of tinsel around the hood. The judges love a dragon in garland.

What do you wear to a Friendsmas party?

Wear something soft enough for the couch and bold enough for the group photo. Friendsmas is the holiday party for the people you chose, so comfort leads: velvet, joggers and a big hooded layer. Magus Fawn's Friendsmas move is the host's own cloak, worn open like a robe, with the Space Cats cloak on hand for whoever gets cold next.

Dinner stretches into a card game, someone puts on a record, and the cloak ends up draped over two people on the couch while a third borrows its side pocket for the dice.

The cloak for the record-player corner. The Crystal Shroom Kingdom men's cloak ($250) turns its back into a stained-glass forest: a teal crystal spire glows at the center inside gold arches, violet and teal mushroom caps branch out from it on slender stems, and small round lanterns hang in the fine gold linework, all on black. Pull it on at the door and keep it on through dinner, the card game and the ride home. It shares the Space Cats cloak's faux-fur-lined, four-pocket build, unisex in XS–5XL, and worn open over velvet it's as relaxed as a robe.

The gift swap is the other half of the night. Our gift guides cover it: festival gifts for him, festival gifts for her, and cozy gifts for someone who's always cold, which starts its warmth ladder with a hooded blanket.

The warehouse holiday rave: black, silver and a cloak for the queue

December's warehouse parties run on techno's dress code, mostly black with one piece of art allowed to glow. The line outside is the coldest part of the night, so wear a cloak over a lighter look.

Our techno party guide covers the black-clothing code in depth, and our Christmas story The Secret Santa in the Crane Cab is set at exactly this kind of party.

The cloak for the door queue. The Psy Trance women's festival cloak ($250) pours marbled ribbons of violet, lilac, lime, gold, rose and teal from hood to hem, the colors folding into one another like paint swirled with a brush handle. In a room full of black it's the one splash of color, zipped over everything until you're inside. It's built like the Space Cats cloak: faux-fur-lined fleece, a double zipper, four pockets, unisex XS–5XL (its camp love story: Dawn Dishes).

The legs for a concrete floor. The Mystic Eye joggers ($100; $105 in 2XL, $108 in 3XL) stay in black and silver: a Flower of Life lattice spreads across the hips, and ribbons of silver knotwork curl down each leg, fading to ash grey at the cuffs. Techno's palette, with brushed vegan fleece inside. They're 308 g/m² (96% recycled poly, 4% elastane) with a cotton-feel face, cuffed legs, side pockets and an elastic drawstring waist. Slim fit, XS–3XL; the listing suggests 1–2 sizes up for a looser fit.

The dress under the cloak. The Mystical Egypt women's lace cami dress ($65) sets a black lace bodice above a short dress where a column of glowing circles climbs the front from red near the hem through orange, gold, green and blue to violet at the neckline, inside gold sacred-geometry rings and knotwork on black. Under the cloak it's a secret; on the floor it's the one thing glowing. It's backless with crisscross back straps and spaghetti straps, 95/5 jersey at 180 g/m², regular fit in S–4XL.

New Year's Eve: the last party of the year

The season's finale has its own guide. Our New Year's Eve rave outfits compares the big countdowns in San Bernardino, Dallas and Denver. Short version: the cloak you wore all December goes to midnight too.

Order dates for every party on your December calendar

Each piece starts life when you order it: 7–11 business days in the workroom, then 6–14 on the road. Taking the outer edge of both windows, and skipping weekends, Thanksgiving, the day after it and Christmas Day, here's when to order for a US address:

If a row's date has slipped past, step down to the next one: the same piece still has plenty of December nights ahead of it.

• Size for the layers you'll party in. Cloaks and hoodies are worth taking bigger; our FAQ says "sometimes even 2 sizes up to fit extra layers under."
• One size choice, made together. Every order is cut and printed for its owner, which is why sales are final. Send your measurements to art@magusfawn.com and we'll talk sizes with you, usually within 1–2 business days.
• Shipping is on us from $70. A US basket at $70 or above travels free; below that, shipping is $8.

Fill every December invitation: women's cloaks · men's cloaks · crushed velvet · joggers · dresses

Five parties, one cloak, and a coat pile that finally has something to say. Happy holidays from our studio to your dance floor.

Frequently asked questions

When did ugly Christmas sweater parties start?

The modern ugly Christmas sweater party started in 2002, when university students Jordan Birch and Chris Boyd threw a themed party at a friend's house in Coquitlam, British Columbia, CBC News reports. By its fifth year the party had moved to Vancouver's Commodore Ballroom, and the idea has since spread from San Francisco to Sydney.

What colors should you wear to a Christmas party?

Red, green, gold and silver are the classic Christmas party colors, and any one of them reads festive without a theme. Winter blues and violets work beautifully too, especially in crushed velvet, which catches party lights. Magus Fawn's favorite approach is one rich color story carried by a single printed piece, never every color at once.

Can men wear velvet to a Christmas party?

Yes. A crushed velvet polo or pullover hoodie is one of the easiest festive looks for men: the fabric's crushed texture catches the lights, so the outfit feels dressed up with no tie required. Magus Fawn's Galactic Alien Oracle velvet polo runs S–5XL, and our crushed velvet pullover hoodies run S–2XL, both at 240 g/m².

Written by Magus & Lylyth Fawn, the Los Angeles artists behind Magus Fawn. Magus makes VR and digital visionary art and produces Psy EDM. Lylyth makes fractal digital art and runs design and customer care. We've been selling wearable art since 2020 on Etsy (4.7★ from 144 reviews as of October 2026) and here at magusfawn.com. Come say hi on Instagram @magusfawn.