Two-Thirds Of Women Stress Over One Part Of Holiday Parties

Moms.com

By Joanna Mazewski

Published Dec 13, 2018

They don’t want to buy an outfit, pose for photos with their peers and see any of those photos on Facebook or their social media accounts.

Credit: iStock / evgenyatamanenko

The holidays are usually meant to be a time to spread joy and good will and spend time with your loved ones, including dear friends and family. After all, it is often called the happiest and most festive season of the year for a good reason. Yet, there’s a new survey that suggests getting together with your friends during holiday parties is a very stressful occasion for a lot of women. Here’s why.

According to a survey conducted by the Finery State of Women’s Closets, a lot of women would rather sit at home, watch their favorite Hallmark movie on television and sip on their favorite peppermint mocha latte than go to a holiday party with their co-workers or their friends. The reason? They don’t want to buy an outfit, pose for photos with their peers and see any of those photos on Facebook or their social media accounts.

Finery asked more than 1,000 women about the outfits that they pick before gatherings. About 67 percent said that they often buy new outfits for different holiday events and occasions. The reason might be simple: they perhaps don’t want to be photographed wearing the same outfit on social media or are simply uncomfortable having their photos taken and posted on social media.

Another 61 percent said that they can’t find anything to wear in their closets (which is something many women can attest to), while another 96 percent said they spend at least one hour getting prepped and dressed for their occasion. Either way, this brings on too much unnecessary stress, as many women think they have to look “perfect” in order to feel good about themselves.

Yet, not everyone agrees with the study. According to Inc.com, Cathy Huyghe, Inc.com columnist and founder of Atlanta-based wine data startup Enolytics, doesn’t think that women are really agonizing about the holidays as much as a few have admitted to. She said, "Sure, some of my days are more formal, requiring business attire, but just as many days can be more casual, with calls via Skype or webinars or even visits to wineries and vineyards. In both cases, those clothing options can be predetermined, in the sense of knowing what to expect and so minimizing time-consuming decision making."

Of course, not every holiday function has to be a super formal one. Many companies are hosting informal get togethers at restaurants and bars instead of organizing festive black tie parties, which is helping to alleviate the holiday stress a little more every year.