Most of us are interested in looking our best, as often as possible – especially when we’re in a position to meet new people or make a big first impression. If you’re hosting a party, you’re going to be in the spotlight, meeting and mingling with nearly everyone as you guide the course of the event; in other words, it’s even more important to look (and feel) your best.
At the same time, there are numerous challenges that stand between you and looking your best when hosting a party. If you have lots of setup and coordination to do, you may not have as much time to invest in your appearance. If you’re busy running around and taking care of little things, your outfit or look could easily fall apart.
Fortunately, there are some strategies that can help you look your best when hosting a party, no matter what.
Chapter Overview
Focus on the Environment First
For starters, consider the fact that most people are probably going to pay attention to the environment of the party at least as much as they pay attention to you, the individual hosting it. After all, you’re not going to be around everyone for the entire duration of the party; they’re going to be looking and moving around this space. If you make your home as attractive as possible, people are going to walk away with a much more profound impression.
If you have a fireplace, decorate the mantle with themed items or centerpieces. If you have centralized pieces of furniture, consider using tablecloths or other decorative items to make them pop. Use other elements of decor to fill what would otherwise be empty space. And definitely make an effort to keep the environment as clean as possible throughout the duration of the event.
Budget Plenty of Time for Preparation
Next, make sure you budget plenty of time for preparation, both for your environment and yourself. In the days leading up to the party, you can make a list of tasks to accomplish and divide that list based on the time it takes to do each task and how far in advance you can do it. Several days out, you can work on things like decluttering and cleaning. The night before, you can finalize your outfit selection and make a plan for your makeup.
If you have a few hours to get ready, personally, before the party starts, you’re going to be far less stressed – and you’ll end up looking and feeling better than you would otherwise.
Get Some Help Before and During the Event
You’ll have more time and less stress getting ready if you have some help before and during the event. If you’re hosting with other people, or if your family members are around, recruit them to the cause and assign them various responsibilities, such as portioning food or even taking people’s coats when they come in. You can also invite a couple of your closest friends to the party a bit early, so they can help you with setup and preparation. They’ll probably be glad to help.
Avoid Overdressing
In most contexts, if there’s any ambiguity or doubt about the dress code, it’s better to be overdressed than underdressed. Being overdressed means you’re much less likely to feel embarrassed – and you’ll be much less likely to be perceived as rule breaking.
But in the context of hosting a party at your home, you should feel comfortable erring on the side of underdressing. This is your party and your space, so you’re not going to disappoint anyone. Instead, your underdressing might help other people feel more relaxed, confident, and comfortable in your space. Definitely wear whatever you feel is most comfortable and appropriate, but understand that you don’t need to push the formality too high.
Keep It Simple and Mobile
In most cases, it pays to keep your outfit as simple and mobile as possible. As a host, you’re not going to have many opportunities to spend time fixing your hair or adjusting your outfit. Additionally, you’ll likely be moving around most of the time, so don’t bother wearing uncomfortable high heels.
Be Warm and Convivial
It’s debatable just how much human beings focus on looks, but we can reasonably ascertain that being a warm and convivial host is more important than looking your physical best when hosting a party. Accordingly, one of the most reliable ways to look your best when hosting is to simply greet people with warmth, energy, and enthusiasm.
Hosting a party is stressful, especially if you want to look and seem your best throughout the duration of the event. But with these strategies, you should be able to perfectly sculpt your appearance, with plenty of time and energy to spare.