Go with the (lateral) flow: how Covid has changed the work Christmas party

Suppressed partygoers prepare to ramp up the glamour, offset by an emphasis upon Covid-compliant celebrations

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For anyone who dreads the thought of the work Christmas party, it will come as welcome news: this year's office party vibe is intimate, more lavish, with no dancing - and it might not even be in December at all.

But early indications are that despite - or maybe because of - almost two years working from home in elasticated waistbands and slippers, suppressed partygoers are preparing to ramp up the glamour: Very.co.uk has had a 937% increase in online searches for party dresses since last year, a 637% increase in scouting for sequinned dresses and a 212% increase in the perennial hunt for the perfect LBD (little black dress).