Office Christmas and holiday parties have gotten a bad reputation. Some employees like them as an opportunity to get together with fellow employees and celebrate, while many others see them as time-consuming, awkward, or even stressful.
One big downside is deciding what to wear. No one wants to spend time figuring out what to wear and wondering how formally or casually they should dress.
Why not make clothing choices easy and fun for employees attending your holiday party? Instead of a night where people compare outfits, what if it became a celebration of culture that literally everyone could wear?
One simple idea is to provide a curated choice of clothing; customizable company swag that folks can make their own and wear to the gathering.
The holiday party doesn’t need to disappear. It just needs to evolve.
Celebrate the holidays with personalized selections of clothing.
By shifting the focus from appearances to shared experiences, companies can create events that people look forward to instead of dreading. A curated, automated approach to something as simple as selecting shirt and clothing choices can transform the mood, the message, and the meaning of the celebration.
Clothing is one of the most visible ways people express identity. At work, shared apparel reinforce the sense that “we’re all in this together.” But not all company clothing lands the right way. A one-size-fits-all t-shirt dropped on someone’s desk can feel like an afterthought rather than a meaningful gesture.
That’s where choice comes in. Imagine a simple, curated selection of shirts made available to every employee before the party. Styles, colors, and fits that match different preferences. Personalization options might be offered that include a name, a role, or a fun message, so that no two items feel exactly the same. Everyone makes their choice online in a few quick clicks, and the items are produced to order and shipped.
Now everyone can show up at the party with confidence. There are no worries about who is wearing the nicest clothes, because everyone is dressed in a similar fashion, but in a way that still feels individual.
The party becomes more relaxed, more inclusive, and more focused on shared experiences than appearances. After the event, the shirts live on as a visible reminder of the event and the time of year.
Choice has a big impact in making recognition and incentives memorable. People feel valued when they can select something that reflects their personality or needs. Offering a selection from a curated list of wearable choices ensures that no one has to sift through endless catalogs of styles and also avoids gifts that don’t fit recipient’s style.
Personalization adds an extra layer of significance. A shirt with your name on it feels different from one that’s just mass produced and handed out in bulk. Personalized recognition that allows a choice and a selection of color becomes more than just another piece of swag.
Of course, offering choice and personalization at scale doesn’t happen by accident. Ask any office manager who’s tried to collect shirt sizes manually. It’s usually a logistical nightmare with spreadsheet after spreadsheet, lost emails, mismatched orders that makes what should be a simple idea feel impossible.
This is where incentive automation changes the game. Instead of manual processes and chasing details, sending reminders, and investing hours and hours of time, organizations can:
Set up a curated catalog with a few approved selections.
Allow employees to make their own choices online.
Capture sizes, colors, and personalization in a streamlined system. Remote employees add their address.
Send reminders of impending deadlines.
Automate fulfillment so items are delivered directly or ready for the event.
Plan early so holiday parties go off without a hitch.
No manual tracking, and no last-minute stress. Incentive automation creates a smooth process that is simple for organizers and effortless for employees.
Employees may not see the value in attending holiday parties, especially if they don’t enjoy the planned activities or don’t feel they’ll benefit from the experience.
Make sure that employees know that opting out of a holiday party is OK, even though they will be missed.
Who knows?
Maybe the new shirt or sweater will get them to change their mind.
The real beauty of wearable culture is that it lasts longer than a single night. Employees will wear their shirts again, at home, out with friends, or even in the office. The visible reminder keeps the sense of connection alive well past the holidays. Every time they pull it on, they’re reminded that they belong to something bigger.
The level of choice and customization that incentive automation offers extends far beyond holiday parties. The same ideas that make party shirts possible can also handle holiday gifts, milestone rewards, onboarding kits, partner and loyalty rewards or any other recognition program. Automation turns what used to be messy and time-consuming into something scalable, consistent, and enjoyable.
A few examples:
Imagine every new hire being welcomed with a curated apparel choice that matches their style, turning day one into a moment of pride.
Instead of a plaque, employees pick from branded jackets or hoodies that celebrate their years of contribution.
Launching a new product? Completing a tough project? Commemorative gear turns achievement into something tangible.
Motivate and reward channel partners, distributors, and dealers for achieving sales or performance goals.
Each of these moments reinforces culture in a way that feels personal, not generic.
The holiday party doesn’t need to disappear. It just needs to evolve. By shifting the focus from appearances to shared experiences, companies can create events that people look forward to instead of dread. A curated, automated approach to something as simple as a shirt can transform the mood, the message, and the meaning of the celebration.
Incentive automation isn’t only about efficiency—it’s about enabling creativity and connection. It frees leaders from logistics so they can focus on designing experiences that reflect company culture in authentic, memorable ways.
When culture is something people can see, wear, and personalize, it stops being abstract. It becomes part of daily life. And that’s what turns an ordinary office party and any recognition moment into a memory employees will actually carry with them.
Try it! Send sample incentives to yourself or colleagues in minutes. No credit card is required to design and send stunning samples to yourself to see how simple incentive automation can be.
A design session is the perfect way to show you how TruCentive can help you realize your rewards, gifts, or payout goals in a real-world scenario, building a complete project with everything from your logo, design options, and messaging to incentive selection, deliveries, and reminders.
When we’re done, you’ll:
If you’re ready to start designing on your own, sign up and start sending samples. There’s no credit card required to start exploring your creative side!
Use powerful features to quickly create professional-looking incentive deliveries
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