By now, you should have booked in with your barber. There should be more than a few bottles chilling in the office fridge. And Nathan, your department’s ‘executive fun officer’, will no doubt be making some worrying noises about this Tiki-themed karaoke bar he knows. More importantly, since party season is well and truly upon us, you should have an idea about what you’ll be wearing to the various events and corporate-sponsored binge drinking sessions between now and the new year. Because as well as champagne and awkward small-talk, ’tis the season of confusing dress codes. Luckily, the folks at historic British outfitter Marks & Spencer have all the tools you need to make sure your festive party look hits the sartorial sweet spot, without putting your head in a spin before the free drinks are served. Whether you’re going full David Gandy (the brand’s first Ambassador of Tailoring) with the help of its new suit style guide or keeping it casual with its excellent Autograph range, here are four go-to outfits that’ll help you see out any soirée in style.

The Black Tie Formal

More regularly seen on the red carpet, a black tie event not only calls for best behaviour (at least while the boss is looking), it also requires top-flight finery. The dress code itself is relatively straightforward, but there are still legions of men who trip up on the fundamentals. The safest move is to keep things classic with a black dinner jacket, but for standout eveningwear swag, switch to midnight blue. The shade is still formal (on account of looking darker under artificial light) but won’t camouflage you in a sea of penguin suits. Topped off with matching trousers, a crisp formal shirt, bow tie and freshly polished dress shoes, you’ll only be a Vesper Martini and Aston Martin away from saving the world.