Is there anything better for the holidays than getting together with your squad, cozying up and enjoying delicious food? We think, “no”. So we celebrated Friendsmas early with a few of our favorite influencers to kick off the holiday season! Teaming up with Klarna, our Buy Now. Pay Later. program that helps you get all your holiday looks without breaking the bank, we hosted a super chill event. Check out this backstage pass into our rue21 X Klarna Friendsmas in NYC and get tips on how to host Friendsmas with your own crew!
Get Cozy
Let’s slip into something more comfortable. Our guests checked out racks of the season’s best cozy clothes and accessories to get comfy for a day of making memories and yummy food. Our PJ pants, sweaters, beanies and other cold-weather staples had them lookin’ fierce and fuzzy. S’cute 😘
Here for the Food
The best parties are stacked with snacks (obvi). For this breakfast get-together, we served up mimosas, yogurt parfaits, pancakes and lots of other tasty treats. We can’t think of a better way to start your morning—breakfast is the most important meal of the day, of course 😉
Cookie Decorating
Speaking of snacks, every Christmas celebration needs a sweet treat. We set up a super cute cookie decorating table that our influencers and friends totally loved. This basically describes our holiday spirit, in a totally delicious way. What a great new tradition for us (& you!) to try. The cookies looked almost too pretty to eat… almost 😋
Photo Op
After making their sweet creations, it was time to pose! Our crew had a blast getting in front of our festive Friendsmas photo wall to snap some sweet memories. It’s always a great idea to score some cute photos to look back on and remember such a festive day!
Gifting
Last but not least—the gifts. No friendsmas is complete without ‘em, so we set up a gifting station for our influencers to choose from and handed out extra-special prezzies to take home.
Don’t forget to check out everyone on the guest list on Instagram!
Hosting Your Own Friendsmas
Now that you’ve gotten a taste for how we throw a friendsmas party, it’s time to discuss how to host your own!
Snacks on Snacks
Find out what seasonal goodies your friends love and create a delicious spread on your own, or if you’re into planning more than cooking, organize a potluck! You can go all out with a Christmas dinner to feast on, shamelessly snag our brunch theme (do it, everyone loves brunch) or keep it simple with chips, dip and cookies. Tie in the Friendsmas theme by choosing festive napkins, plates, tablecloths or just covering your room in holiday streamers.
Matching Outfits
via @allisoncalvs 
via @kyleekrashlanding 
via @jumpyjustine 
via @kelly_elizabethxo 
via @paytonallenreed
Dress to impress. Pick a theme for your party like PJs and Pancakes, Ugly Sweater Contest, Dressed in our Holiday Best or whatever fits your crew’s vibe. Get decked out in comfy sleep pants and slippers, over-the-top sweaters and crazy printed leggings or these regram-worthy shimmery holiday dresses and heels! Strut your stuff, girl!
Activities
Aka—the stuff that really makes Friendsmas. Throw on your favorite holiday movie (or marathon all the best ones) and make room for so many activities. Break out the party games, decorate cookies (highly recommended), sing karaoke or whatever your crew loves to do together. You can start new traditions as a group or bring in some of your individual holiday memories to grow closer together.
Gift Bags
Plan for everyone to go home with a present! Set up a secret Santa gift exchange, make up a modern twist on a classic white elephant or put together goodie bags of stocking stuffers for all your besties. ‘Tis the season of giving!
Show your squad how much you love them and host the perfect Friendsmas this year! If you’re looking to go a little HAM with the outfits and presents, or just need to finish checking everyone’s wants off your gift list, make sure you choose the Buy Now. Pay Later. option when you check out at rue21.com. We’ve got lots of ways to shop, but this is our personal fave.
Share how your crew does the holidays in rue outfits on Instagram with #YOUinrue and @rue21! Happy Holidays! ☃️❄️🎄🎁
