Best Dressed ideas

Best Dressed categories and awards for your themed dinner

One Best Dressed award leaves most of the room out. A few categories, picked to suit your theme, give more people a reason to dress up and more moments on stage. Here are categories by theme, plus how to run the vote so it stays fair.

How many categories?

For most company dinners, three to five categories works best: enough that several people win, few enough that the reveal stays exciting. A common set is:

  • Best Dressed Male
  • Best Dressed Female
  • Best Couple or Best Group
  • Most Creative Costume
  • Best Dressed Table (everyone at one table dresses to a shared idea)

Categories that suit any theme

  • Best Dressed Male and Female
  • Most Creative Costume
  • Best Couple
  • Best Group or Best Department
  • Most Effort on a Budget (homemade costumes)
  • Best Accessory
  • Most Glamorous
  • Funniest Costume
  • Best Newcomer (staff who joined this year)

Ideas by theme

Retro (70s, 80s, 90s):

  • Best Disco King and Queen
  • Most Authentic Era Look
  • Best Hair
  • Best Dance Move on the Red Carpet

Hollywood or red carpet:

  • Best Movie Character
  • Most Glamorous Star
  • Best Villain
  • Best Couple on the Red Carpet

Traditional or cultural night:

  • Best Traditional Outfit
  • Most Colourful
  • Best Modern Take on a Traditional Outfit
  • Best Family or Department Look

Masquerade:

  • Best Mask
  • Most Mysterious
  • Most Elegant
  • Best Matching Pair

Superheroes and villains:

  • Best Hero
  • Best Villain
  • Best Homemade Costume
  • Best Group of Heroes

Oriental or Chinese New Year:

  • Best Cheongsam
  • Best Mandarin Collar
  • Most Festive Colours
  • Best Couple

How to choose the nominees

Letting the whole room vote for anyone gives you hundreds of names and no clear winner. Use a shortlist:

  • During the cocktail hour, a small team of judges (two or three people from the committee) photographs the best outfits.
  • Pick three to six nominees per category.
  • Put the nominees and their photos in before dinner starts.

Running the vote

  1. Call the nominees of one category to the stage, or show their photos on the big screen.
  2. Open voting for two or three minutes. Guests vote on their phones by scanning a QR code.
  3. Show the live race on the screen while the nominees pose. The room will cheer for their favourites.
  4. Close the vote and reveal the top three with a countdown, third place first.

Keep it fair

  • One vote per person: ask for a staff ID, or give each guest a code, so one table cannot vote fifty times.
  • Decide beforehand whether judges' scores count or only the guests' votes.
  • Keep the results on record, in case anyone asks afterwards.

Prizes for Best Dressed

Winners should get something that feels like an award, not just a voucher:

  • A trophy or sash, plus a voucher
  • A professional photo shoot
  • A spa or salon voucher
  • A shopping voucher at a fashion store

Try it before the night

Set up your categories and nominees in Yaypick and run a test vote with your committee, free with up to 20 people. On the night, the same event also runs your lucky draw and games.

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