Tis the season to be busy... Women begin 49 hours of Christmas party preparations from today, research claims It's the one night of the year where workers get a chance to really let their inner party animal loose in front of their colleagues - and most will want to look their best. Work Christmas party season is nearly upon us and, apparently, today is the day that women start a phenomenal 49 hours of planning for their festive look. That includes 21 hours browsing the net and trawling shops for the perfect little black dress, according to a poll of 1,500 British adults. Time to let loose: Work Christmas party season is nearly upon us and, apparently, today is the day that women start a phenomenal 49 hours of planning for their festive look, according to research by BlanX The whole operation begins today, exactly three weeks before the start of the December party season - with most office Christmas parties in the UK being staged between December 2 - 18 - according to research by BlanX. And at stake is not just the outfit for the annual office do or festive night out with friends. Minds are also said to be occupied with make-up, shape-up routines, shopping trips, hair and finances. The research shows that each British woman will spend an average of 49 hours planning the tiniest detail of their Christmas and how they will look. Twenty-one of those hours are spent shopping for the perfect outfit - that gorgeous Little Black Dress is the most popular choice - either in the High Street or browsing online, or both. A further 18 hours will be spent toning and burning fat in the gym. And getting that perfect hairstyle to look their best throughout Christmas will takes an average of six hours with a further four hours dedicated to 'preening'. According to the research by tooth-whitening specialists BlanX that includes make-up, fake tan and, of course, making sure their teeth are whiter than white. Shaping up: The research found that women will spend an average of 18 hours in the gym ahead of the party According to the research British women will spend an average of 49 hours on: 21 hours shopping for the perfect Christmas outfit, either browsing online or on the high street; 18 hours at the gym in preparation for the Christmas party night out; six hours perfecting their hairstyle for the Christmas party night out; four hours applying make up, fake tan and teeth whitening for the Christmas party night out. The research shows women will spend more time preparing for the annual Christmas party season than any other event in the year - including a friend's wedding, New Year's Eve, birthday parties or even a hot date. BlanX spokesman Ashleigh Fell said: 'Christmas is the party season as far as the majority of Britain's women are concerned. They devote more time to getting themselves ready for it than any other single event in the annual calendar. It is their one chance in the year to really shine and they are determined to make the most of it. Of course, having fun takes lots of preparation but UK girls are happy to devote hours to it so they can look their best and, ultimately, feel their best. We have identified, through our research the day when most British women will start preparing for their big Christmas - and that day is November 11. National Little Black Dress Day.