Between friendsgiving, the club holiday party, winter formal and New Year's Eve, December fills up fast. You do not need a different outfit for every event. You need two or three pieces that feel special and a few ways to style them.
This season, the dressy mood is velvet, sparkle you can rewear, and rich colors like burgundy and black. Here is how to wear it, whether the dress code is "festive" or "formal."
What is in for holiday this year
- Velvet over single-use sequins. A holiday party dressing report from TRY found velvet, metallics and jewel tones edging out one-night sequin dresses, with sequin separates taking their place.
- Sparkly minis. Cosmopolitan reported sparkly minis across the fall runways.
- Burgundy and black. Vogue's fall color report called burgundy the ultimate cold-weather classic.
- Leopard as a neutral. Her Campus said leopard is now a neutral, which makes it easy to dress up.
For the holiday party
Formula 1: Velvet mini + tights + pearls
The Velvet Puff Sleeve Mini Dress in black does most of the work on its own. Add sheer burgundy tights and a statement necklace like the Three Strand Faux Pearl Necklace, and you are ready for anything from a dorm party to a dinner out.
Formula 2: The sparkle set
Matching sets are easy because the outfit is already decided. The Sparkle Ruched Long Sleeve Top and Mini Skirt Set in silver gives you the sequin-separates look, and you can split it later: the top with jeans, the skirt with a black knit.
Formula 3: Glitter knit, softer shine
If full sparkle is too much, the Halter Crop Top and Ruched Mini Skirt Set in olive glitter knit has a subtler shimmer. Layer a cardigan or blazer over it for early evening and lose it once the party warms up.
Formula 4: Fancy top + jeans
A fitted black knit with dark jeans, heels or boots and bold earrings is the outfit for the nights you are not sure how dressy it will be. The Brushed Knit Mock Neck Sweater is soft, fitted and easy to dress up with jewelry.
For winter formal
School formals usually call for something a step up from a party outfit. Check your school's dress code first, since some set rules on length or coverage.
Formula 5: The leopard midi
The Leopard Print Wrap Midi Dress has long sleeves and a midi length, which helps at formals with length rules. Pair it with gold jewelry and heeled boots, or with simple black heels.
Formula 6: Velvet, dressed up
Take the velvet mini from Formula 1 and swap tights for sheer black, add a pearl or rhinestone piece and carry a small clutch. Velvet photographs well under low light, which helps when every photo is taken in a dark gym.
Formula 7: Tights as the color
Wearing black? Let your tights be the color. Colored Sheer Tights come in burgundy, purple, cobalt and more. Elle called this fall a colored tights renaissance, and a jewel-tone leg makes a simple black dress look current.
For the guys
Most holiday parties do not need a suit. A knit layer over a collared shirt or tee with dark jeans works for almost every invite.
- Holiday dinner: knit quarter-zip + collared shirt + dark jeans + clean leather sneakers or boots. The Men's Knit Quarter Zip Sweater in black or charcoal works here.
- Party: fitted black knit or henley + black jeans + a jacket you can leave on the coat pile.
- Formal: follow the dress code. If it says semi-formal, a dark sweater over a button-up with trousers is a safe upgrade.
Plan ahead
- Order early. Our orders ship from US warehouses and usually arrive in about 3 to 11 business days, so give yourself time to try things on before the event.
- Try it on at home first. Returns are accepted within 30 days on unworn items, so keep the tags on until you are sure.
- Buy one piece you will rewear. A velvet dress or a sparkle top you can pair with jeans will get more than one night out.