What to wear to a holiday party

A holiday party asks for a little more than everyday clothes, but rarely for black tie. A reliable approach is one special element, such as velvet, satin, lace or a sharp blazer, with everything else kept simple. Below are outfits for an office party, a holiday dinner and a party that runs late, for women and men.

First, read the invitation

• “Festive” or no dress code: smart clothes with one party detail, such as a velvet dress or a dark blazer over a fine knit.
• “Cocktail”: for women, a dress at or below the knee, or a dressy set; for men, a blazer and tailored trousers. A tie is often optional.
• Straight from work: dress for the office in the morning and change one piece at five o’clock. The top is the easiest piece to swap.

The office party

You will see colleagues the next morning, so keep it polished.

For women, a satin or velvet dress with sleeves works, or a midi dress with a blazer over it. Wear low heels or loafers you can stand in for three hours. The satin tie waist dress has long sleeves and a tie at the waist that gives it shape. The velvet double breasted blazer dress ends at the upper thigh. Its page notes that it also sits over the tie waist wide leg trousers, a pairing that suits the office. For shoes, the square toe patent loafers sit on a 1.2 in (3 cm) heel. See women’s work dresses.

For men, wear a dark blazer over a fine knit mock neck or a crisp shirt, with tailored trousers and polished shoes. The slim mock neck knit is a fine knit that sits close, and its page puts it under a blazer. The unstructured cotton blend blazer, in 75% cotton and 25% polyester, works over it. Add the slim tailored trousers and the leather medallion toe oxfords. More knits are in men’s knitwear.

The holiday dinner

Dinner means sitting for a long time, often in a heated room, so dress for comfort, in a fabric that will not crease badly.

For women, a dress with sleeves in a deep color works well, with a long cardigan or a coat for the trip there. The ruched long sleeve midi dress falls to the lower calf, and good stretch lets the ruching follow you rather than pull. The sheer sleeve turtleneck dress has a turtleneck, sheer balloon sleeves and a draped skirt to the knee. Both are 100% polyester, a fiber that resists creasing.

For men, tuck a fine knit or knit polo in a dark color into pleated trousers. The pleated tapered trousers, whose page pairs them with a knit, take the ribbed knit long sleeve polo well. Our guide on how to style a knit polo has more ideas.

The late party

This is where the special fabric earns its place.

For women, this is the moment for a satin cowl neck dress, a one shoulder gown or a matching velvet set. The satin cowl neck slit maxi dress falls to the floor in a slim column with a high slit. The one shoulder ruched evening dress is a floor length matte jersey with a gold tone pin at the hip. For a set, the velvet cowl neck set pairs a draped top with drawstring trousers. The velvet blazer and flare trouser set matches a fitted double breasted blazer with high waist flares. On the lace lantern sleeve jumpsuit, the lace sleeves dress it up for evenings. Wear one piece of jewelry and let the fabric do the rest. See the evening collection.

For men, an all black outfit of knit, trousers and shoes looks sharp in low light and needs no tie at all. For one special piece, add the velvet blazer, a slim fit with notch lapels. Its page suggests dark trousers for dinner and a fine knit underneath.

Velvet, satin and lace: what to know

Most of our velvet, satin and lace pieces are polyester. Each product page gives the fiber as the supplier states it, or says we are still confirming it, as the satin midi skirt’s page does. Polyester resists creasing, which helps through a long evening.

Care lines differ from piece to piece, so read the one on the product page first. The satin cowl neck slit maxi dress and the lace lantern sleeve jumpsuit, for example, are hand wash cold and must not be tumble dried. If a polyester satin piece needs pressing, iron it on a low setting through a cloth, as our fabric guide advises for polyester. Too much heat can leave a shine or even melt the surface.

A coat over the top

Choose a coat long enough for what you wear under it. For women, the lapel collar longline overcoat hangs straight to below the knee. The double breasted coat sits just above the knee and covers a blazer comfortably. For men, the single breasted overcoat has a little stretch that helps it sit over a jacket. See women’s coats and jackets and men’s coats and jackets.

Order in good time

For US orders, each product page shows when the piece usually arrives; outside the US, checkout shows the delivery time. Check it against the date of your party before you order, and leave a few days spare. For a party in December, order in November if you can.