Getting Fancy: Trying on Looks for the Holidays

The season of celebration is back! Dinner dates, holiday parties, family feasts, and New Year toasts—and fancy outfits!

I picked out some fun options (little black dress-alternatives) to try on at home, and thought it would be fun to once again show you some of my favorites…

My first places to look are usually Anthropologie and Boden—but this year I ordered most of my choices from & Other Stories and had a hard time stopping myself. Where do you look first?

The first dress I tried on is a Zebra Velvet Wrap Dress (so much velvet this season!) in a dark jade tone. I don’t always gravitate toward short dresses, but I immediately liked that it had long sleeves—and the wrap seems to overlap enough that there won’t be awkward exposures. It also comes in black.

You could definitely wear this bare-legged, but I paired it with opaque tights and my favorite Court suede heel. (Similar)

Similar styles worth considering: Sequin Mini Wrap Dress / Embellished Sequin Dress /Metallic Mini Wrap Dress / Tiffany Knot Mini Dress

I love plaid during the holidays, but haven’t seen as many ways to wear it in formal occasions. This dress was super comfortable, and I thought it could be dressed up or down for a formal office party or a family get-together. (It also flares out when you spin!)

Also worth considering: Spaghetti Strap Tartan / Ponte Midi Dress / Ruffle Wrap Skirt (perhaps with a pretty silk shirt)

I tried on a few tops that could be worn with a special skirt or pants (and later mixed with jeans), like this lace one and this bow-tied blouse.

Other special tops: Silk Necktie / Sequin CamiVelvet Mesh Wrap Top / Lace Top

The velvet pants are part of this awesome pantsuit (jacket/pants). I felt a little like Annie Hall when I wore it with the necktie blouse!

But I think I’d wear it open for a holiday party, and maybe add a sparkly necklace. You can’t see too well here, but the sash has tassels—which is such a fun touch.

Other fun pantsuits and jumpsuits: Plunging Velvet Jumpsuit / Velvet Longline Blazer / Tie-waste jumpsuit / Miss Selfridge Jumpsuit / Aston Velvet Jumpsuit

This one has a more bohemian, flowy vibe to it, and the rust color isn’t strictly holiday so it could be nice to wear later with sandals. (Pardon the out-of-the-box wrinkles!)

Also worth considering: Double Puff Sleeve Midi Dress / Elix Dress / Camila Floral Dress / Easy Midi Dress

Finally, if I were looking for even dressier, these caught my eye: Metallic Pleated Maxi DressSatin Maxi Dress / Rebecca Velvet Maxi Dress

So: short wrap dress? velvet pantsuit? holiday plaid? or something flowy? Which would you choose to keep?

I feel like every time I look online there’s something new that catches my eye, but I don’t actually have that many times I get dressed up. More parties, please!

P.S. Last year’s fancy roundup. Many of the options there are still available.

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