Holiday party dress ideas coming your way!

For all the years I’ve been writing this blog, the topics I choose always relate directly to my life. Things I’m loving, things I’m learning, things I’m struggling with, and things on my mind. Guess what’s on my mind right now? Finding a couple new dresses for holiday parties in December (among other things on my mind, of course). I’m usually bad about waiting until the last minute, but I don’t want to do that this year. So here I am, ahead of the game, and placing some online orders.

As I was looking around for dresses this past week, I found a few that I loved that may not work for what I need, but are totally worth sharing, so I saved them. If you’ve got holiday parties coming up in the next few weeks, then take a look at some of these pretty dresses. I ordered four of them, and I’m currently waiting for them to arrive so I can try them on and test them out (and I’ll return what I’m not planning to wear).

Plus, it’s always fun to look at holiday dresses, right? Let’s get to them …

*There are affiliate links in this post. The price of the item is not altered, but if you shop through my links, you’re supporting me in a very small way. Thank you for that!

10 holiday party dress ideas

Whenever I need a special occasion dress, I have a few places I like to peruse. Lulu’s always has really cute stuff at an incredibly reasonable price, and I bought this dress for big holiday gala last year from Lulu’s. I also like to look on the Dillard’s website, Nordstrom’s website and sometimes even Revolve or Macy’s. I definitely don’t have an unlimited budget, so even though there are plenty of gorgeous dresses from other retailers, I usually stick to the ones I know and search based on style and price.

Here are some of the holiday dresses I came across recently that really stood out to me …

Gold long-sleeve sequin cocktail dress

I love the look of this long-sleeve cocktail dress, and it would work for a fancy holiday party or even for New Year’s Eve. It’s not too short, it has long sleeves for colder nights, and the sequins and color make it so festive. I also like the feminine neckline. While being dressy, you wouldn’t be showing too much skin in this one. And it’s priced at just under $100, which is totally affordable for a special-ish occasion dress. I ordered this one.

Find the gold long-sleeve sequin cocktail dress here.

Fit and flare sweater dress

I already have this dress in the green color and love it, although the black is nice too! I bought this dress last year for a holiday brunch activity, and it was perfect for it. I’ll definitely wear this one again soon, now that we’re in sweater-dress weather. The fit is extremely flattering, the material is high-quality, and it’s conservative and warm, while still being cute. I wore it with tights and brown boots the first time and may style it different next time.

Find the fit and flare sweater dress here.

Red one-shoulder ruffle gown

This is definitely on the dressier side, but I know I have a formal holiday party in December, so I ordered this dress as an option. This is absolutely on the high end of my budget for a dress, but we’ll see if it works out. Love the big-puffy shoulder piece. I’m very into red dresses right now too.

Find the red one-shoulder ruffle gown here.

Rudy red sequin long-sleeve wrap-front gown

This one is so beautiful online, but we shall see what it looks like when it shows up at my door to try on. I love the ruby red color, the sequins and the wrap detail. There were only a couple reviews available, so there’s no telling how this dress will fit in person. But if I like it, I’ll report back and consider wearing it to the fancy holiday party I’m searching for a dress for. Once again, this one is definitely the very top ceiling of my budget for a dress.

Find the ruby red sequin long-sleeve wrap-front gown here.

Emerald green velvet one-shoulder dress

I love the one-shoulder velvet look of this dress, which also has some rhinestone detailing down the front. It looks very Christmasy too, so you know you’re dressed for a holiday party. Also, one of my favorite things about ordering dresses like this one is the price. You can’t beat it, because it’s under $85. 

Find the emerald green velvet one-shoulder dress here.

Smocked mock neck ruffle tiered swing dress

This is one of those forgiving dresses that also looks really cute. I love that the sleeves are a little ballooned and the neck has a ruffle feature. You could probably wear this dress all year round, but the green, red and black are more holiday appropriate.

Find the smocked mock neck ruffle tiered swing dress here.

Black sequin long-sleeve mock neck dress

Another dress with great sleeves coming at you! This is a plain black dress, but with sequin sleeves. It looks very comfy and flattering. Also, at just under $90, the price is right.

Find the black sequin long-sleeve mock neck dress here.

Gold bow front cutout midi dress

When I first bought a dress with a little cutout in the front, I was worried it would feel too revealing, but somehow, it didn’t at all. This dress has a little cutout, but thicker sleeves and a midi/tea length for more coverage. The gold fabric is so festive. I could see myself wearing this to a party.

Find the gold bow front cutout midi dress here.

Square necked ruched sleeve dress

As you can see, I’m drawn to dresses with cool sleeves. This dress comes in a holiday plaid, as well as black, white and red. I ordered the red version, and I have my eye on this for a couple holiday day-time activities for December. I love this designer, and I think this fit looks like something that will last a long time.

Find the square necked ruched sleeve dress here.

Sleeveless feather mini

This dress shows the most skin of any on this list, so this would be for a holiday event where it’s appropriate to do so. I love the feathers along the bottom to make it a little more fancy. I’d totally wear this to a party. Also, the price is right, at just under $90.

Find the sleeveless feather mini here.

And those are my picks! If you’ve got any festive plans coming up in the next few weeks, hope you liked these holiday party dress ideas. Now that we’re close to Thanksgiving, December is around the corner, so now’s the time to shop and plan.

Have a great day, friend. I’ll see you back here soon!

Other posts you may like

• The five must-have tops from Everlane I wear all the time
• The best black leggings I’ve been wearing that are less than $100
• The best brand of everyday bags and my favorite bags I use all the time
• Best workout sneakers: Why the Reebok Nano X2 is my favorite training shoe ever

Questions of the day for you

Will you be going to any holiday parties this year?

What’s one thing you’re shopping for right now?