30 Winter Party Dresses That Are Fashion With a Capital F
Winter comes with its hardships, but at least there's a slight reprieve when party season falls upon us. If you didn't have an excuse to go all out in an over-the-top dress, there are a million and one reasons to do so now. From office holiday parties to galas and soirées with family and friends, the calendar of events won't be slowing down for another few months. What to wear is often the biggest question I get as a fashion editor, so I thought I'd make it easy and curate a list of stunning party dresses that I fully endorse.
As evident by the selection below, my personal motto when it comes to holiday dressing is the more the better—more sequin, more glitter, and more feathers will never be a faux pas (at least during this two-month stretch). Another pro with going for a dramatic dress is that you can ease up on the accessorizing. Each of the pieces below is a powerful statement on its own, so it's as easy as throwing it on and stepping out. Convenience will always win!
To browse and shop my selection of compliment-inducing party dresses, keep scrolling below.
While there's a certain level of commitment that comes with wearing a minidress in the dead of winter, this one is too cute to pass up.
A dress that's winning the award for "most deceptively affordable."
Rotate's selection of party garments has been so good lately.
Norma Kamali's Diana dress is a faithful staple. Here, it's imagined in silver for a flashy take.
Pair this with crystal-embellished pumps or patent-leather knee boots to up the ante.
This is certainly quieter than the rest, but there's still a fancy midriff cutout for some pizazz.
I always love Meshki for cool and affordable party dresses.
Since see-through pieces are circulating right now, here's a cool take on the trend that's not too revealing.
Personally, I can't remember the last time I wore a minidress, but I'd wear this in a heartbeat.
You could easily repurpose this for fancy occasions during the spring and summer too.
Quite literally my dream winter party dress.
If flashy details like sequins and rhinestones scare you, here's a way to make an entrance that doesn't involve either.
A ticket to best dressed of the night starts here.
Should you be spending your holidays somewhere tropical, here's a piece definitely worth considering.
From a designer like Simone Rocha, I wouldn't expect anything less than showstopping.
Next up: I Always Aim to Be the Best Dressed at the Party—I Love These Types of Dresses
Indya Brown is a fashion editor, stylist, and writer living in Los Angeles. While going to school at Columbia University in New York City, she got her feet wet in the fashion industry interning at Elle magazine, Harper's Bazaar, and New York magazine's The Cut. After graduating in 2016, she joined The Cut as a fashion assistant, eventually working her way up to fashion editor. There, she worked on a multitude of projects, including styling inbook feature stories for New York magazine's print issue, writing and pitching market stories for The Cut, and serving as fashion lead for The Cut's branded content. While New York has been her home for over 10 years, she moved to Los Angeles in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 for a new chapter. Now she is a fashion market editor forBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing , focusing on emerging designers, rising trends on and off the internet, interior design, and BIPOC creatives and brands. Aside from her duties as a fashion market editor, Brown is also a freelance stylist and writer, working on national print and video commercial campaigns for Sephora, The Independent, and Cadillac. Her bylines also include Harper's Bazaar, Vox, and The New York Times. But once the computer goes down and the emails turn off, she's likely eating her way through Koreatown, hunting down vintage furniture, scoping out new outrageous nail designs to try, or taking a hot cycling class.
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