MyStyleTry

Dress code

Festive attire: what to wear

Cocktail attire with seasonal colour or sparkle: deep jewel tones, velvet, a little shine.

When you'll see it: Holiday and end-of-year parties, New Year's Eve.

Decoded

What to wear, and what not to

Wear

  • A cocktail dress or dressy separates in a jewel tone or with sparkle
  • Velvet, satin or sequins in one piece
  • Heels or elegant flats

Avoid

  • Sequins everywhere at once
  • Casual day wear

Outfits

Festive attire outfits

Outfits at festive attire level of formality, for winter weather.

Tap a colour dot on a card to swap that piece; only colours that still work are offered.

Business · Tonal

  • black slip dressShop
  • black ankle bootsShop

Black with black is a classic, unbroken line; vary textures (leather, knit, satin) so it doesn't flatten.

Business · All-neutral

  • cream slip dressShop
  • dark brown chelsea bootsShop

Two neutrals with clear contrast: cream and dark brown always sit well together.

Business · All-neutral

  • cream slip dressShop
  • dark brown loafersShop

Two neutrals with clear contrast: cream and dark brown always sit well together.

Business · All-neutral

  • camel sweaterShop
  • navy dress trousersShop
  • dark brown chelsea bootsShop

Dark brown shoes with navy look polished enough for the office and relaxed enough for weekends.

Smart casual · Tonal

Black with black is a classic, unbroken line; vary textures (leather, knit, satin) so it doesn't flatten.

Smart casual · Tonal

  • black knit dressShop
  • black ankle bootsShop

Black with black is a classic, unbroken line; vary textures (leather, knit, satin) so it doesn't flatten.

Questions

Quick answers

What colours are festive?

Burgundy, forest green, deep navy, gold accents and velvet textures read festive without being costume-like.

Is a Christmas sweater OK for festive attire?

Only at a party that says 'ugly sweater'; festive attire means cocktail-level dress with seasonal colour.

Keep going

Other dress codes

Verdicts and outfits come from published colour and dress-code rules, not paid placement; garment images are AI-generated illustrations of generic pieces. How we decide