Match the venue's dress code, then dress one notch above a normal workday. For an evening party, that means a sequin midi or a velvet cocktail dress. For a daytime office party, keep the outfit office-appropriate and add one festive element, like a satin top or metallic heel. When in doubt, ask the organizer.
Updated September 2026
Every year around this time, the same question walks into my showroom in a dozen different versions. The company party is at a steakhouse. The party is in the office at 2pm. The party is on a rooftop and the invitation says festive attire, whatever that means. I have zipped hundreds of women into their work holiday party dress over six seasons of doing this, and the answer always comes down to two things: the venue, and the fact that you will see these people again on Monday. Here is exactly how I would dress you for each version.
What does the holiday party dress code actually mean?
The invitation is your first clue, and most invitations fall into one of four tiers. Read the venue alongside the wording. A catered lunch in the conference room and a seated dinner at a country club are different parties, even if both say holiday attire. Here is the formula for each tier.
Casual office party
This is the daytime version: catered lunch, conference room, maybe a gift exchange. You are still at work, so the base of the outfit is what you would wear on a normal Tuesday. The upgrade is one festive piece up top. I would put you in the Elizabeth Satin top ($39) over the tailored trousers you already own. Satin catches light the way sequins do, at a volume that works at noon. Add a polished flat or a low heel and you are done.
Business festive
This is the most common office holiday party outfit tier, and the one most invitations mean when they say festive attire. The formula is a polished midi dress with sleeves or coverage, dressed up with heels and jewelry. My pick is the Bailey Knit midi in black ($30). The knit holds its shape all evening, the midi length is boardroom-safe, and the chain neckline detail does the work of a necklace for you. It reads elevated without trying hard, which is precisely the register you want in front of your VP.
Cocktail
Evening party, restaurant or hotel venue, spouses and partners invited. Now you can bring real shine. The Christina Metallic dress ($30) is my cocktail-tier answer: stretch metallic fabric that moves with you through a long night, with a side cutout that keeps it modern rather than corporate. If you want a sleeker line, the Scarlett Mesh midi ($20) layers a stretch mesh overlay over a fitted silhouette, and it holds its shape from cocktail hour to the last song.
Black tie
Some companies go all the way: country club, seated dinner, a band. For a formal work event you want a gown that is unmistakably evening but still remembers where you work. The Sabine gown ($124) is the one I reach for. It is navy with a subtle shimmer woven through the fabric, and the high neckline makes it the rare gown that is both dramatic and completely safe for a room full of colleagues and executives. Navy also photographs beautifully next to all the black in the room.
The office party rule: festive, but you will see these people Monday
Here is the test I give every customer shopping for a work party. Picture Monday morning. If the outfit would make the elevator ride awkward, it belongs at a different party. Strapless, sheer, and thigh-high slits are wonderful things, and they are for New Year's Eve with your friends, so save them.
That does not mean you dress down. It means you channel the sparkle through a conservative silhouette, and the single best way to do that is the formula stylists have quietly agreed on: a sequin midi with a blazer over it. The midi length and the tailoring answer the office question, the sequins answer the party question, and taking the blazer off at the after-party is the easiest outfit change you will ever make. If you need the blazer half of that equation, our women's staples collection is where I keep the tailored pieces that earn their space year-round.
Prefer separates to a dress? The same logic works with shine on the bottom. The Aubrey Shimmer trousers ($20) in navy-black shimmer plisse with the matching Lauren Shimmer crop ($39) is my separates formula: festive as a set, and each piece goes back to work separately with a blazer or a plain trouser after the holidays.
What does the season look like: velvet, sequins, satin, and red
Four textures own this holiday season, and you only need one of them to look current. For 2026 specifically, the direction is jewel tones, bows, and structured shoulders. Emerald, sapphire, and deep ruby are everywhere, bows have moved from trim to focal point, and a defined shoulder is doing for dresses what the blazer did for sequins: adding authority to sparkle.
The color question I get most often is red, and my answer is yes. Red velvet is the default yes of holiday dressing. It is festive by definition, it flatters nearly every skin tone, and nobody has ever been sent home from a Christmas party for wearing it. If red feels loud for your office, the same velvet in emerald or deep navy carries identical polish at a lower volume. I stock all of these moods in our holiday party dresses collection, which I built specifically around the four tiers above, so you can shop by the party you actually have.
Holiday dressing at 78 degrees: the Florida edition
Every holiday guide on the internet assumes you own tights and a wool coat. I dress women in Boca Raton, where the December forecast is 78 and sunny and half the parties happen on a rooftop at Mizner Park or a restaurant patio with the doors open. Florida holiday dressing has its own rules, and after six seasons here, I can give them to you exactly.
- Choose breathable sparkle. Heavy stretch-velvet and lined sequin fabrics were engineered for northern ballrooms. Look for lightweight sequins, plisse, satin, and open knits that move air. The Aubrey Shimmer trousers are plisse for exactly this reason.
- Bare legs are the dress code. Skip the tights entirely and let the hem do the work. A midi or a maxi with bare legs and an open heel is the Florida formal signature.
- There is no coat check season here. Whatever you wear walks in as the complete outfit, so the dress has to carry the drama on its own. This is why I lean on shimmer fabrics and necklines instead of outerwear moments.
- Bring one light layer anyway. The party may be at 78 degrees, but the ballroom air conditioning is set to 68. A cropped blazer or a light wrap that folds over your clutch saves the night without hiding the dress.
One dress, three parties
December is expensive enough, so let me save you from buying three outfits. The right dress restyles across the whole season, and the Christina Metallic is my favorite demonstration. For the office party, add a black blazer and a closed-toe pump, and the metallic becomes the accent rather than the statement. For dinner with your friends, drop the blazer, switch to a strappy heel, and add the kind of jewelry you would never wear to work. Our date night outfits collection is full of the pieces that make that second version happen. For New Year's Eve, go all the way: bold lip, every sparkling accessory you own, and let the side cutout be seen. Three parties, one $30 dress, and nobody will clock the repeat because the styling changed the story each time. The Bailey Knit midi and the Scarlett Mesh midi run the same play at their own volumes.
Shop the look
Every piece in this guide is in the showroom and online right now. We buy in small runs, so the one you bookmarked may not be here in three weeks.
- Elizabeth Satin top, $39. The casual-office answer: satin shine over your own tailored trousers.
- Bailey Knit midi in black, $30. The business festive formula in one piece, with a chain neckline that replaces your necklace.
- Christina Metallic dress, $30. Cocktail tier: stretch metallic with a side cutout, and the one dress I would restyle across three parties.
- Scarlett Mesh midi, $20. The sleek cocktail alternate: a stretch mesh overlay that reads dressed up without trying hard.
- Lauren Shimmer crop, $39, and Aubrey Shimmer trousers, $20. The separates formula in navy-black shimmer plisse: a set for the party, two workwear pieces after.
- Sabine gown, $124. The formal-tier pick: navy with subtle shimmer and a high neckline that belongs at the company gala.
Let me dress you for party season
If your calendar has more than one December invitation on it, come sit in the showroom chair and let me build the whole month in one visit. I will pull the tiers we covered here in your size, tell you honestly how each piece runs, and send you home with outfits instead of guesses. Book a personal styling appointment and bring the invitations with you. And for the woman on your list who is impossible to shop for, our e-gift cards let her have this exact experience herself, which I promise beats guessing her size.
With love from the showroom, Estefania
Holiday party questions, answered
What do you wear to a holiday party?
Wear a sequin midi dress or a velvet cocktail dress for an evening holiday party. For a daytime or office party, choose one festive piece, such as a satin top or a metallic knit, and keep the rest polished. Match the formality of the venue and add sparkle from there.
What is the dress code for a company holiday party?
Most company holiday parties call for business festive: one notch dressier than a normal workday. Think a knit midi dress with heels, or tailored trousers with a satin or shimmer top. Skip anything strapless, sheer, or shorter than office-appropriate, and check the invitation for cocktail or black-tie language.
Can you wear red to a work Christmas party?
Yes, red is appropriate for a work Christmas party and reads festive without effort. Red velvet in particular is a default yes for the 2026 season. Keep the cut office-friendly: a midi length, a higher neckline, or a sleeve balances a bold color in front of coworkers.
Are sequins appropriate for an office party?
Yes, sequins are office-appropriate when the silhouette stays conservative. The safest formula is a sequin midi dress with a blazer over it: the sparkle reads festive while the tailoring keeps it professional. Avoid sequin minis or plunging necklines at an office party, and save full-glitz looks for evening events.
Is velvet in style for 2026?
Yes, velvet is fully in style for 2026, especially in jewel tones like emerald, sapphire, and deep red. The season's other signatures are bows, structured shoulders, sequins, and satin. A velvet cocktail dress in a rich color works for nearly every holiday party tier except casual office daytime events.
What do you wear to a holiday party in Florida?
In Florida, wear breathable holiday fabrics: lightweight sequins, satin, stretch knits, and bare-leg hemlines instead of tights and heavy velvet. Bring one light layer for indoor air conditioning. Ania Boutique, a women's boutique in Boca Raton, Florida, stocks holiday dresses chosen for 78-degree December parties on rooftops and patios.
Can you wear jeans to a holiday party?
For a casual daytime office party, yes: dark jeans with a satin or shimmer top and polished shoes read festive enough. For an evening cocktail party or any event at a restaurant, club, or hotel, jeans fall short of the dress code; a midi dress is the safer call.
What is holiday casual attire?
Holiday casual means your normal daytime polish plus one festive element: a satin top, a metallic accessory, a velvet blazer, or rich jewel-tone color. It sits below cocktail attire, so jeans and dressy separates qualify. The festive piece, not the formality, marks the occasion.
Keep reading
- What to Wear to a Black Tie Gala, for the formal end of party season.
- Boutique Shopping in Boca Raton, if you want the showroom experience behind these picks.
- All guides from Get Ready With Ania.