As I’ve been working on my personal style this year, I’m trying to invest in versatile pieces. When it comes to holiday dresses, I want them to carry me through the season!
While I love the classic red dress for Christmas, I’m all about shaking it up with sophisticated colors and luxurious textures to make things feel instantly festive — think deep slate blue, rich olive green, or a gorgeous chocolate brown. The key to elevating these unconventional hues is the material. Lean into fabrics like smooth satin and decadent velvet, or add subtle sparkly embellishments to give that holiday shimmer, all while avoiding overly casual prints like most plaids (unless they’re super luxe) and florals unless they’re very subtle and moody.
And, of course, if you ever need a guaranteed winner, you can’t go wrong with black as the perfect chic canvas for all your holiday accessorizing. I recently picked up this Tuckernuck dress, and can’t wait to wear it!
None of the dresses I’ve collected are so holiday-coded that you can’t wear them outside of a Christmas party. See some of my favorites below!
If you want more inspiration for what I’m collecting this year for the holidays, visit our CLJ Holiday Shop.
Holiday Dresses for 2025
What is the read dress with the pleated bodice in the main pic of this post?
It was from Madewell last year. :)