The 20 Best Holiday Party Dresses of 2022 from Sequined to Velvet

25.11.2022, 17:40 harpersbazaar.com

Eleven months out of twelve, I'm a devout minimalist who worships at the altar of capsule wardrobing and upgraded basics. When December arrives, I do a style 180. Sequins! Velvet! More sequins! I'm transformed by the magnetic pull of the best holiday party dresses. Like the events they're worn to, party dresses are something to anticipate. They're special because they're not worn all that often and, because they're decked out in the most over-the-top details possible. "The holidays are the perfect time to go all in on the glitz and glamour," Rent the Runway chief merchant Sarah Tam agrees. And in 2022, she's noticed designers leaning even more into the hallmarks of classic holiday details. If your only party goal is to shimmer, disco sequin dresses are in heavy rotation. (They look their best in sky-high mini form, Tam says.) Black-tie tuxedos have been modernized in maxi skirt and jumpsuit form with larger lapels and feminine details when elegant tailoring is in order. For everyone riding fashion's Y2K nostalgia wave, glittery, mesh minis that would make the cover of an early aughts tabloid are everywhere. Then there's the plush lineup of velvet dresses, from short-sleeved to full-length gowns: "a classic for the holidays," Tam says. And if you want your holiday party dresses to resemble the presents you unwrap—big on volume and topped with a bow—pumped-up proportions and romantic bows are everywhere you turn. No matter your style from January through November, the best holiday party dresses feel like a gift to wear until the New Year. Shop (or rent!) our favorites below.