Is there ever a right time to start looking for Christmas dresses? I don’t think so, and if you’re here, you’re clearly ready too.
In this post, I’m sharing timeless Christmas dresses to shop for every occasion, age and body size, plus an outfit idea for each one. Cosy for Christmas Day, elegant for Christmas Eve, something for the office party, dresses for my over 50 and plus size readers, and a few unusual picks if you don’t want to show up in the same dress as three other women at the party.
Red and green are the obvious Christmas colors, but you don’t have to wear either to look festive, so you’ll find velvet, sparkle, cream, burgundy and a few gowns in here too.
Most of these are timeless enough to wear well past December, sort of the Christmas edition of my Dolce Vita Dresses post. And as always, I picked them with Italian style in mind: elegant, feminine, a little different, never trying too hard.
Grab a coffee and let’s find you a dress, or an outfit idea.
Table of Contents
PS: This post includes affiliate links. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I have or would personally buy.
Red Christmas Dresses
When I think of a red Christmas dress, I picture two very different women. One is hosting or heading to a friend’s for a cosy dinner in a soft cashmere or knit dress. The other is walking into a proper evening event in a full red carpet gown.
I’m pretty sure most of you are the first one, so that’s where I’m focusing.
This is not your average sweater dress, often shapeless and peeling. All these dresses have character, and there’s something for different styles and personalities.
The first is a mock neck, sleeveless dress in a matte crepe that cinches at the waist and moves into an A line skirt with real movement to it. It’s polished enough for Christmas Day but still feels like something you’d throw on without overthinking.
How to style it: This is the kind of dress that does all the talking even if it’s really simple. So you can either wear a nice pair of strappy minimalist or embellished sandals, and some delicate sparkly jewellery, or you can keep it low key. That’s what I did in the example. The color, the style, and the feminine movement is going to make you feel your best while also being super comfortable.
If you want something with a little more texture, consider a square neck knit dress with wide straps and a fully pleated skirt, the kind of Christmas dress midi that works equally well for a casual family dinner or a slightly dressier one, depending on your shoes and jewelry.
How to style it: This is a great dress to wear for hosting, especially since it will keep you cool while you heat and plate food. But it’s also a simple one to throw on and dress up with sparkly accessories and a fur coat. That’s the look I am showing you.
There’s also a crinkled, almost seersucker style knit column dress with a ruffled shoulder detail, and an asymmetric, one shoulder ribbed knit dress with a side slit if you want something a little more figure skimming for the evening.
How to style them: The crinkled dress has a modern style so embrace that with your accessories and shoes. Add a black coat and you’re done.
The last one is the one that feels the most sweater dress but the elevated version of that. I can imagine you wearing this to host Christmas eve, Christmas day, or any other festive party. You can wear your vintage jewellery and shoes, or you can go more modern. This one is a blank canvas.
If you’re the second woman, the one who wants a proper gown, here are three that I love:
Green Christmas Dresses
Red and green are probably the two colors I associate most with Christmas, but that also means you’re likely to see plenty of other women wearing them. If you’re going for green, I think it’s worth choosing a dress that has something a little different about it.
So I’ve picked four very different options here.
The first is a deep emerald velvet wrap dress. This is probably the most versatile of the four. You can wear it with heels and some delicate jewelry for Christmas Eve, or make it more relaxed with boots and a beautiful coat.
How to style it: I think velvet can look like a heavy fabric at times so I always suggest adding a lot of brightness through your accessories, think sparkly jewellery, and maybe even a little color. I’d also go for a strappy sandal that shoes a lot of foot cleavage to contrast the heavy fabric, long sleeves and midi skirt.
The second is for anyone who thinks Christmas is the perfect excuse to wear some sparkle. This teal-green is definitely festive, but it doesn’t feel like a Christmas costume. The slightly unusual shade of green is what makes it stand out.
How to style it: I’d keep everything else fairly simple here. A pair of elegant heels, a small clutch and some jewelry is really all you need. This is one of those dresses where adding too much can actually take away from it. I also think silver is the best color pairing here.
Then there’s my wildcard. It’s a fitted dark green knit dress on top with a dramatic taffeta bubble skirt, so you get two completely different textures in one dress. I love this kind of thing because it feels much more interesting than a standard cocktail dress.
This is the one I’d choose if you want people to ask you where your dress is from. It’s feminine without being overly sweet, and the simple knit top keeps the big skirt from feeling too much.
And finally, there’s the full emerald gown with a strapless bodice and a flowing pleated skirt. This is definitely the Winter-only option for most of us. I think it works for Christmas but it could also be worn for a Winter wedding next year.
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Work Christmas Party Dresses
What you wear to a work Christmas party depends on three things: whether it’s happening during the workday or in the evening, whether there’s a dress code, and how formal your company and your position are.
When in doubt, I’d wear black.
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It doesn’t have to be boring, either. The three black dresses I’ve picked are all quite different, but they have that combination of elegance and simplicity that makes them easy to get right for a work event.
The first is a black draped midi dress with a high neckline, cap sleeves and ruching around the waist and hip. This is the one I’d choose if you’re not entirely sure what the event is going to be like. It’s polished enough for an evening party but not so formal that you’ll feel overdressed at a daytime office event.
How to style it: If you want to add a festive element, style it with a red blazer for daytime or a red coat for an evening event. Keep the accessories simple, adding some shine if it’s in the evening. In my example, I added a silver clutch bag to break the all black and red color palette.
The second is another black midi, but the asymmetric draping makes it feel a little more special. I like this one if you want something feminine without going down the obvious sparkly Christmas dress route.
How to style it: You could style this with either all silver or gold accessories, or a mix of one metal and some black. You could also go for a pop of red.
And then there’s the most dramatic option: a floor-length black column dress with a sheer detail around the neckline and shoulders. This is the one I’d save for a proper evening event. It’s elegant and feminine, but the black keeps it feeling sophisticated rather than overly festive.
How to style it: I’d keep the styling fairly minimum so the dress can be the star of the outfit. In this case, I’ve played with mixing modern and vintage for the accessories. You can of course go all modern or vintage, or find a middle ground.
Of course, you don’t have to wear black just because it’s a work party. Depending on your office and the dress code, one of the red or green dresses above could work beautifully too. I’d just make sure you know what kind of event you’re going to first.
Christmas Church Dresses
If you’re going to church on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, I think it’s nice to choose something a little more covered up and elegant without making it feel overly conservative.
Both of these dresses would work beautifully under a good winter coat, and neither one feels like you bought it specifically because you needed a “church dress.” This is fundamental since you likely want to wear the same dress for your after mass celebration.
The first is a deep red satin shirt dress with three-quarter sleeves, a tie waist and a full pleated skirt. This is such a classic silhouette that you could wear it for years. The red makes it perfect for Christmas, but the dress itself would work just as well for a wedding, dinner or Valentine’s.
How to style it: I’d keep this one classic with elegant pumps or low heels, a structured bag and simple jewelry. You could also add a beautiful cream coat over it and let the red peek through.
The second is much more unusual. It’s a dark green dress with an oversized ivory bow at the neckline and matching bow details on the cuffs. I love this one because it feels a little vintage without looking old-fashioned.
It’s definitely a statement dress, but it’s still appropriate for church because of the long sleeves and flowing silhouette. And if you’re over 50 and looking for something elegant that isn’t boring, I think this one is particularly worth a look.
How to style it: This dress has enough going on, so I’d pair it with pearls for the morning, cream heeled pumps and a cream coat.
Both of these work for any age, and both can easily go beyond Christmas.
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Christmas Eve Dresses
I’ve already shared plenty of dresses above that would work for Christmas Eve, from the red and green options to the more formal church dresses. But if you’re going somewhere special on Christmas Eve, there are a few more that caught my eye.
For these, I went with one of my favorite Christmas colors, burgundy, plus one cream dress because I really don’t think you need to wear red, green or burgundy from head to toe to look festive.
The first is a deep burgundy midi with a twisted, draped neckline and a full pleated skirt. This is the kind of dress I’d choose for a nice dinner where I want to look dressed up but still feel warm. The color is rich enough to feel festive without being too obvious.
How to style it: I’d match the shoes and go with a bold statement earring so the focus is on the beautiful dress and the stunning color. You don’t have to go that route, though. Burgundy also looks beautiful with gold, so this is a good opportunity to bring in some sparkle through your earrings or bag rather than the dress itself.
And then there’s the cream satin gown. I included this one deliberately because sometimes the most elegant option is to forget about the traditional Christmas colors altogether.
How to style it: You can add the festive part with your accessories. That’s why I am showing you how to style it with all red. Next, time you could be wearing this dress for a fancy dinner in March with neutral or metallic accessories.
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Christmas Day Dresses
Christmas Day already has enough red, green, gold and sparkle happening around it, so I actually love the idea of wearing something softer.
Think cream, ivory, butter yellow, beige and soft pastels. Something feminine and pretty that gives you a little break from all the traditional Christmas colors.
The first is a cream bouclé tweed coat dress with a shirt collar, fitted waist and full skirt. This is probably the most classic option here, and I can see it working beautifully for Christmas lunch, especially if you’re going somewhere rather than staying home.
Then there’s a textured cream knit fit-and-flare dress with a pretty flounced hem. This is the one I’d choose if you want to feel dressed up without feeling like you’re wearing a party dress. It’s soft, feminine and comfortable enough for a long Christmas Day.
How to style them: Rather than add the Christmas colors through your accessories, I would suggest keeping to a lighter, soft palette by layering creams, ivory, pearls, and sparkly jewellery. You could also add some lace through your bag or even your shoes.
I’ve included two more silhouettes in my Shopmy collection: the third is in a ticker tweed fabric with a blend of light and slightly darker colors, and the fourth is the more bohemian but still very classy and timeless.
The best part about choosing this color palette is that you’ll actually be able to wear these dresses long after Christmas. Cream and ivory work beautifully throughout winter and into spring, so this is where I wouldn’t mind spending a little more on a dress I really love.
Plus Size Christmas Dresses
There’s no black in this section, and that’s completely intentional.
If you’re looking for a Christmas dress, I don’t think the answer is automatically to choose black because you want to hide your curves. Why not wear something colorful, beautiful and a little bit sparkly instead?
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The first is a silver-grey floral embroidered ballgown with a fitted bodice and full skirt. This is the dress for the woman who wants to make an entrance. It’s feminine and glamorous without relying on a bright Christmas color.
If you’d prefer something a little less formal, there’s a deep plum floral lace dress with fluttering sleeves and a fit-and-flare shape. I love the rich color here because it’s festive without being the obvious red or green.
Then there’s an emerald green satin wrap-style dress with three-quarter sleeves and a tie waist. This is probably the most versatile option of the four. The wrap shape gives you a beautiful waist while the A-line skirt keeps it comfortable, and you could wear it to Christmas dinner, a party or another special occasion later in the year.
And finally, there’s a deep red beaded lace dress with bell sleeves. This is the shorter, more cocktail-style option, and the beading means you don’t need to do much else to make it feel festive.
Christmas Dresses For Women Over 50
Most of the dresses I’ve shared above would work beautifully at any age, but I wanted to pull together a few options especially with my over 50 readers in mind.
For me, this isn’t about finding dresses that make you look younger. It’s about finding something that makes you feel elegant, confident and like yourself.
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The first is a black and emerald floral jacquard dress with a shirt collar, three-quarter sleeves, a defined waist and a full pleated skirt. This is such a classic combination that I can see you wearing it for years. It’s festive because of the emerald and the beautiful fabric, but there’s nothing overly Christmas about it.
The second is a navy dress with a white floral embroidered mesh overlay and three-quarter sleeves. This one feels a little softer and more feminine, and the midi length makes it easy to wear with heels or a more elegant flat.
Then there’s the cream tweed midi from the Christmas Day section. I included it again because I think it’s one of the best investment pieces in this whole roundup. You can wear it at Christmas, but there’s no reason it needs to stay in your wardrobe until next December.
The green dress with the oversized ivory bow from the church section is another one I really love. It’s definitely more of a statement, but the flowing shape, long sleeves and beautiful color keep it elegant rather than trendy.
The penultimate is the red shirt dress with the sash. Yes, you’ve already seen it, but it’s one of my favorites in this whole roundup and I think it deserves another mention. It’s festive, feminine and comfortable, and you can wear it to church, Christmas lunch or a family gathering without feeling like you’ve tried too hard.
And finally is a lighter burgundy dress with sheer sleeves and a fitted, full-length silhouette. I think the brighter color calls for some extra sparkle, but you could also keep it simple with cream accessories, and wear it on Christmas morning.
More Italian-Style Christmas Inspiration
I hope you found at least one dress here that feels like it was made for you. If you had to twist my arm for a favorite, I’d probably say the red shirt dress with the sash. It shows up twice in this post for a reason. But the one I can’t stop thinking about is the burgundy one under the Christmas Eve collection, and I might have the perfect occasion for this..
Once your Christmas dress shopping is complete, you might want to look at these other guides:
How To Host An Italian Christmas
Italian Christmas Food: 11 Staples Italians Can’t Do Without
11 Festive Italian Christmas Table Decor Ideas You’ll Love
Italian Christmas Appetizers: Over 90 Authentic Ideas
7 Make-Ahead Christmas Breakfast Ideas
If you’d like to connect with me before, during, or after the festive period, I’d love to have you inside my newsletter – Buona Settimana, even if just to wish you a Merry Christmas. You’re welcome to join now through one of the sign up boxes on this page. You’ll get one weekly email every Sunday. I try to keep them real, seasonal, and very Italian.
A presto,
Alessia
