It’s that time of year when everything turns red and sparkly, hearts fill with joy, and wardrobes call for a little extra attention.
If you’re a planner like me, you probably enjoy preparing for the Christmas season just as much—if not more—than the festivities themselves.
If that sounds like you, welcome! You’ll find plenty of Christmas outfit ideas here to help you plan a festive wardrobe with a touch of Italian flair.
Happy planning!
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What Do Italians Wear On Christmas?
I am sure you know Italians go all out for the festive season. For us, Christmas starts on the 8th December and ends on the 6th January. You can read all about our Italian Christmas Traditions here.
That covers pretty much everything from cooking and enjoying festive food, to going Christmas shopping, taking Christmas trips, and of course dressing for the holidays.
So, how does an Italian woman plan her festive wardrobe?
It’s not just our Christmas Eve or Christmas Day outfit we carefully plan around this time of the year. There are plenty of occasions to dress for – Christmas work parties, Christmas dinners with friends, Christmas aperitivo catch ups, and of course there’s also New Year’s Eve and New Year’s outfits.
And it doesn’t stop there. Every day of December feels a little more like Christmas for us Italians, which means our outfits will likely reflect the festivities more and more as we move closer to the 24th December.
Let’s also not forget all the dinners at home, hosting family and friends, that are going to feel extra special because of the decorations and the wholesome vibes brought by the season.
Throughout this post I will help you visualize the different outfits an Italian woman might wear around the holidays at home, for work, and for common Christmas occasions you are likely also planning for.
I am going to list the outfits starting with the most important ones, as you likely want to plan and secure them first.
Casual Christmas Outfit for Lounging at Home
Before I move onto sharing the dressed up Christmas outfit ideas, let me give you some simple ideas of how to dress up to stay at home in a way that feels festive and put together, just like an Italian woman likes it.
There’s nothing ground breaking about these two outfits. You might already have a red or burgundy loungewear set, but do they fit well? Are they good quality? Do they make you feel amazing and like you’ve got it together, even when you are cleaning and cooking?
If the answer is not, consider swapping them for a more elevated option. I have selected the best for every budget below:
It’s not just about the color and warmth of the set. It’s important they are right for your body shape, and if you want to elevate the everyday – just like I share in this Dolce Vita Lifestyle post, you want it to feel special.
Christmas Eve Outfit Ideas
Let’s start with the night you probably love the most – Christmas eve; do you?
I will give you a few options for different types of celebrations, from hosting at home to a very dressed up party.
Smart Casual Christmas Eve Outfits
Isn’t this the perfect Christmas outfit to spend Christmas Eve at home or at a family or friends’ house?
It’s red, festive, comfortable and cozy, but still classy and elevated. You can easily swap the flats for heels to dress it up more, and remove the shawl.
Here’s another elegant Christmas eve outfit an Italian woman would wear. It’s feminine, chic, features tailored trousers, and even sequins!
If you want to feel extra chic and cozy this outfit is perfection for both Christmas eve and Christmas day at home or at your in laws. It ticks all the boxes – warm, comfortable, classy, festive, elevate, with plenty of sparkly jewellery, and even heels. Plus, it’s a tonal outfit, which us Italian women adore!
Red Christmas Dress
Do you have a dressier event to attend on Christmas eve? Or perhaps, you have a tradition of going for an extra special date night with your hubby.
Either way, nothing beats a red dress. You can go ultra feminine with a sweet heart neckline body-con dress that both Monica Bellucci and Sophia Loren would wear. I featured this style in a different color in my 11 Dolce Vita Dresses post, in case you want to read that next.
If you want to feel pretty and perhaps add a little bit of pink, or a unique touch to your Christmas eve outfit, this one above is gorgeous. I think those pink pumps are the unexpected element that elevates a rather safe look.
Ugly Sweater Outfit
Does your family have the tradition of wearing an ugly Christmas sweater on the night before Christmas? That’s fun!
The outfit above shows you that you don’t need to wear your ugly sweater with a pair of jeans or leggings!
I also tried to come up with an ugly sweater idea that feels festive and a little bit Italian. Feel free to copy the look for your DIY ugly sweater.
Green Christmas Dress
A green Christmas dress is not only festive, elegant, and gorgeous; it’s also a safe choice to avoid looking like all the other women, who will likely opt for red and black.
This one is a timeless A line style that’s both feminine, modest (if you choose a more covered decolleté option), and the velvet fabric elevates it further. Pair your green dress with gold accessories and you’ll feel like a million bucks.
Here’s a similar dress you can shop in time for the holidays.
Party Christmas Outfit – Black Christmas Dress
Need a black-tie Christmas eve dress option?
Here’s one a sophisticated Italian woman likely has in her wardrobe.
It’s wrap style, long, covers most of your body, while showing the right amount of skin in just a few places. All these details make it timeless and very feminine. I am sure you also agree that it feels like you tried but effortlessly so.
If you would like to recreate this look for Christmas eve or New Year’s eve, you can shop it here:
Christmas Day Outfit
After a wonderful night celebrating Christmas eve, the last thing you’ll likely want is to think about your Christmas day outfit, especially if you are also hosting Christmas lunch, brunch, or dinner.
See if any of these looks tickle your fancy.
Christmas Gold Dress
If you are going to spend Christmas day cooking and hosting, might as well do it looking fabulous, right?
A sleeveless gold shift dress with the right amount of sparkle is perfect, but you can equally choose a similar style in red, silver, green, and cream, though cream might be a little risky for handling all the food.
If you think that’s a better option for hosting Christmas eve, feel free to copy that look for the night before.
Christmas Outfit for Women over 50
Are you a woman over 50 who loves dressing up, looking classy and fabulous, because who said 50 is old? ; certainly not me!
I suggest wearing a stylish very Italian red suit for Christmas day. It’s perfect whether you are going out for lunch, or being hosted by one of your children.
The peplum style red suit is extra feminine and elegant, but if you love a more classic design, it’s equally perfect.
Christmas Outfit for Petite Women like me
Most outfits I have shared so far would work if you are a petite woman looking for the perfect Christmas night or day outfit. However, this one is perfect for Christmas day.
It’s light and bright, elegant and classy, very feminine but an Italian edgy way, has the heel height to help you lift and lengthen, and also a little sparkle for the special day.
You could wear this to your in laws, as well as for lunch out with your husband. And it’s so versatile that it can also work for Christmas work outfit, whether it’s the party or a regular day in a very stylish corporate job.
Christmas Work Party Outfit
Work in corporate, an office, or you are taking your employees out for Christmas? Here are a few great outfit ideas to pick from.
Whether you are the boss or the employee, remember you got to dress for the job you and life you want. Plus, I am also sure you want to be the best one dressed! If you don’t, switching to that attitude will help you move closer to how an Italian woman thinks.
If you love this outfit, it can work amazingly also for Christmas and New Year’s eve, or for any other holiday evening celebrations.
Can you see what I did with this Christmas outfit idea?
I took the perfect Italian woman uniform – midi skirt, white shirt, and heels, and gave it a festive look.
Wearing this will make you feel dressed up, feminine, and professional.
Mid size ladies don’t underestimate the power of a wrap dress. It’s classy, timeless, figure flattering, and perfect for most dressed up occasions. Here’s a tip – don’t play it safe and opt for black, especially if it’s a day time event!
What to wear in December to work?
Remember how I started this article saying that for us Italian it feels like Christmas every day throughout December. Let me show you what I mean. Here are the outfits an Italian woman would wear for work, depending on her job of course.
They check all the boxes for being appropriate for any other month of the year, but have that little festive touch that makes them extra special.
Can you see how adding a few red, green or sparkly pieces that are appropriate for work but also festive, adds so much warmth and joy to your outfits?
If you don’t know where to start, here’s a selection you might want to add to your Christmas work wardrobe. The best part is that many of these can work even after Christmas!
More Christmas Outfit Ideas for different occasions
Whether you are going Christmas gift shopping, for a pre-Christmas dinner with friends, travelling to Europe, or out with your partner on the weekend, here are different outfit ideas that will work.
This is the perfect outfit if you are spending part of December in central or southern Italy. Imagine wearing this in Florence, feeling festive and warm, but also fitting with the locals. Of course, you can copy this for Paris at Christmas, or wherever you are in the world!
If you are over 50 and don’t know what to wear to go shopping this time of the year, add some came and green. The camel feels very Max Mara and the two colors together add a festive touch while being seasonal and perfect for every day.
Want to look like a Milan girlie when meeting your friends for a Christmas aperitivo and dinner? Wear this.
All I did, was create a very Winter appropriate outfit, and add a festive scarf.
This one is for the women who are looking for cute Christmas outfit ideas. There’s actually nothing festive about this outfit. I would suggest swapping the bag with a red one, but it’s cute and the sweater makes it season appropriate.
Going to Europe for the Christmas markets? Here’s an outfit idea to copy – jeans, thermal vest, sweater, festive scarf, red-toned coat, and a travel appropriate bag. Don’t forget the warm socks and boots!
Finally, here’s an outfit idea that has nothing Christmassy about it. If you the type of woman who doesn’t like adding festive touches to your wardrobe, you can at least try to incorporate some red-tone pieces in a way that feels modern, edgy, and not festive at all.
New Year’s Eve Dress Ideas
We can’t talk about Christmas outfits without mentioning New Year’s eve. After all, for us Italians, Christmas ends on the 6th January!
Going to an upscale event on the last night of the year? If so, I have got the perfect dress for you.
My color palette would personally gravitate towards black, cream, and silver; that’s because I feel that red, gold and green can be too Christmassy.
Let me start with my favorite one – a feminine ivory A line puffy skirt dress that can be either midi or full length. I love the color, although that would be too pale on me, and adore the silhouette. This one would also work for a black tie Christmas eve night.
Similar silhouette but different color. I think there’s something about silver and grey toned dresses that feel very end of the year. They are sparkly and festive, but still very classy.
If you’ve read my Dolce Vita Dresses article, you know that the midi ball gown with a puffy skirt is a great option to have in your wardrobe, especially in a very timeless color like this one.
I found the perfect one here, in case you’d like to have a look.
If you want a safer option that can work for any ages, sizes and heights, consider an embellished black A line dress. Style it with silver accessories, and add a black coat for popping in and out.
For my lovely over 50 readers I have come up with this stunning New Year’s Eve outfit idea. I imagined you wearing it on a Cruise boat, even a yacht, where you are celebrating the night with your husband, or friends.
This charcoal grey, almost teal toned pencil dress with a boat neck and a ton of sparkle is my favorite silhouette on more mature women. It’s feminine, sophisticated, and can work for many events from your son’s wedding day to New Year’s eve.
Finally, here are two black-tie dresses perfect for New Year’s Eve but also Christmas Eve, if you are attending a gala-style night, where you are required to wear a long dress.
They are both velvet dresses because this makes them very season appropriate, and also a little bit cozier. I have given you an A line and a mermaid style option, as these will work for different body types.
Tips for Planning Your Festive Outfits
Before I close this post, I’d like to help you reflect a little further by answering a few common questions you might like to ask yourself when you start planning your Christmas outfits.
How early can you start looking for Christmas outfit ideas?
There’s no right or wrong answer. However, I would suggest doing it by the end of October, especially if you are going to shop online. That way, you can get your purchases as early as possible, have enough time to try them on, and exchange what is required.
How many outfits should you plan for Christmas?
Of course, this depends on what your Christmas calendar looks like, whether you are an introvert or a party lover, whether you work from home or an office, and other similar factors.
Having said that, even the most introvert would likely need at least 4 to 5 Christmas outfits. These can of course be comfortable and casual Christmas outfits, if you plan to spend your holidays at home, and maybe do some Christmas shopping and visit the family. Even in this scenario, you’ll likely want a few new and fresh ensembles you can feel great wearing on the special days of the month.
For the extroverts, you will probably need 10 outfits or more, ranging from Christmas work party dresses, to casual Christmas eve outfits, dressed up Christmas day looks, and plenty to wear to socialize with friends and family before and in between the big days.
How to plan your festive outfits?
The best way to do it is to look at your calendar, write down all the Christmas events you are going to attend, and think of an outfit you want to wear for each. Do you have something in your wardrobe? Does that outfit need something new to bring it to life? Or do you actually need an entirely new outfit?
Ask yourself which outfits you can rewear. If you are not seeing the same people, and you have time to wash or refresh the garments, there’s nothing wrong with doing that. Even when you are going to be with the same group, you can actually take a dress and give it a completely different look by swapping the accessories, your hair, makeup, and your outerwear and jewellery.
If you like wearing separates – like trousers, skirts, and tops – that’s even easier. That’s why a Christmas Capsule Wardrobe is the smartest way to go about it, especially when you have too many events to plan for!
Finally, it all comes down to sitting down and taking the time to browse for inspiration on Pinterest. Read a few articles like this one, that can help you focus and drill down on that topic, pin the looks you like, look for pieces you already own, make a list of pieces you’d like to have for the season, and start shopping.
Don’t forget this very important step
When you get your new pieces in, try them on, and style while looking at those outfits that inspired your purchases, pairing them together with the pieces you already own. You can do long try-on sessions, where you try 10 to 20 outfits at one go, or split them into smaller sessions.
When you try an outfit that makes you feel great and is perfect for one or multiple occasions on your calendar, snap a picture and create a Christmas Outfits Album that will live in your photos until the end of the holiday season.
Should you wear casual or classy Christmas outfits?
That is a question you only can answer, and it depends on two main factors: your style and the events you will be attending.
You likely want to stick to the dress code of the event, but then have fun giving the outfit your own spin and style
On the other hand, when it comes to hosting at home, dinners and cocktails with friends and family, and even the important Christmas days celebrated at home, you can decide how you want to look and feel.
Here’s a tip to figure it out – ask yourself these questions, and the answers will help you plan the right outfits.
What did I wear last Christmas Eve/Day?
Did I like my outfits last year?
How did that outfit make me feel?
Were there any comments I made as to things I wanted to do differently the following year?
Did I have any regrets?
Which outfit got me the most compliments?
Which outfit did I repeat?
Manifest the Holidays You Want
One thing I can tell you is this. If you imagine yourself in your perfect life Christmas scenario, what would you be wearing on Christmas Eve, day, to go Christmas gifts shopping, or meet a friend for pre-Christmas drinks?
Those outfits you can imagine your best self wearing are the outfits you should wear this year. Firstly, they are truly the outfits you want to wear. And secondly, wearing them will bring you closer to that version of yourself that’s living your dream life. If you think manifestation is a January thing, you are doing it wrong!
More Italian Christmas Bonanza
I hope you found this Christmas outfit ideas post inspiring and helpful. I am sure you are going to look and feel lovely for all your festive celebrations.
If you’d like to leave me a little Christmas gift before you go, please give this a heart, share it with a few friends, and subscribe to my newsletter.
I wish you the best holiday season ever, and a wonderful new year.
Here are more Christmas reads I think you are going to love:
Christmas Tree Ideas
Italian Christmas Table Decor Ideas
Italian Christmas Menu
Most Popular Italian Christmas Foods
Italian Christmas Words & Greetings
If you like baking, try these Christmas recipes:
Italian Christmas Cookies (Spiced & Chocolate)
Italian Ricotta Cookies
Buone Feste,
Alessia.
