Christmas party casual dress in velvet and rib knit

A Christmas party casual dress sits between a sweater and a cocktail look, festive in color but easy to sit in for three hours. Ours are mostly velvet and rib knit, with some angora blend, and almost all have long sleeves. These are cold-season styles that come and go with the season, so you’ll want to settle on one well ahead of the December rush.

Office party, a friend’s house or the family table

Where are you headed? For a work party, we’d pick the red velvet midi that comes with its own belt. The belt marks your waist and the V-neck stays modest. It’s just as right at a family table on New Year’s Eve.

Dinner at a friend’s house is looser. In mint, the rib mini whose hem ends in a ruffle goes with white sneakers and a puffer on the way there, and a fresh color in the middle of winter lifts everyone’s mood.

The powder pink sheath midi is the quiet option. A watch or a thin bracelet fits below its three-quarter sleeve, and the straight cut follows the figure without squeezing, so you can go from your desk to a holiday lunch in it.

Red angora, green lurex and chocolate velvet

Color does the festive work here. The cut can stay simple.

Take the red angora-blend mini. Ruffles run along the hem and move as you walk, and the knit is warm enough that no sweater goes over it. It also shows up bright in phone photos by the tree.

Our green midi has lurex thread in the fabric. The shine is even, with no sequins, so we’d keep the shoes and the bag matte and let gold earrings finish it for a party. For coffee with friends you don’t need more than a plain watch.

Chocolate velvet is the one people don’t expect at Christmas. On that mini the velvet gathers softly between waist and hip, and its hem wraps across on a diagonal. Under lights the brown picks up a copper glow, and it looks good with mocha boots and a beige coat.

Sizing a dress you’ll sit and eat in

Rib and angora blend cling, so the chart numbers that matter are hips and bust. A belted velvet midi is more forgiving, because the belt adjusts the fit. Sizes go from XS up to XL. Torn between a pair of them? Send your measurements and our manager will settle it.