Holiday party cocktail dresses in velvet, lurex and satin

Standing with a glass or sitting down to dinner

How will you spend the evening? If it’s a standing reception, a mini is easy. Our emerald velvet mini on thin straps leaves your shoulders and collarbones bare, so plan for a strapless bra or clear straps. We sew the chocolate wrap mini from velvet with stretch. It hugs your figure without shortening your stride, its draping gathers at the waist, and one side of the hem crosses slightly over the other.

Dinners call for a midi. Take the red pleated velvet with bare shoulders. It moves when you do, and its three-quarter sleeves cover just enough arm for a cool dining room. Dancing later? That’s the one. For a quieter table there’s the emerald turtleneck midi with a belt at the waist.

Red, emerald and the shades that don’t shout

Red is the obvious pick in December, and we make it several ways. One is a round-neck velvet mini with sleeves to the wrist. There’s also a satin slip mini on thin straps, which we’d take to the office party under an oversized black blazer.

Emerald deepens in party lighting. Chocolate brown looks warmer than black under the yellow lamps of a restaurant, and it likes gold earrings. If you’d rather stay pale, white and powder pink velvet both come with a V-neck and long sleeves.

Then there’s lurex. The royal blue wrap midi shows up even in dim light, and you can tighten or loosen its tie belt until the waist feels right. The green lurex midi stops halfway down the calf. Its shine is even all over, without a single sequin.

We make these for the cold season, so our advice is to choose early and leave time to try the dress on at home before the invitations stack up. Each one comes in XS to XL. Browse all our holiday dresses, the sparkly party styles, or jump ahead to New Year’s Eve.

Frequently asked questions

Is a cocktail Christmas party dress different from a holiday one?

No. It’s the British way of asking for the same thing, a short or mid-length dress that’s dressier than daywear and stops short of a full gown.

Can one dress cover the office party and Christmas dinner?

The black velvet turtleneck midi can. It takes a blazer at the work event. At dinner, trade the blazer for big earrings and a clutch.

How do I stay warm in a mini in December?

Go for long sleeves. Our red velvet mini works with tall boots and opaque tights, and a black coat goes over the top.

How should the draped styles fit?

The draping should sit on your figure without pulling. Check that at the fitting before anything else.