Red Christmas dresses for the tree, the table and the party

Walk in wearing a red Christmas dress and the room looks like a holiday, even before anybody switches on the tree lights. Ours are all one clear bright red, mostly in velvet, with angora-blend knit, rib and a satin slip for the warmer rooms, cut anywhere from a short mini down to floor-length.

Office party at six, family dinner at nine

One dress can do both. The red velvet midi comes with its own belt, a V-shaped neckline and long sleeves, so it looks right at a work party and at your parents’ table later on, and it doesn’t need a separate strap at the waist. Choose pumps on a steady heel and add gold earrings. A little chain-strap bag finishes it.

The angora turtleneck midi goes from a frosty office morning straight to the evening meal. Black knee boots by day. Heels later.

Need a red Christmas dress that won’t feel too dressy at work? The rib turtleneck midi is slit at the leg, and it’s fine in the city with a black coat and tall boots, then with stilettos and sheer black tights at the party.

For a Christmas Eve with lots of dancing, look at the pleated velvet. Fine pleats run all through the off-shoulder midi with three-quarter sleeves, and they move with you, and the round-neck midi with a pleated skirt and short sleeves swings at every step, which is honestly the best part of it.

Short red velvet, angora and rib for a red Xmas dress

The short velvet one, round-necked with long sleeves, covers you up top, so the short length looks neat at a birthday dinner or a New Year party. Sheer nude tights and black pumps for the restaurant. Thick tights and tall boots for a cold weekday.

If you’d rather feel cozy, the angora mini with ruffles at the hem is warm enough to skip the sweater. The turtleneck mini works for the office with a black blazer, and with over-the-knee boots at a party there’s only a little bare leg left between the hem and the boot.

The slip is the exception. Thin straps and a deep V. Bare arms. Under that neckline you’ll want a strapless or adhesive bra, and for the street an oversized black jacket or a long coat over the top.

It’s satin, and it shines. Gold and black are what we’d put next to it, plus stiletto sandals and small earrings.