White holiday dresses for December dinners and parties

White velvet for the dinner and the dance floor

Most of our whites for the cold months are velvet. The pile is soft, the fabric is dense, and white comes out warm on it instead of chalky. Our sheath midi has long sleeves and ends a little below the knee, so it suits a December dinner where you’ll sit through three courses. Planning to dance? Take the pleated one. Its skirt moves with every step, and the three-quarter sleeve leaves your wrist bare for a bracelet.

Two floor-length styles come with a leg slit. One sits off the shoulders, the other has a single sleeve and one bare shoulder. Try either with the heels you’ll wear that night, because the slit shows your shoes and the hem needs checking at full height. A word from the people who sew them. Every spot shows on white velvet, so go easy with red wine and sauces at the table.

Angora and rib knit when the party is at home

Not every holiday happens in a ballroom. For a family lunch, an office get-together or Christmas morning, a soft knit makes more sense than velvet. Our milky angora-blend dresses have a high neck and long sleeves, and the knit doesn’t itch. The knee-length one is cut loose, so it lies flat under a coat or a puffer. There’s also a white angora mini with a slit at the front. Thick tights and tall boots in a creamy shade turn it into a daytime outfit.

Rib knit is the close-fitting choice. Our rib mini comes with long sleeves and a collar that stands high on the neck, and there’s a sleeveless midi that you can layer over a thin turtleneck by day. Under white rib you’ll want seamless underwear in a skin tone.

Picking a size before the holiday rush

Holiday invitations tend to land all at once, so it’s better to try your dress early than the night before. What’s open to order changes with the season, and each page shows it. One white satin wrap mini, for example, belongs to our summer collection and comes back when it gets warm.

All of these whites come in XS to XL, and our XL is roughly a US 12. With the sheath, your wider measurement decides, bust or hips. Angora stretches, so your usual size works. Next, compare lengths in all the holiday dresses, look at winter whites, or see the same velvet in black for the holidays.

Frequently asked questions

Will white look out of place at a Christmas or New Year’s party?

Not at all. A holiday party isn’t a wedding, so nobody’s saving white for a bride. Keep your coat and bag light too, and the outfit stays in one tone.

Is a white velvet dress warm enough for a winter evening?

Our velvet is dense and keeps you warmer than a thin party fabric would, and most of these styles have long sleeves. With the off-shoulder style, pack a shawl for the few cold minutes between the car and the door.

What do I wear under a white dress?

Seamless underwear close to your skin tone. It won’t show through. The one-shoulder styles need a strapless bra.

How do I wash white velvet?

Separately from colors, inside out and at 30 °C. Hang the dress to dry far from any radiator, and take creases out with a steamer from the reverse side.