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Retro Christmas Outfits: Dresses for the Christmas Party, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve
In December there are several evenings in a row when you want to wear something lovely: the Christmas party with your colleagues, Christmas Eve with the family and New Year’s Eve. Each of these occasions has a different mood, and an outfit that is just right on Christmas Eve often looks too demure on New Year’s Eve.
Retro fashion suits all three evenings particularly well. Fitted dresses with swinging skirts, checks, dots and brocade look festive without you needing an evening gown. This article shows what suits which occasion, which colours and fabrics prove themselves in winter and how to style a dress so that you do not get cold on a chilly December evening.
What should women wear to a Christmas party?
A Christmas party calls for an outfit that is one step more festive than your office clothes, but does not look like a gala. Tried and tested are knee-length or mid-calf dresses with sleeves, muted colours such as burgundy, green, navy or black, and a single accent, such as a belt, a collar or a beautiful pair of shoes.
How festive it can be depends on the setting. A meal at a restaurant with the team can be smarter than a party in the office that starts straight after work. If in doubt, it pays to choose an outfit that can be adapted in a few moves: a dress with a cardigan for the afternoon, without the cardigan and with lipstick for the evening.
The swing dress with sleeves
A fitted swing dress with 3/4 sleeves is a safe choice for the Christmas party. The full skirt looks festive, while the sleeves and length keep it office-appropriate. White dots on burgundy or a check in green and navy bring the mood of the season without looking like a Christmas jumper. How different dot sizes come across is explained in the article on polka dots.
Trousers and a blouse instead of a dress
If you would rather not wear a dress to the Christmas party, wide high-waisted trousers and a blouse in a flowing fabric are a great choice. Black trousers in the style of the 1930s and 1940s are the calm part of the outfit, a blouse in a rich colour such as blackberry, burgundy or bottle green the festive part. With court shoes or heeled ankle boots, this becomes a look that feels elegant and in which you can sit comfortably all evening. You can read more about this style in the article on Marlene Dietrich and the dandy look.
What should I wear on Christmas Eve?
Christmas Eve is usually all about the family: there is eating, sitting and often a trip to church as well. A good outfit for this evening is festive and comfortable at the same time: a dress in a fabric that does not crease, with sleeves, a skirt that does not pull when you sit and shoes in which you can also stand for an hour in a cold church.
Checks are a Christmas classic. A tartan in green and navy or red and green looks warm and festive and suits the Christmas tree just as well as dinner with the grandparents. If you prefer something simpler, choose a plain dress in burgundy or fir green and add an accent with jewellery or a brooch.
With or without a petticoat?
A petticoat instantly gives a swing dress more volume and makes it more festive. On Christmas Eve, when you sit at the table for a long time, a petticoat with medium volume is usually more comfortable than a very full one. For the office Christmas party you can leave it out altogether, while on New Year’s Eve you can go bigger. How long a petticoat should be and how much volume suits which skirt is explained in the article What is a petticoat?
What should women wear to a New Year’s Eve party?
New Year’s Eve is the night for shine. Metallic fabrics, brocade, satin, sequins or a black dress with eye-catching jewellery suit the mood of the night. What matters is that the outfit fits the kind of party: for a party at home a beautiful dress with a bit of sheen is enough, for a New Year’s Eve dinner or a ball it can be more elegant.
1950s fashion in particular has a lot to offer for New Year’s Eve. Back then the cocktail dress was the typical dress for evening celebrations: fitted, knee to mid-calf length, often in fabrics with a sheen. How the silhouette of that era came about is covered in the article on the 1950s and the New Look.
The little black dress in retro style
A black dress is never wrong on New Year’s Eve. It can be dressed up with gold or silver jewellery, red lips and shiny court shoes, and worn completely differently the next day. The little black dress owes its reputation as a classic to Coco Chanel: in 1926 American Vogue showed a simple black dress of hers and called it Chanel’s Ford, in other words a dress that was meant to become as much a matter of course as the mass-produced car.
In retro style, the cut is what makes the black dress special: a fitted bodice, a full skirt, short puff sleeves or a collar. Textured fabrics, such as pleated crepe, bring sheen to the black without looking showy.
Which colours and fabrics suit Christmas?
The classic Christmas colours are red, burgundy, fir green, gold and black. In retro style, muted shades such as blackberry, aubergine, bottle green and navy join them; they look festive but are still easy to wear after the holidays.
| Occasion | Colours | Fabrics and patterns |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas party | Burgundy, green, navy, black | Dots, fine checks, crepe, flowing viscose |
| Christmas Eve | Red, burgundy, fir green | Tartan, plain dresses, knitwear |
| New Year’s Eve | Black, gold, silver, bronze | Brocade, satin, sheen, metallic yarn |
In winter it is also worth paying attention to the sleeves. A dress with 3/4 sleeves or long sleeves is more comfortable in December than a sleeveless one, and it does not necessarily need a jacket over it.
How do you wear a dress in winter without freezing?
The problem with every Christmas outfit is getting there. With a few pieces, though, a dress can easily be made winter-ready without the look suffering.
- Tights: opaque tights in black or in the colour of the dress look calm and keep you warm. For the evening, fine tights with a slight sheen also work.
- Cardigan: a short cardigan that ends at the waist keeps the silhouette of the dress visible. You will find suitable styles in our Cardigans collection.
- Coat: a full skirt goes with a coat that is flared or long enough to cover the skirt. A very tight coat squashes the skirt.
- Shoes: heeled ankle boots are ideal for the journey. If you would rather wear court shoes at the party, take them along in your bag.
How does a retro outfit look festive rather than like fancy dress?
The difference between style and costume usually lies in quantity. A dress with a petticoat, plus red lips and a hairstyle with victory rolls, makes a strong statement. Add a hairband, gloves and a brooch and it quickly becomes too much. For the Christmas party a beautiful dress and a single accent are enough. On New Year’s Eve you can go further.
If you are looking for a hairstyle to match for the holidays, the article on rockabilly and 1950s hairstyles has instructions ranging from the quick version to victory rolls.
Frequently asked questions about Christmas outfits
Which dresses are suitable for a company Christmas party?
Knee-length or mid-calf dresses with sleeves in muted colours such as burgundy, green, navy or black. A fitted swing dress or a shirt dress looks festive and still stays office-appropriate.
Can you wear trousers to a Christmas party?
Yes. Wide high-waisted trousers and a blouse in a flowing fabric in a rich colour are an elegant alternative to a dress.
What should I wear on Christmas Eve?
A festive but comfortable dress with sleeves, for example in a check pattern or in burgundy or fir green. What matters is that it does not pull when you sit for a long time and is warm enough in a cold church.
What is the dress code for a New Year’s Eve party?
There is only a fixed dress code if the hosts set one. Shine and dark colours are usual: black, gold, silver, brocade or satin.
What colours do you wear at Christmas?
The classics are red, burgundy, fir green, gold and black. Muted shades such as blackberry, bottle green and navy also look festive.
Does a petticoat suit a Christmas party?
A petticoat with medium volume suits an evening party well. At a party in the office, a swing dress without a petticoat looks more understated.
Conclusion
The Christmas party, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve do not call for three completely different outfits. A fitted dress with sleeves in a muted colour carries you through the first two evenings, and a dress with sheen or a black dress with jewellery through New Year’s Eve. With tights, a cardigan and the right coat, you stay warm on the way there too.
At Bright House Vintage you will find retro and vintage-inspired women’s fashion in the style of the 1930s to 1960s, newly produced and in standard sizes. Our Swing Dresses collection brings together fitted dresses with swinging skirts, and you will find all cuts under Dresses.
