Eliza J Sleeveless Floral Fit and Flare Dress ($124)
Holiday parties are easily one of my favorite parts of being an adult. Since my friends and family are either not of the marrying age or not the marrying type, holiday parties are my yearly opportunity to buy a fancy dress, eat tiny appetizers, and dance the night away with Michael in a room filled with people I genuinely enjoy. With Michael’s company gala coming up in a few weeks (engineers, man, they know how to throw down), I’ve spent the better part of my free time the past few weeks scouring the internet for the perfect dress to match the occasion. My requirements for the perfect holiday dress make this task an enjoyable challenge:
- Nothing over $150 (I may have cheated on a few for this roundup, but you and I both know these things are going to go on sale in a few days anyway.)
- Nothing that reads as too “holiday”; I can only justify the expense if I’m going to wear it again.
- No mother-of-the-bride holiday dresses. You know which ones I’m talking about.
- It should be kind of awesome.
Normally I’m a sucker for sparkles this time of year (and don’t worry, we’ve got that roundup coming for you soon), but lately I’ve been drawn to more matte textures: velvet, leather, lace. It’s not easy finding the right combination of awesome in one of these fabrics, so today I’m passing along all of my best finds to you. If someone doesn’t buy the purple velvet dress below, I think I might just give up and go home.
Velvet 1. Ralph Lauren Embellished Velvet Dress ($224) 2. Asos Skater Dress in Checked Velvet ($62.29) 3. Asos Curve Plus Size Kimono Maxi Dress ($115) 4. Mod Cloth Posh At The Party Dress, available in sizes XS-4X ($135) 5. Ivy and Blu Mixed Media A-Line Dress ($107)
Lace 1. Igigi Leigh Plus Size Lace Dress in Gold ($180) 2. Maggie London Long Sleeve Lace Sheath Dress ($158) 3. Mixed Media Fit & Flare Dress ($158) 4. French Connection Lace Jersey Dress ($117)
Leather 1. Aqua Short Sleeve Dress in Leather and Ponte ($138) 2. Asos Curve Plus Size Dress with Shard Embellishment ($67) 3. Asos Skater Dress with Leather Look Pleated Skirt (92.55) 4. Isaac Mizrahi Sleeveless Dress with Floral Skirt ($179)
Color 1. Monif C. Isabel Plus Size Lace Peplum Dress in Red/Fuchsia ($208) 2. Felicity & Coco Contrast Panel Sheath Dress ($118) 3. River Island Red Asymmetric Frill Scuba Dress ($100) 4. Topshop Sleeveless Formal Drape Dress ($92) 5. Coast Lisanne Dress ($190)
