We have just under two weeks until December officially arrives, which means that the festive countdown is on the horizon.
Of course, the festive period always brings with a variety of invites to the work’s office party to early Christmas drinks with the girls. If you’re anything like me, then that means updating your wardrobe with something fancy for all your occasions.
I am sure I am not the only one that likes to use the Christmas period as an excuse to inject some glitz and glamour into her wardrobe. With sequins, glitter and sumptuous velvets adorning the high street, it is the perfect opportunity to always feel fancy.
As a fashion enthusiast and writer, I have been quite impressed to see many of our favourite retailers are offering a range of on-trend outfits this year. From burgundy dresses to the return of metallic, this year is awash with something for everyone’s personal style.
Now, since December will probably be a busy month with gift shopping, not all of us will have the time to consider wading through all the frocks on sale. So, as a fashion expert, I have decided to undertake the task of finding some of the best Christmas party dresses on offer right now.
Whether you are looking for something with ‘old school glamour’ vibes, or you’re looking to pull out all the sequin stops, here are some of my favourite party dresses on sale right now.
Phase Eight
Starting off strong, I popped into my local Phase Eight to discover a wide variety of glitzy frocks that were also very on-trend for winter this year.
However, one that immediately struck my fancy was this Theodora Leopard Pleat Midi Dress that comes with a £169 price-tag. It’s not just me that is a fan, as it has previously been spotted on This Morning recently – so, it’s definitely a trendy frock!
As a millennial, the thought of leopard print gives me flashbacks to the early 00s. Fortunately, mixed with sheer black cami material, the Theodora was both chic and classy, and, if I am honest, one of the most divine dresses I have spotted on the high street recently.
One thing I loved about this dress was the gold chain belted waist that offered a flattering figure. Falling to a trendy midi-length, the full, pleated skirt offers perfect movement for when you are on the dancefloor at any parties.
The Theodora also had the benefit of a slip underneath to prevent looking ‘too sheer’, while long sleeves offers that extra bit of cover from the cold weather. My only small issue was the keyhole back, as the button fastening was quite small and fidgety, so that might not be suitable when you have had a couple of tipples.
That being said, I can see why this Phase Eight Dress is being snapped up quickly, as I genuinely felt incredibly fancy wearing it. Paired with heels and minimal accessories, it offers the right glitz for both Christmas and any other posh events during the year.
Purchase the Theodora Leopard Pleat Midi Dress for £169 here.
Next
Second on my list was Next, a retailer that has been impressing me with its range of on-trend autumn and winter outfits this year – and it’s partywear collection didn’t disappoint.
While I am a huge fan of some sparkles, another luxurious fabric I enjoy wearing at Christmas is velvet. Which is exactly why I couldn’t walk past this Black Bardot Velvet Midi Dress.
Priced at £59, this frock offered that touch of opulence for anyone looking for something that offered a more ‘grown up’ aesthetic. Trying it on, I was surprised to find that, despite its fitted design, it offered incredible movement and was quite stretchy.
Not only did the fit feel great, but it also looked incredibly flattering, with lumps and bumps completely smoothed out. While I have admitted that I like sequins during Christmas, this little black number is something that will offer a bit more ‘old school glamour’ that you can re-wear time and time again.
I also loved the Bardot neckline that felt secure enough to never slip down while on the dancefloor. Overall, with its flattering fit and classy design, this was a solid winner for me.
With its more minimal design, its pretty much a blank canvas for accessorizing. You can opt to keep it simple muted jewellery, or you can choose to add that Christmas sparkle the retailer’s sequin blazer and maybe a pair of sparkly heels.
Purchase the Black Bardot Velvet Midi Dress for £59 here.
New Look
If there’s one retailer that I often find myself visiting during December, then its New Look, with the beloved high street retailer offering quite a few of my favourite Christmas go-to outfits for years now.
While I did find that there weren’t many sparkly dresses on offer this year in my local store, I did manage to spot this rather glitzy looking AX Paris Gold Sparkle Wrap Dress. I am partial to a wrap-over design and sparkles, so I thought this would tick all the boxes for me.
Overall, I was a little more mixed with this one. Starting with the positives, despite trying my regular size 12, I found that the fit was incredibly generous, with the fabric being similar to Next’s velvet dress with quite a bit of stretch.
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I also adored the ruched design that offered a bold statement feature, while the wrap design was never ‘too fitted’ that I felt like it clung to many problem areas. Overall, I should have loved this dress more than I did, and I think it was down to the lack of lining.
As a 31 year-old woman, I might still like to dress up, but I am not as bold as I once was as a teenager. Without a slip or any form of lining, this dress just edged on being too see-through for my liking, while also feeling a tad ‘scratchy’
Had there been some lining, I think I would have also loved this frock, as its design is cute and it has the right amount of glitz that never goes over the top.
Purchase the AX Paris Gold Sparkle Wrap Dress for £50 here.
M&S
When it comes to Christmas, then M&S really knows how to pull out all the stops with its food, homeware and clothing ranges.
You know how I mentioned that I liked sequins? Well, luckily the retailer seems to have understood this by offering the brand new £79 Sequin Square Neck Mini Shift Dress – which featured in its highly anticipated Christmas advert this year.
Trying this sparkly frock on in a size 12, I felt like this was on par with the Phase Eight frock, with it being one of the most striking dresses on sale this year. Oozing festive sparkle, it is certainly a showstopper that I can see being majorly popular at parties this December.
I personally really liked the fact that the sequin tassels added a modern twist on the ‘flapper style’ era from the 20s. That being said, I do have some reservations about them, as I would have the fear that they would get easily attached to anything when out and about.
Also, unlike the New Look dress, it was fully lined, so you don’t get that irritating scratchy effect that has you feeling rubbed raw at the end of a night. I did find that the shape itself was a tad ‘boxy’, but since it’s a generous fit, my advice would be to size down for a bit more of a ‘fitted’ silhouette.
Since it is a bit of a glitterball itself, I would personally opt for less bling to pair it with and maybe go for simple accessories that won’t cause the sequin effect to be over the top. Then again, it is Christmas, and it’s the only time being ‘over the top’ is allowed.
Purchase the Sequin Square Neck Mini Shift Dress for £79 here.
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