The best time of the year is upon us! October through January always brings about many birthday parties, Christmas parties, and New Year parties. Many high-street brands increase their advertising for special occasion and partywear, and even come out with collections solely focused on what to wear to parties. Party attire is my favorite attire, so I love checking out all the new occasionwear on the market. Nothing screams “party” like sparkles, deep colors, and velvety fabrics.
Occasionwear was majorly impacted by the pandemic and is still being affected today. It is interesting to watch how brands are launching their collections and what is being included in this season. WGSN reports consumers have become more frugal post-covid and value the versatility and cost-per-wear of their clothing items. This consumer trend is noticed across all clothing segments but is particularly interesting in the occasionwear/partywear segment. I grew up in a time where it was expected to wear a new dress to every event, so it is interesting to see how this idea of cost-per-wear will play out in this fashion segment. When I was conducting research for this blog post I looked at many high-street brands and noticed that partywear separates are hugely prevelant in this year’s collections. It appears that buyers leaned into the idea of wearing pieces more than once and bought many party tops which can be worn with rotating trousers/skirts. Individual brand’s “partywear” sections seem quite tame which signals that buyers believe consumers are more likely to purchase pieces that can be worn multiple times or to more low-key events. It was actually quite hard to find classic party dresses with sequins or glitter!! WGSN recommends buyers stock limited quantities of special clothing pieces in their winter collections. I experienced this first hand when I visited an Anthropologie store and saw a stunning beaded dress, but there was only one left in-store.
Despite the difficulty of finding inspiring party dresses, here is a roundup of my favorites from this season. I am also including some partywear tops as these are very prevalent on the market which indicates the mass public may be looking for these more subtle pieces.
Sequined Dresses
If you are looking for something sequined check out these dresses. The first one is perfect for any autumn/thanksgiving party and is from Anthropologie. The dress in the middle is from Free People and comes in green and black. Opt for the green to be festive for Christmas parties. The dress on the right is from ASTR and can be worn to any occassion from a birthday party to christmas party to new years eve party.
Velvet Dresses
Velvet dresses are hard to come by this season which signals that they may not be popular. However, if you are specifically seeking out a velvet dress I have pulled some options below. The dress on the left is from Anthropologie. I love the color and sparkle detail on the sleeve. The second dress is from Reformation and stood out because of the color. This icy blue color is hard to come by this season, but it’s the perfect winter color that can be worn December through February. The last dress is from ASOS and is a classic silhouette that suits all body types.
Party Tops
Many brands are focusing on selling separates that are easier to wear multiple times compared to dresses. These are three tops that scream winter parties! The bodysuit on the left is from ASTR and will make you shine at every event. The bodysuit in the middle is from Free People and is more suble in terms of color, but the back detailing makes it party-worthy (also comes in a cream color). The top on the right is from Harmur and will make you feel like an ice-princess. No need to worry about what accessories to wear as this top takes care of it for you! You can easily pair these party tops with any skirts/trousers that you have in your wardrobe and can be styled many ways to change up your look.
Honorable Mentions
These two pieces stood out to me while I was conducting research for this blog post and deserve an honorable mention. I would love to know the order/sales data for these pieces to see how well they preform. The dress on the left is from Ted Baker and is the most expensive dress in the product range. This dress stands out as Ted Baker usually offers “safer” clothing. The chromatic suit on the right is from Free People. This piece does have the typical Free People look, but I am still intruigued by how this piece will perform on the market.
Happy Holidays!
XO, Alicia
