Holiday Party Dresses

Getting dressed up for a good holiday party or New Year's Eve party is always so fun. I just love any excuse to wear a pretty dress or some sequins! When I look for a dress for holiday parties, I love to check out really preppy brands I don't normally shop, like Tuckernuck and Vineyard Vines, as they always have their plaid games on point and the cutest details too! I own the Vineyard Vines dress pictured above from a few years ago (here's the same plaid but with sleeves), and love pulling it out every holiday season despite rarely wearing the brand the rest of the year. The holiday designs are so classic and timeless (and also really well made) so I know I'll have them for years to come!

These days, opportunities to get dressed up seem to be few and far between. We ended up skipping my big fancy work holiday party this year, and the other family holiday party I used to always dress up for seems to have gotten more and more casual every year, so I haven't gotten an excuse to buy a pretty new dress! And for NYE this year, thanks to baby, my plans probably include going out to dinner with our friends and then ringing in the new year from the couch. And let's be honest here, most likely from the couch asleep haha ;)

So, let me live vicariously over here - here are a few of the dresses I'd love to have an excuse to buy!

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Lace & Bows

Coat (similar) - Marc New York / Dress - Jessica Simpson / Heels - Ann Taylor / Bag (similar) - J. Crew Factory / Bracelet (similar) - Stella & Dot

I wore this pretty lace number to the wedding we went to last weekend, and if I can get my act together and get it to the dry cleaner (ahem, we dance really hard) I'll be wearing the same thing to my work holiday party this weekend too. I don't go girly a lot these days, but I loved the combo of the lace, the ruffled skirt, and the bows on my heels - it made for such a fun party outfit.

I love December because there are so many opportunities to dress up, but I've been trying not to go too crazy shopping-wise on party clothes since they're the least worn section of my closet. Instead this year I'm trying out Rent the Runway a few more times - I'm thinking this sequined skirt would be really fun for a holiday party with Jeff's family in a couple of weeks, and this dress for NYE. Are you still shopping for holiday party looks? Renting may be the way to go - it helps you spend less and helps you avoid too many outfit repeats. Check out my review of Rent the Runway here.

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Casual/Cute Christmas Party

Top - Express / Skirt (similar) - Loft / Flats (similar) - Tory Burch / Bracelets - BaubleBar (similar) and Michael Kors

Let me paint you a picture. Last weekend, we were heading to a birthday party for my great uncle. We weren't supposed to leave until 5, so I felt like I had plenty of time to get ready and spent a good chunk of the day lazying around in my pajamas. Then all of the sudden it was 4, my mom texted me to say we actually needed to leave at 4:30, and the outfit I had picked out did not work, and the hair style I had tested out the day before was refusing to recreate itself. We rushed outside to take pictures before leaving, and only one, the very first picture we took, turned out. Oh, it was a day of the #struggs. It was also so windy that this hairdo ended up looking crazy afterwards and I just took it down and went with it. But then Jeff made me giggle on the drive up and my sister and her husband wore silly matching sweaters and I made (maybe too good of) friends with the bartender, so it ended up being a pretty good night in the end.

So here you have it, the one picture of my outfit from Saturday's party. Casual, cute, with just a hint of festivity.  

Tell me, do you have the struggs every time you try to get ready for a party?

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