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What To Wear to a Company Holiday Party

Hello, friends. Happy Monday! Last Friday night, my husband and I attended his annual company holiday party at a local hotel/conference center type of venue. The dress code always says “business casual (no jeans)” but you see a little bit of everything, and I always take the opportunity to get dolled up. This is what I wore this year.

What to wear to a company holiday party -- this festive velvet dress with a glittery statement necklace and sparkly heels is perfect holiday style!

I’m a huge fan of a cocktail dress for a holiday party. I know you can often get away with black pants and a festive top, but I so rarely have an opportunity to really get glammed up that I like to take this opportunity to do so.

I was among the most dressed-up women there, but there were one or two in a floor-length gown, so I definitely didn’t feel out of place in my velvet sheath and sparkly heels.

Sam Edelman Yaro Sandals in Jute

If you’ve been following along, you may remember this dress from my Trunk Club unboxing a few weeks ago.

For those not familiar with Trunk Club, it’s a subscription box service where they send you a box of clothes/shoes/accessories each month to try on at home. You send back what you don’t want and only pay for what you keep.

I’ve been working with the same stylist for a couple of years now. She has really learned my style and what I like, and she finds some great pieces for me that I might not otherwise discover. This service is perfect for women who don’t have time to shop and sift through all the options as well as those who want some help staying on trend and keeping their wardrobes fresh.

I specifically asked my stylist, Erin, to send me some options for holiday party dresses, and I ended up going with this velvet sheath.

What to wear to a company holiday party -- this festive velvet dress with a glittery statement necklace and sparkly heels is perfect holiday style!

I don’t love the high neckline, but other than that, it checked off all the boxes, and I think it’s the most flattering of the four dresses she sent me.

I always have good luck with Eliza J. dresses. They fit well, the quality is good, and their prices aren’t terribly extravagant. Nordstrom has a nice selection of Eliza J. dresses, although you can find them at other retailers as well.

What to wear to a company holiday party -- this festive velvet dress with a glittery statement necklace and sparkly heels is perfect holiday style!

The dress has a classic sheath fit, and the ruching on the side is a pretty detail. It’s fully lined so it skims the body and isn’t clingy.

For size reference, I have the 8, which is the size I always wear in Eliza J. dresses. I would say they tend to run small so if you’re in between sizes, go up.

What to wear to a company holiday party -- this festive velvet dress with a glittery statement necklace and sparkly heels is perfect holiday style!

After I decided on the dress, I asked Erin if she had an suggestions for accessories, and she sent me a bunch of options in my next box.

I chose this crystal statement necklace is by Baublebar. They do a lot of fun and affordable costume jewelry, and this necklace worked perfectly on my dress. Because the dress is fairly plain, a shiny statement piece serves as a focal point and draws attention up towards the face.

BaubleBar crystal statement necklace is the perfect accessory for this velvet sheath.

I already have and love these Sam Edelman Yaro ankle strap sandals in oatmeal suede, so when I opened the box to find them in this metallic jute, I was thrilled. They’re perfect for a party look — they have just enough sparkle to be festive, and because they aren’t really gold or silver, they can go either way to work in with the rest of your accessories.

Fortunately the weather was mild enough that I didn’t mind going in bare legs because I would never wear hose with shoes like these. If you’re in a situation where you must wear hose, I’d recommend metallic pumps instead. For more on that, see my post: What Hosiery to Wear with a Cocktail Dress.

Sam Edelman Yaro in Jute

While these are definitely high, the chunky heel is stable to walk on, and the ankle strap keeps them on your feet — unlike pumps, where I often feel like I’m going to walk right out of them (and sometimes do!) I had no problem standing in these for several hours.

What to wear to a company holiday party -- this festive velvet dress with a glittery statement necklace and sparkly heels is perfect holiday style!

This metallic box clutch with the crystal set clasp is the perfect finishing touch to the outfit. I love that it has an optional chain to keep you hands-free.

What to wear to a company holiday party -- this festive velvet dress with a glittery statement necklace and sparkly heels is perfect holiday style!

For lipstick, I wore GrandeLIPS Hydrating Lip Plumper in Midnight Purple, which worked well with the dress. I also had my nails done in CND Berry Boudoir, but I can’t find it online anywhere. Their Oxblood color is pretty close, it just has some more red in it than the Berry Boudoir. In fact, I had Oxblood for my pedicure, and they work fine together. Another one I like this time of year is Fedora.

I also added this sparkly Stella & Dot Trouve statement ring since I wasn’t wearing a bracelet. I didn’t really have one that worked with the necklace, and I think the ring worked out okay.

CND Shellac Berry Boudoir

As for a wrap, my Trunk Club stylist sent me this Fur-Fect faux fur jacket, which I decided not to keep. I was regretting that, though, when I left the house for our event. I actually went without a coat because the weather was mild when we left the house, but I was cold coming home. I still have a dressy black wool coat on my shopping list. It’s one of those things I don’t need often, but when I do, I really wish I had one.

Other than that, I love how this outfit came together. Best of all, I was comfortable. I think that’s key when selecting an outfit for an event like this. You never want to wear something you’ll be tugging at all night long. The stretchy velvet was easy to sit and move around in, it has sleeves so I wasn’t cold, and it doesn’t bare any skin that I might feel awkward about at a conservative company party. Those are all things I consider when picking an outfit for an event like this.

What to wear to a company holiday party -- this festive velvet dress with a glittery statement necklace and sparkly heels is perfect holiday style!

Eliza J. velvet sheath dress // Sam Edelman Yaro ankle strap sandals in jute // Baublebar crystal statement necklace // Stella & Dot Trouve statement ring

photo credit: Alison Cornell

Do you have a company office party this year? What is the dress code, and what did you wear (or are you planning to wear?)

If you need any help with accessories or other questions, feel free to ask and I’ll see if I can help. I’m also planning to do a Facebook Live on Wednesday at 11AM EST, so we can talk about holiday party attire in that forum as well!

Don’t forget to visit Cyndi and see the winter outfit she’s styling today for day 14 of 25 Days of Winter Fashion.

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72 Responses

  1. That is one stunning put together outfit!  And the color looks great on you!  We just had our church Christmas banquet to attend, so I dressed up a bit more.  Even bought a nice long embroidered cardigan with some sparkle in it, as well as a pretty Y rhinestone necklace.   But noticed I was more dressed up than most.  It’s nice that your party is one that you can dress up for!  I think that when you’re not out there having to dress up for work, it’s so much more fun dressing up.  I like all the prep as well, nails, hair, jewelry, etc. Fun times to me!  

    1. No idea. Probably not this year – unless something unexpected crops up. That’s the problem with recurring events like this – I can’t really wear it again next year to the same event, but I never know when something might come up so I’ll hold onto it.

  2. Stunning! 
    I assume you mean 11 am Eastern Time. Just want to be sure so I don’t miss your FB Live on Wednesday. 

  3. This is perfection! You look stunning!  I, too, love Eliza J dresses.  I would always rather be overdressed than underdressed! Merry Christmas!????

  4. You looked absolutely amazing in this dress. I love the velvet and deep rich color. I normally don’t go for dresses with a lot of bling or sleeveless so if I had a holiday party~this would be the dress of my choice.   Well done!

  5. I love this! You look gorgeous. The color of this dress is so rich and wonderful. I hope that you had a great time at the party! I have multiple holiday parties this year and they pretty much run the gamut as far as what to wear – from a formal affair for one of Tom’s offices (at a hotel and we joke that it is “prom”) to a nice restaurant for another one of Tom’s offices to a party in our office on a Thursday night for my work to a formal cocktail party for my kids’ school at someone’s (very, very, very Mainline stylish) house. I bought a dress when we were in London a few weeks ago at Ted Baker which I will wear to a few of the events and I have a dress that I bought at TJ Maxx a few weeks ago that I can wear with a jacket during the work day and without a jacket after work for my party.

  6. This dress is nice and I LOVE the shoes!  My husband’s holiday party is coming up and the attire is Holiday Cocktail. I have two dresses coming today, one red with bell sleeves and one black with a cold shoulder and bell sleeves. I sure hope one of them works, I want to have it all planned out before we go…it’s an hour away and we’re staying at a hotel, so I won’t have options nearby!  I always struggle with what coat/coverup to wear. 

  7. You look amazing! That is a great outfit. My party is this Saturday and I am still trying to decide what to wear! 🙂

  8. You look so pretty! I’m glad you went with that dress 🙂 If you’re looking for a good black dress coat, Banana Republic has 40% off today PLUS and extra 20% off outerwear– there are some great deals there! And BR is always so elegant.

  9. Love, love, love that dress and necklace together and on you!  I know Paul was extra proud to have you on his arm.

  10. Wow red carpet here you come!!! Great pick especially for the occasion and why not dress up when you have an excuse to?
    I think the wrap would’ve been a nice touch too:). 
    I also love deep plums and purples for the lips this time of year as I’ve never been a red lips person.
    Have a great day

  11. This outfit came together beautifully. I couldn’t agree more about being comfortable. The quickest way to ruin a fun evening out or party is to wear something you can’t wait to get out of. YUCK! Those sandals are great a I bet you’ll get a lot of use out of them. I think they’d look great with black jeans and a dressier top for a fun evening out. It does seem like all the parties are starting earlier, but like you, I’m good with that. Maybe we can actually find a few minutes to relax and soak in the season.

  12. You looked stunning! All of your accessories from that beautiful necklace to the clutch to the shoes created an amazing outfit. Well done!

  13. Ah the office Christmas party dress code “business casual (no jeans)” and yes you do see a little bit of everything and i am like you any opportunity to get dolled up, I am so there. Love the outfit it came together beautifully and as always you look stunning.

  14. I absolutely Love this dress on you! What I can not get used to are bare legs in the winter ! A pair of dark stockings or tights with black shoes or boots would have completely nailed this look ! The only exceptions to this rule are if you are way down South,above 70 degrees, & you have very tan legs ! Just my opinion, but its always bothered me when a child or a little girl does the same thing ! Maybe it’s because I’m from Michigan! ! Anyway ,I love your look, & I appreciate your daily message . Happy Holidays !Sincerely, Lori Dee in Michigan

  15. You look lovely! Purple is a flattering color on you. I have a work Christmas party next week. It’s at a sports bar type of restaurant, and we have a room rented. This will be the second work Christmas party I’ve attended. No dress code is listed.  I would be grateful for any outfit ideas that you might have. 

    1. Hey Missy. I would probably ask around and see what they normally wear, but I’d be inclined to go with a dressy blouse or sparkly sweater, black jeans or velvet jeans, and pumps – suede or something metallic and sparkly. Or the sandals like I wore.

  16. I am so glad you picked this dress. You look phenomenal in it!! Love how you styled it with the blingy necklace and shoes.

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