It can be really, really tricky to find a great dress that is polished and sedate enough to wear to work, but then is interesting or elegant enough to also go to a cocktail party or holiday party after work. So let's discuss — what are you looking for in day to night work dresses? Do you add additional details like a statement necklace or ring to make it feel more festive?

(We've talked about work dresses a lot here, including rounding up our favorite work dresses in general, as well as the best plus size work dresses. Other specific roundups we've done include work dresses with pockets, fit and flare work dresses, work dresses with matching blazers, colorful sheath dresses for work, work dresses with built-in shapewear, and (over at CorporetteMoms), the best maternity dresses for work.)

These are some of the most polished, elegant day to night work dresses that I love…

Stylish Day to Night Work Dresses

Marycrafts

This dress is almost always under $50, and feels fancy because of the twist detail at the waist. It's available in sizes 0-22, at Amazon, in a bunch of colors.

Karen Kane

This Cascade dress has been a reader favorite for years because it's so easy to wear — it's stretchy, it's flattering, it's a little bit dramatic, and you can hand wash it. Score! It's $118 full price at Nordstrom and other retailers, often available in sizes XS-3X as well as petites.

Adrianna Papell

Aw, I'm kind of excited to see this Adrianna Pappell dress back in stock — it was a reader favorite for years, and then it disappeared for a bit. But it's a great dress for day to night looks.

It's $129-$159 at Nordstrom and other retailers, available in regular and plus sizes.

M.M.LaFleur

I've always thought M.M.LaFleur's Jillian dress was a gorgeous, elegant dress that would be just as appropriate in a conference room as well as at a cocktail party. It comes in a bunch of different colors, and a new “everyday satin” fabric, for $365 full price. (There are a lot marked down to $220 right now, though!)

Karen Millen

When we featured this dress for our morning thread, readers all agreed how great it would be to wear if you were speaking at a conference or the like. Karen Millen has a TON of different colors, sizes, and sleeve lengths for $342-$394.

Black Halo

In general, Black Halo makes beautiful, stylish, super polished dresses — it's hard to think of an item of theirs, over the years, that wouldn't be appropriate for both day to night. The pictured dress, the Jackie, is their classic, and also comes in a jumpsuit form. It's $375-$435 at Nordstrom and other retailers.

The Fold

Man – we have featured so many drool-worthy dresses and blazers from The Fold over the years, it's hard to say which is my favorite, but this hot pink dress may just be it. SO. FABULOUS. One of their iconic dresses, the Arlington, is also great for day-to-night looks.

The pictured dress is $595 at TheFold.com.

What are you looking for in a day to night dress, readers?

The post 6 Stylish Day to Night Work Dresses appeared first on Corporette.com.

Here's a fun question: what to wear to an holiday office party? We have six ideas below, all great whether it's for your holiday company party, your SO's office party, or some other holiday networking party.

As a general rule, pick two from the categories below and mix with regular workwear, unless you are 100% sure cocktail attire (or black tie!) is appropriate. A good clue: if the party is on a workday and all employees are invited (not just management types), take our suggestions here. 

As always, I suggest young businesswomen avoid showing cleavage, as well as what I'll call “unexpected” skin (think cutout dresses, etc). Even bare arms may not be appropriate — know your office!) You should also be wary of anything requiring a special bra.

We're shared some of our top picks for your holiday office party below…

{related: all our best tips on holiday business etiquette}

{related: here are some fancy but easy updos for the office or beyond}

Festive Blazer

Hunting for festive blazers for 2023/24? Stay tuned for a bigger roundup, but on the affordable side we like J.Crew Factory and Loft — and this Eliza J one is almost always in stock. On the more expensive side, check Reiss, Paige, and L'Agence. (Love this green iridescent houndstooth from L'Agence, also!)

I've always loved a festive blazer. Not only can you maintain a maximum of professionalism, but I often find that a layered look is the best way to dress for the holiday office party: party blazer + statement necklace, or party blazer + bright work dress, for example. You can also use your festive blazer to extend the life of your weekend clothes and wear things that wouldn't normally be appropriate to wear to work.

For example, a jumpsuit, a heavily sequined top, or even something like a leather skirt or a lace top that requires a strapless bra — all of these things look great beneath a festive blazer.

You'll be surprised how often you wear it, and how many years you'll get wear out of it — your own holiday parties, your SO's holiday parties, vague networking events, even “desk to dinner” events where you really don't feel like donning a dress or anything sparkly. Personally I've always preferred the structure of a blazer, but a sparkly cardigan can also work here.

{related: what to wear to a business cocktail party}

Polished Party Skirts

A party skirt is one of the easiest things to find and wear, but be wary of spending too much money on it — it will be memorable, and because it kind of is your outfit, it's going to be hard to wear it again year after year.

Keep the hem length appropriate for the office, and note that the fancier (and less office-appropriate) the skirt feels, the more subdued your top and shoes should be. Note that some skirts straddle the line between office and party — they're less festive, but more versatile (and you can pair them with something else sparkly on top).

Some Recent Picks for Party Skirts To Wear to Your Office Holiday Party

Below are some of our favorite polished party skirts as of Oct. 2022 – we've primarily avoided miniskirts because they show a lot of leg, which isn't appropriate for every office party — but know yourself and your office. (As someone who's only 5'4″, also, I find that a lot of “mini” skirts are almost knee-length on me.)

{related: the best semi-formal attire for business events}

Selected Sequins, Lace, and Leather

Sequins, lace, and leather aren't usually office-appropriate — we've talked specifically about lace at the office and leather skirts at the office before.

But when deciding what to wear to your office holiday party, you can break some of these rules, provided that you're not going all out.

Example: a sweater with a few sequins on it, or even a sheer sequined camisole (worn with an opaque black camisole beneath it) are fine, particularly when paired with a festive blazer or fuzzy cardigan.

But the all-sequin legging or all-sequin dress can be… well… a bit much for an office holiday party.

Some of Our Recent Favorite Office-Appropriate Sequins, Lace, Velvet and Leather

Note that regardless of how it's shown on the model, you should a) not wear a sheer top to an office party, and you probably should not wear a crop top or anything that exposes your belly. Depending on the office environment you may want to keep a cardigan, shawl, or shrug with you if your top exposes a lot of your arms, such as with a halter top.

{related: what not to wear to a black-tie affair for work}

Party Pants

Another great option: party pants. Paired with a regular work staple like a button-front or a cashmere sweater (ooh, or this DvF ballerina sweater), party pants are celebratory and happy, but not too crazy. Look for velvet, jacquard, limited sequins — and tuxedo pants or dramatically wide, flowy trousers can also be great for this kind of event.

For my $.02, I'd avoid any pant that makes people wonder if they're actually seeing skin (such as black lace underlaid with a beige satin), and in general, be wary of leather and of too-tight leggings.

Recent Picks for Festive-but-Professional Party Pants

Stay tuned for our favorite party pants to wear to holiday office parties in 2023!

Work-acceptable velvet pants can also work here!

{related: how to do black tie on a budget}

Office-Appropriate Party Dresses and Jumpsuits

For my money, this is the hardest one to get right. Sometimes a bright dress or blouse feels festive but will feel like a snoozefest at the party itself. Sometimes a lace dress will feel ladylike and elegant, but other times it may feel like you've unwittingly gotten dressed for a wedding when you just have a step up from what you would normally wear to work.

A few notes in general: Watch your hem length, as well as cleavage. I wouldn't recommend a dress with bare shoulders (i.e., strapless) — layer it with something else like a cardigan or blazer, but if you end up taking that layer off, don't worry too much.

Sometimes a party dress can be worn to work; sometimes that's going to be harder.

Recent Picks for Jumpsuits and Party Dresses for Professional Settings

Some of our favorite jumpsuits and party dresses for professional settings include these as of Oct. 2022… depending on the event, you may also want to check out our latest favorite colorful sheath dresses (great for alumni events, or just get darker colors like navy).

{related: where do you draw the line between wedding wear and office-wear?}

Desk to Party: Cocktail Jewelry

It's true, statement necklaces aren't as popular as they once were — but I still say there's nothing better for an office holiday party, and no better way to instantly jazz up a regular work dress or the like. Add one other thing from this list and you're golden.

More Holiday Party Accessories

As of Dec. 2023, these are some of our latest favorite party shoes — also consider using shoe clips on some of your regular shoes if you're on a budget! These under $50 ones are best sellers at Amazon…

{related: here's our roundup of the best foldable flats}

How to Save on Holiday Party Attire for Office Parties

A general note: Rent the Runway is perfect for these kind of purchases, particularly if you have several parties to go to over a few days. (Or, hey, it's a perfect excuse to set up a date night or girls' night out if you don't have several parties.) Other great deals can be found at Nordstrom, Poshmark and more!

(Want $30 off your first Rent the Runway order? Here's our referral code.)

{related: what to wear to a black-tie dinner for a benefit}

Ladies, what are your favorite things to wear to office holiday parties? Have you seen any fashion gaffes with regard to office holiday party attire (or been victim to any gaffes yourself)? 

Stock photo via Pexels / cottonbro.

N.B. This post was originally written in 2015, but updated substantially in Oct. 2022.

The post What to Wear to a Holiday Office Party appeared first on Corporette.com.

What should you wear to your husband's boss's dinner party? How does plus-one style (in appearance as well as approach) differ? Reader L wonders…

My husband and I are both lawyers in our late (or, more accurately lates-est) twenties. He recently accepted an associate position at a new firm, and one of the shareholders invited us to a small dinner at his home along with several other associates and their significant others. The dinner is not until the end of March but I am already in a panic about what to wear. Any suggestions?

We have talked about what to wear to your boss's holiday party, but the suggestions there (post and comments) are all very seasonal, so I thought we'd revisit.

General Tips on Plus-One Style for Young Professionals

The important part here, I think, is that you're the plus one — it isn't your boss; it's your husband's boss. In my mind this is a very different approach than when you're going to your own work-related social event.

Things that might be of concern were it YOUR boss: being too feminine, being interesting in that “I have a life outside the office” way, having the entire social event run in a way that it bolsters your boss's and colleagues' good opinions of you as a work colleague and doesn't undermine those opinions at all… But when you're the plus one, none of that matters.

Obviously, you're intelligent and a lawyer yourself — don't pretend to be something you're not, and don't do/say anything that will lay the groundwork for a bad impression if you later meet another dinner attendee in a work-related capacity.

But: if you leave that evening and their impression of you is, “she's pretty and makes a nice wife for Mr. L,” that's A-OK. You wouldn't want that if it were YOUR boss, but since it's HIS boss it doesn't matter.

(Incidentally, this has nothing to do with husband/wife dynamics — in general I think it's the mark of a bad plus-one if they outshine you at your work events. Part of having/being a good partner is knowing when to throw each other the ball and let the other person run with it, rather than trying to make all the goals yourself. I would be peeved if my husband and I went to an event for MY work and he actively hogged the spotlight, or even if he led/perpetuated a conversation that he knew I couldn't take part in.)

THAT SAID — what should you wear, whether it's to your own event or your husband's event? My advice is kind of the same: if it's on a weeknight, wear something you could have worn to work.  A dress in a work-appropriate fabric (with sleeves if you want to be conservative) sounds perfect to me, such as this one, this one, this one, or this one. 

If it's a weekend night, I might still wear a dress, but perhaps a more casual one, and upgrade it with some blingy jewelry.

For my $.02, I'd stick with softer, friendlier silhouettes like cardigans, and avoid satin, lace, and other “definitely cocktail dress” attire.

For propriety's sake, keep an eye to respectability — no cleavage, no leg, nothing too tight; if you're wearing heels I'd go for walkable ones.

A Few Suggestions for What to Wear to Dinner With Your Husband's Boss

Some of these may verge on too holiday for a get-together, so keep that in mind…

Statement Necklaces to Upgrade Any Look

Festive but Professional Party Dresses and Jumpsuits

Some of our favorite jumpsuits and party dresses for professional settings include these as of Oct. 2022… depending on the event, you may also want to check out our latest favorite colorful sheath dresses (great for alumni events, or just get darker colors like navy).

Readers, what would you wear to dinner with your husband's boss? Do you agree with me that plus-one style (in clothing and approach) is different than when you're the main person invited? (Have you STOPPED taking any people as your plus-one to work events because they were bad plus-ones?) 

Note that this post was originally written in 2009, but substantially updated in Oct. 2022, except where indicated.

Updated stock photos via Deposit Photos / deagreez1.

The post Plus-One Style: Dinner at Your Husband’s Boss’s House appeared first on Corporette.com.

Sure, we all know what basics professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you're buying one for the first time or replacing one you've worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.

I seem to recall that some readers were dubious about this the last time I posted that a festive blazer was a must-have, but I’m 100% serious here: a velvet blazer is great for many office holiday situations.

Velvet is my fabric of choice — the matte fabric is more office-friendly than a metallic blazer, and — should you choose to wear sequins underneath the blazer — velvet holds up much better than, say, lace.

I fondly remember buying my first velvet blazer — I had been hunting for weeks, desperate for something to wear to my 10-year high school reunion, held around this time of the year in a local bar famous for its wings. I wound up getting a single button, violet purple velvet blazer.

{related: the best winter blazers to wear to work}

I wore it to my high school reunion with jeans and, having just recently lost a lot of weight, felt like hot stuff the whole night. (Why yes, the former quarterback did ask for my number — so what if he was divorced and balding with a 10-year-old kid?) 

{related: here are all of our tips on holiday office parties}

Anyway: for the price I paid, I would have been perfectly happy if I never wore the blazer again. But I was amazed how much use I got out of it — I wore it to the office with gray trousers. I wore it to the staff holiday party with a black sheath dress.

It became my go-to blazer for desk-to-dinner outings with friends. I think I finally hung it up around Valentine’s Day… but happily pulled it out the next November. If I were buying one now, these would be the ones on my list.

{related: The Ultimate Guide to Business Casual for Women}

Readers, do you consider a festive blazer a must-have? Have you bought any great ones recently (or have any victory stories about old favorites, like mine, to share)?

Psst: we've also had discussions if you're wondering what to wear to work in winter, what coats to layer on top of blazer jackets, as well as what to wear to holiday office parties.

{related: the best blazers for women this year}

Some of Our Latest Favorite Festive Blazers for Work Outfits, Holiday Office Parties, and More

Hunting for festive blazers for 2023/24? Stay tuned for a bigger roundup, but on the affordable side we like J.Crew Factory and Loft — and this Eliza J one is almost always in stock. On the more expensive side, check Reiss, Paige, and L'Agence. (Love this green iridescent houndstooth from L'Agence, also!)

{related: do check out our regularly updated list of wardrobe essentials for work!}

Some Great Festive Suits and Other Special Occasion Suits for Women

Sometimes you want the whole look, whether you're going to an office party or a wedding. These are some of our latest favorites…

Reiss

I'm drooling over this pants suit from Reiss. I love the dark but bright shade of blue, as well as the tone-on-tone styling. Also with regard to the styling, I'm always a fan of the rockstar scarf-worn-loose look with suit jackets, and I think it's clever to do it with an untied secretary blouse/pussybow blouse — but the ties at the wrists are confusing.

In any event, the suit is gorgeous. The blazer is $540, available in sizes 0-14 (pre-ordered but many sizes sold out?!) and the pants are $330.

Lafayette New York 148

This one is a bit on the party side of suits, but it is almost that time of year… in any event, I really like this unusual print and suit from Lafayette 148 New York.

The leaf print is apparently part of their latest designs, with dresses, tops, pants, and more all featuring some variation of the leaf print. I really like it, though; it's so much more interesting than an abstract print or a more boring, regular print.

(Something about it has a slight rock and roll vibe to it? It reminds me of this Gucci suit as worn by Jenna Coleman, #19 on this list from Harper's Bazaar of celebrity trouser suits.)

The blazer is $1990 and available at Lafayette 148 New York and Neiman Marcus; the pants are $1498.

Also Great To Wear to Holiday Office Parties…

Statement Necklaces

Channel Ruth Bader Ginsberg and wear some great statement necklaces.

Party Pants for Office Parties

Note that party pants might not be acceptable at all offices – know yours!

Stay tuned for our favorite party pants to wear to holiday office parties in 2023!

Like this feature? Check out other recent installments!

The post The Hunt: Festive Blazers appeared first on Corporette.com.

As the season for holiday parties approaches, I have clutches on my mind — in part because I have apparently lost my favorite clutch, a blue leather number. I'm eyeing the Lauren Merkin clutches on sale at Last Call by Neiman Marcus for a possible replacement, particularly this pleated “Caroline” clutch. For my $.02, a classic red clutch is a great investment — it's great year-round, and while it's more daring than black, it's not so memorable that you can't wear it to a number of different events.

This clutch was $250, but is now marked to $180. Caroline Pleated Clutch

This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

Sales of note for 7.19.24

• Nordstrom – The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is now open to everybody! Here are all of our picks, and here are reader favorites.
• Ann Taylor – Semi-annual sale, extra 50% off markdowns + 20% off everything!
• Banana Republic Factory – 40-60% off everything, take an extra 20% off your purchase
• Eloquii – 50% off select styles
• Everlane – Up to 70% off
• J.Crew – End of Season Sale, extra 50% off sale styles
• J.Crew Factory – 40-60% off everything
• Lo & Sons – Summer sale, up to 50% off
• Madewell – End of season sale, up to 70% off with code.
• M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is the biggest sitewide discount I've ever seen…)
• Rothy's – Lots of great finds in the “final few” section
• Talbots – Semi-annual red door sale, extra 40% off markdowns

Some of our latest posts here at Corporette…

Sales of note for 7.19.24

• Nordstrom – The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is now open to everybody! Here are all of our picks, and here are reader favorites.
• Ann Taylor – Semi-annual sale, extra 50% off markdowns + 20% off everything!
• Banana Republic Factory – 40-60% off everything, take an extra 20% off your purchase
• Eloquii – 50% off select styles
• Everlane – Up to 70% off
• J.Crew – End of Season Sale, extra 50% off sale styles
• J.Crew Factory – 40-60% off everything
• Lo & Sons – Summer sale, up to 50% off
• Madewell – End of season sale, up to 70% off with code.
• M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is the biggest sitewide discount I've ever seen…)
• Rothy's – Lots of great finds in the “final few” section
• Talbots – Semi-annual red door sale, extra 40% off markdowns

Some of our latest posts here at Corporette…

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

• Is there a mantra or slogan that will help me combat imposter syndrome?
• AITA for not moving to the middle seat to be closer to my husband on a recent flight?
• What are your latest favorite nonfiction books for fans of Mary Beard?
• I'm so annoyed by people who look at their smart watches instead of paying attention to our conversation…
• Let's have a secrets thread…
• I need tips on managing employees in BigLaw who have to leave for daycare pickup…
• I'm thinking of leaning out to spend more time with my family – how can I find the perfect job for that?

The post Coffee Break – Caroline Pleated Clutch appeared first on Corporette.com.

How do you handle the desk to dinner transition, readers? If you have a hot date, a party after work, or even an office-related cocktail party, how do you change your work outfit and work makeup?

While doing the “Previously” posts for this month, I was thinking that the “desk to dinner” transitions one would be a good one to revisit since we have such a bigger community now to discuss.

At the time I wrote the first post, Project Runway had just done a challenge where contestants had to make one outfit that could carry a woman from daytime work to a hot date — and I just remember  thinking, well this is just going to result in slutty workwear/frumpy datewear.

So I'm curious, readers:  when you have a hot date, or a party after work, how do you handle it?

How to Dress for Desk to Dinner

Method 1: The New Outfit for After Work

My own method has always to just bring an entirely new outfit to wear out and about.

Tonight, for example, I'm going to a fairly fancy party and so I have a dress, my highest, hippest heels, and my trusty black wrap because it's starting to feel like fall in Manhattan.

Meanwhile, at the office I'm wearing simple black pants, a purple long-sleeved top with ruffles on it, and gray Cole Haan pumps. Heck, I even have a different bra packed for the party tonight.

The only thing I'm planning on wearing the entire day is my jewelry, which admittedly is a bit much for the work outfit (dangly diamond earrings and a right-hand diamond ring, in addition to my regular watch and wedding/engagement ring), but I really dislike throwing good jewelry into a handbag to wear it later.

Funny story, though — back when I was dating, I remember going on a first date at a lunch and thinking, well, it would be weird to change into jeans for a lunch date. So I wore what I had worn to the office — black pumps, black sheath dress, and, I think, my pearls — and the guy thought I had gone all out for him (and actually seemed a bit intimidated by that fact).

Method 2: Add evening-worthy accessories to your work outfit.

Sometimes you can just add a great necklace, pair of earrings, statement ring (or some combination of all 3!) to your work outfit, and it takes it to the next level for you to feel like you're ready to party.

Great Jewelry for Desk to Dinner

Party Shoes for Day to Night

Stay tuned for our roundup of great heels for after hours! These super cute high heels are best sellers at Amazon and are under $60.

Party shoes aren't always going to be appropriate for every outfit transition from day to night… but they may be!

As of Dec. 2023, these are some of our latest favorite party shoes — also consider using shoe clips on some of your regular shoes if you're on a budget! These under $50 ones are best sellers at Amazon…

Makeup for Desk to Dinner

As far as makeup for desk to dinner, I always like to put on Touche Éclat and a highlighter like Haloscope or High Beam while listening to a crazy upbeat, silly song like Rock Me Amadeus — but for you this may look different. I also feel like refreshing my brow and cheek makeup is important! Some of my favorite makeup products for faking a good night's sleep may also be helpful here.

Method 3: Find a Unicorn Piece That Can Go from Day to Night Seamlessly

This may seem like an impossible task, but we actually have some favorites… so we'll round them up below!

Great Day to Night Work Outfits

Sometimes if the event you're going to is an elegant one, you can find a dress or top to do double duty for you…. These are some of our latest favorites.

Stylish Day to Night Work Dresses

These are some of our latest favorite dresses that can go from the office to a cocktail party with very little additions…

Cute Day to Night Tops for Work

Stay tuned for our roundup of day to night tops for work!

Sometimes a fancier tee will work — these are some of our favorites in general; you can even wear them under suit jackets if you need to! (They come in a variety of colors, including basic black for almost all of them!)

As of 2024, some of our favorite dressy tops for work outfits include the ones pictured below from M.M.LaFleur, Amour Vert, Modern Citizen, and Boden, as well as Saint & Sofia and possibly this one from Spanx. In general, keep an eye out for brands like Boden, CeCe, The Fold, and Tuckernuck, as well as the smaller workwear designers like the brands pictured above. Some great fancier sleeveless tops include options from Loveappella, this wrap top, and this high-necked option from Amazon. (All of the tops come in both white and black, as well.)

Updated images via Stencil. Originally pictured: Ballgowns and demolition, originally uploaded to Flickr by Phil Gyford.

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