French designer, Christian Dior coined the term “cocktail dress” for evening frocks in the late 1940s. But the cocktail dress code has since become slightly more complicated. And while a classical LBD is still quintessential to cocktail attire, more and more women are turning up to cocktail soirees in satin suits, dressy jumpsuits and polished palazzos. So what’s deemed acceptable and what isn’t? And even more, how do you nail the cocktail dress brief while still injecting your unique style into the ensemble?
As one of the more nuanced and unclear dress codes, cocktail attire is sophisticated but not too 1920s ball worthy. It’s festive, but in many cases should also be professional. It’s both smart and casual, but different from “smart-casual.” And while picking an outfit for your next sophisticated soiree should be exciting, unless your invitation stipulates exactly what to wear, it can be quite a stressful one to receive.
Fortunately, we’ve put together a few general guidelines to assist you through end-of-year gatherings, wedding booms, and festive seasons. These are the kind of outfits that make you feel like a million bucks, while appeasing the more staunch sartorialists at canapes. They’re the kind of ensembles that will simultaneously impress your colleague crush and your overbearing boss. And they’re the kind of get-ups that make you actually want to get up—and onto the dance floor. After all, cocktail attire is supposed to be fun. And it is. If you have the right framework that is.
Pssst, if you’re looking to dress your man in an equally impressive ensemble, see our guide to cocktail attire for men.
Discover more in our guides to the casual dress code for men, smart casual for men, and business casual for men.