Thanksgiving and the holiday season are one of my favorite times of the year! The fall can be so busy and hectic, so I love to take time out of my busy schedule to give thanks, eat delicious food, and spend time with friends and family. As you all know, I am not much of a cook. So you won’t find me spending hours in the kitchen planning our Thanksgiving meal but I do love setting the Thanksgiving table. In our family, we typically dress up for holiday meals, which I love! Who does not want an excuse to wear their best outfits.

I usually always wear dresses on Thanksgiving; I always feel more pulled together and elegant in a dress. What’s more, a dress is so easy to style because all you really need to do is find a matching pair of shoes and add a piece of jewelry or two. Today, I am sharing a roundup of dresses that are perfect for any kind of Thanksgiving celebration, whether you are celebrating with extended family in a large gathering or with a smaller group and traveling this holiday. Be it a flowy cotton maxi dress or a more fitted smocked style, I hope one of these dresses will be the perfect piece for you to wear this November.

10 Thanksgiving Dresses for Women

Ginetta Dress in Fern Grove Floral from Doén

This long sleeve cotton dress from Doén would be great to wear this Thanksgiving. The brown floral pattern feels like a perfect reflection of the autumn season. For under $300 this maxi dress is well priced while still chic and eye-catching. The dress is available in sizes XXS – XXL with an adjustable back waist tie.

Sarah Dress from La Ligne 

This black dress is such a great wardrobe staple! A smocked top is paired with flowy black silk allowing the piece to work for a wide range of events and occasions. As a Thanksgiving dress, I would wear a thick knit cardigan or a lightweight cotton jacket over the dress, to add an extra layer of warmth and additional textures. Available in sizes XS – XL in black and green.

The Cosima Nap Dress from Hill House

This tank top style maxi dress with a smocked bodice would make a great comfortable and smocked thanksgiving dress. I love that the 100% Recycled Polyester material is easy to care for (I find it barely wrinkles.) This is a great piece to throw in your suitcase and travel home with over the holidays (no ironing required!) What’s more, the seashell pattern on a rich dark background reflects the natural colors of the Autumn season. This dress is available in sizes XXS – XXL, but please note a few sizes are sold out.

Silk Vivian Dress in Brown from La Ligne

Rich brown hues are a popular color in fashion this season. So it is no surprise that many of us love this beautiful chocolate smocked silk dress from La Ligne. The size inclusive Thanksgiving Dress (XS – 3X) is made of super-soft silk paired with a smocked bodice. I own a few of these Vivian style dresses from the female-founded brand and I suspect this silk version will be the next piece I buy from the line.

Black Velvet Wrap Dress from Garnet Hill

I love to wear velvet in the winter months, it is so soft and comfortable but also has such a beautiful drape making anything feel more elegant. This classic wrap dress with a slight puff sleeve and elastic cuffs is a perfect dress to wear this holiday season. You can easily change up how you style this dress by swapping around your shoes and accessories. I recently wore this velvet dress paired with simple black heels and dainty gold earrings but I also love the idea of adding a fun statement earring! This dress is available in sizes 00-18, I took my true dress size, 16.

Ruffled Collar Mini Shirt Dress in Black from COS (under $200)  

A more casual Thanksgiving Dress is this 100% cotton shirt dress. The black dress features thoughtful details, like a ruffled collar and box pleating and grosgrain trim. This is a great wallet friendly options, as it is under $200. This same COS dress is also available in a dark khaki green, which could be equally beautiful for a Thanksgiving outfit. Available in sizes 2 – 14, the boxy cut of this dress makes it run a bit large so you might be able to size down. I typically wear a size 16 in dresses but the size 14 of this Cos dress worked perfectly for me!

Cecile Dress from Ulla Johnson

The combination of puff sleeves and a beautiful pattern make for an eye-catching Thanksgiving Dress. I always love pink party dresses but a solid pink hue might be a bit bold for Thanksgiving, where this black and pink floral print feels more fitting for the November holiday. The patterns from Ulla Johnson are always so beautiful! Available in sizes 00 – 16 with elastic at the waist and a size zipper.

Vienna Maxi Dress from MIRTH  

A long tiered maxi dress is always a comfortable choice! This pullover style, cotton silk blend dress is casual yet elegant, making it great for any occasion. I love to add a leather or raffia belt over the dress to define my waist and add more layers to the outfit. Available in sizes XS – XL, the flowy nature of this dress makes the sizing flexible.

Bellamy Shirred Maxi Dress from Doén

This smocked thanksgiving dress from Doén would be lovely for any Thanksgiving celebration. I love the combination of a fitted and figure-hugging fit paired with oversized puffed shoulders. (You know I always love a puffy sleeve!) At times, Doén pieces can often feel summery, but I love this black geometric fabric and how it allows the dress to be more suitable for the fall and winter.  

Thanksgiving Dress Outfits

I wanted to be sure to share with you some examples of how I would style these Thanksgiving dresses so you can easily recreate the perfect holiday outfit on your own! Maybe you are looking for dresses under $200 or happy to splurge. I hope one of these ten dresses will be perfect for your celebration.

Due to the autumn season, I like to wear neutral colorways like black, browns and tans in comfortable materials like silk and cotton. As so much of the thanksgiving holiday is focused on food, I prefer to wear dresses with smocking or styles that are looser, allowing me to be more comfortable if I eat a bit too many slices of apple pie. Typically these more comfortable items are made of cotton or silk.

For Thanksgiving Outfits, I typically opt for a midi or maxi length dress, so I can easily move around the kitchen or play outside with my younger nieces and nephews without having to worry about bending over or having any form of constricted movement that sometimes happens in a shorter dress. When styling my outfit, I like my Thanksgiving dress to be the main focal point. Therefore, I opt for dainty jewelry and classic ballet flats or leather boots to keep my accessories simple.

All Black Holiday Outfit

One of my go-to tricks for getting dresses for nicer events is to wear all black, it is simple but always chic! In this Thanksgiving outfit I am wearing a Black Velvet Wrap Dress (in size 16) paired with Black Suede Maysli Buckle Pumps from Manolo Blahnik (these heels are a splurge if you are looking for a more wallet friendly option try these from Amazon!)

Smocked Thanksgiving Dress

If you are having a more low key holiday celebration and looking for casual thanksgiving dresses this Cosima Nap Dress from Hill House could be the perfect solution! You can complete the outfit with a crewneck sweater and black or brown leather shoes (here I am wear black sandals.)

Green, Black and Brown Outfit for Thanksgiving

I love to wear seasonal colors; therefore in Autumn I often reach for neutral hues like brown, greens, and black. As you determine your Thanksgiving outfit it is great to start by considering what colors you want to wear. Here I paired a black silk midi length dress with a green utility-inspired cotton jacket and brown leather sandals. I love how this jacket makes the outfit more casual and low key.

Colorful and Fancy Thanksgiving Outfit

I always love dresses with beautiful patterns and they could be a great choice to wear

If you want to wear fun pops of color, a beautiful patterned dress would be a great option to wear for Thanksgiving. I love this pink and black floral print dress – the black ground of the pattern helps make the dress feel fancy and appropriate for the winter holiday. If your dress features a bold pattern, I find it is best to style the outfit with simple accessories. For this outfit I added dainty gold jewelry and a pair of black heels.

Fancy Thanksgiving Outfit

If you are looking for a elegant outfit, a mid-length solid silk dress is a great choice. I recently wore this Navy Callista Rouched Cami Dress from Derek Lam paired with a cashmere shawl, black sandals and a woven lunchpail purse.