A few years ago, I discovered the joy of “Thanksgiving dresses.” What is a Thanksgiving dress??A perfect plaid/fall pattern dress that is super easy to move in and comfortable while still making you feel cute (even if you cook all day and sweat, or eat all day and feel full). I found a great one at J.Crew that a lot of people bought and loved a few years ago (although it’s no longer available). this is from poshmark to the lucky buyer). I still wear it almost every year, and I’m sure many of you do too. We also found, surprisingly, that most EHDs have never really dabbled in the art of Thanksgiving dress. So this year we thought – let’s follow my rules and see what each of us will like about this year’s Thanksgiving dresses?? Spoiler: We all found a good one. Here are the rules for finding the perfect dress:
- Flowing comfort (ideally breathable enough for cooking all day or just standing around in grandma’s house in 90 degrees)
- Plaids/Fall prints/Fall colors (Prints are generally more forgiving and fun to wear)
- Bonus points if it has pockets!! (So you don’t have to lose your cell phone etc. while walking around the kitchen. It’s not a “must have”, but it’s nice to have.)
Now, let’s take a look at the dress lineup!
mallory
height: 5’7”
Dress size: Medium (blue) + small (pink)
As soon as I started my search, I found these two dresses and was blown away by how cute they were! It’s super comfortable, it’s smocked so you don’t have to wear a bra (at least for small-breasted women like me), and the plaid pattern is just adorable. I bought the medium and small and both were a perfect fit. blue is a medium, pink is smaller. Actually, I think medium is better. They usually run small, so don’t be afraid to size up.
height: 5’7”
Dress size: small
i am in love this dress When I saw it at the store, I couldn’t help but pick it up! It flowed so well (check), the pattern was super cute (check), and unfortunately it didn’t have pockets, but the style was so perfect that I said I’d buy it. The sleeves are long but sturdy, so I’m happy to be able to actually cook with them. I really liked the neckline with the little tie. It’s very glamorous, breathable and stylish. Also, I need a spray tan (lol)
emily
height: 5’4”
Dress size: small
I love Emerson Fry’s clothes. Very easy to wear, very well made, and the patterns are always great (I try the cheaper versions and they are really perfect). This one (I bought it at Evereve) has covered buttons all the way down, ties loosely at the waist, slightly puffed sleeves, and features a large chocolate brown floral pattern. Put all of this together and you’ve got a super flattering, comfortable, drapey dress that’s especially perfect for Thanksgiving (and of course, perfect for fall/winter wear too). This is lightweight and very drapey (it’s cotton). I want to scream too this dress I have the summer version and still wear it all the time. It also drapes well and is very flattering, but not too tight. I don’t need both, but they’re very comfortable and cute, so I kind of want them too. I’m wearing a brown S, but if you’re in between, please size up. I’m wearing a medium in Frances’ dress and it still fits perfectly (because it drapes so well).
caitlin
height: 5’8″
Dress size: big
Hello from my childhood home! Like Gretsch, I also come from a very small family, just my mother and myself. –The concept of “Thanksgiving attire” is a little foreign to me. However, my boyfriend’s family is a big family, so I was very excited to get a $98 dress to wear to all of our family celebrations this holiday season. I didn’t know much about Tuckernuck’s size. Especially for my bust measurement of 36F, XL seemed like a better fit. But I found the Large to be a perfect fit. She’s roomy and roomy (meaning you can put away a ton of meals), but the cut isn’t overwhelming or overwhelming – they did a really great job of draping the fabric to show off your shape a little! It’s not a shapeless bag at all. I also prefer the Black Watch tartan pattern to the traditional fall plaid. Because I feel like it lasts a little longer during the winter. I wish this had pockets, but other than that I have no complaints. I think it’s a good deal considering the price. (PS. If you don’t like plaid patterns, this dress is for you 18 other colors/patterns!)
jess
dress | belt (Size 85) | shoes (more colors!)
height: 5’4”
Dress size: 36/4
Historically, I’m not really a Thanksgiving costume girl. Don’t tell Mallory! It’s not against moderation, but I usually just throw on a fall sweater and jeans and call it a day. Also, I never thought the classic Thanksgiving dress was my style (past tense is important here). So when I had the idea for this post, I thought, “I probably won’t find anything I actually like, but I’ll definitely find it.” Well, an innocent peek into Sezane’s pop-up shop in the Grove is sure to change your mind, even if you don’t often wear Thanksgiving attire. My plan was to pop in and maybe buy something to come back (because I knew it wouldn’t be cheap), but I honestly love recommending it so I decided against it. Well, the day didn’t go as planned, so I went out with them. this amazing dress and, belt That I won’t be coming back.
dress | shoes (more colors!)
This little number is so comfortable and light! Perfect for a filling meal 🙂 Plus, those sleeves are so dreamy and my favorite part. On the site, the model wears this dress without a belt and with slouchy boots. Hers is incredibly cute, but I feel like I’m just a 5’4″ frame so I wanted some kind of shape…that’s how I ended up with my latest favorite accessory…This patent leather mahogany belt. The styling is completely up to you, and the dress will be quite long if you leave it unbelted and tuck it up a little. I wanted to match it with jeans, so I chose a belt that was larger than my ideal waist belt. I wasn’t going to buy a cheap belt for one dress. I also jokingly asked a very cool salesperson if belted dresses are a super-millennial thing, and she assured me that the style is back. Avoid very tight and wide elastics. Everything should be fine 🙂 Ah, but I went to a local shoe repair shop and had them cut a few more holes in the belt so it would be tighter around the waist and bigger at the hips. It took them 2 seconds to do it. What I love about this dress is that it feels like fall, but it’s not completely fall. Plum and pink are perfect for winter and spring as well. In cold weather, just add tights and boots. I tried it on at my favorite plum colored flatsand now I’m going to make my California Thanksgiving dinner super happy and stylish with this overall look.
Gretchen
dress |Boots (vintage ZARA)
height: 5’9″
Dress size: Large/Regular
I’m not a big Thanksgiving person. I come from a family of three musketeers. So it’s just me and my parents. It’s pretty rare that we spend an entire day preparing a fancy meal just for us. Our large family lives far away and no one likes to cook. It’s also one of those holidays where traditionally there hasn’t been much interest in dressing up. Sorry about that! The Laguss are mostly casual, so it’s been an interesting challenge to find a dress that feels close enough to our family’s everyday wear of sweatpants, yet still (mostly) off Mal’s list. The ones I found aren’t fancy (but they aren’t sweatpants either). I know I’ll be wearing it more on a daily basis. It’s so beautiful Banana Republic Factory mini shirt dress in dark oak. Since it’s corduroy and has a collar, I like the feeling of, “Oh, is this just a flannel shirt with a skirt?” Comfortable feel. I like that the sleeves are long and hit my arms. Also, the skirt seems to be kicked off a little lower on the body. You can cinch the waist in with a (thin) tieback, or you can leave it a little loose and wear it completely loose. However, please note that you may be provided with a “cardboard box”. It’s very comfortable and easy to wear, and the price is cheap! It looks cute, so I’d like to keep it. Regular large is perfect for me. My one big disappointment? There are no pockets.
marley
dress | Black V-Neck Sweater | cardigan (Other colors) |Shoes (Vintage)
height: 5’8″
Dress size: small
When I heard about Mallory’s Thanksgiving dress code, I thought, “I don’t know if that applies to me.” Flowing comfort – easy enough. Plaid or fall prints? Maybe…I find myself having a bit of an aversion to most “fall” prints (or anything other than stripes). And even if you find one that meets two of those requirements? Who knows, it has pockets… I see. this dress I was really drawn to the Free People site. A nice flowing shape with a small leg slit, a cute velvet detail/bow moment on the collar, and I even had a hard time deciding between the two plaid colors. So I stopped by the FP store in Portland and they had this red color. I’ll probably wear it as a “skirt” to a family dinner. oversized sweater On top (see photo on the left), I also wear it with friends to dinner parties or dates, completely showing off the velvet detail cardigan (right). And…you can imagine how proud I was when I discovered it had pockets. 3 against 3!
All my ladies are so happy to have found the perfect Thanksgiving dress that looks amazing! I hope this helps you! Also, I hope you remember that Turkey Day is only about a month away 🙂 Happy shopping!
Source: Emily Henderson – stylebyemilyhenderson.com
