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?

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!)

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.

I’m working on a monster post about what to wear to your office holiday party, and in the meantime found all these great articles about office holiday party etiquette, which we haven’t discussed in forever — so I thought we should discuss today, as a bit of a precursor to the “what to wear to your office holiday party” post. (Although of course feel free to share what you plan to wear to your party this year!)

{related: all our advice on holiday business etiquette}

The Rules for Office Holiday Party Etiquette

For my $.02, it comes down to some simple rules:

If it’s your first holiday party, don’t assume — talk to others so you know what to expect, because there can be a huge variation in office holiday parties. Some offices have a midday Santa hat+suit kind of luncheon; others have a Friday night affair at a hotel ballroom. (One of my old offices did the hotel ballroom for the low key affair, and another black tie ball in January just for attorneys.) 

If you can’t ask anyone, look for clues — if it’s a Friday night after work, odds are good that people are going to be still wearing their office clothes (with one small tweak like a party blazer or statement necklace).  If it starts at 5, it may be over by 7. Another way to gauge the formality: where the event is held. If it’s chosen for locality (the closest hotel ballroom, the closest restaurant, etc), odds are it’s going to be more low key than an event a bit further from the office.

Do not get tipsy, let alone drunk. Save it for the office after party or when you’re at an event that isn’t affiliated with work. (Many moons ago, we also talked about what your drink says about you at the office cocktail party.)

Make it about the people, not the food or drink. That’s a good hallmark of any party attendee, but it goes doubly here.

Talk to everyone. Fight the urge to huddle in the corner with your friends, or only try to network with the VIPs. It’s a great time to smile and laugh with your subordinates, as well as support staff. A corrollary:

Don’t just talk about work. If your boss comes over and needs to discuss a project, that’s one thing — but assume that people want to talk about anything but that. Politics and religion are still dicey topics, of course, but there are a ton of other party-appropriate conversation topics.

If the next day is a work day, it’s business as usual. 

Some General Tips on What to Wear to Your Office Holiday Party

Some Of Our Latest Favorite Statement Necklaces

Some Of Our Latest Favorite Work-Appropriate Holiday Tops

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.

Some Of Our Latest Favorite Office Holiday Party Shoes

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…

Some Of Our Latest Favorite Festive Blazers

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!)

Some Of Our Latest Favorite Polished Party Pants

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

Office Holiday Party Etiquette, Further Reading:

• Holiday Parties and You: All the Basics You Need to Know [Above the Law; guestpost by me!]
• 23 Rules of the Office Holiday Party [WSJ] (amusing!)
• Office Holiday Party Etiquette [Boston Globe]
• Career Advice for your Office Holiday Party [HuffPo]
• Office Holiday Party Etiquette [Monster.com]
• 14 Survival Tips for the Office Holiday Party [Business Insider]

Ladies, what are your best etiquette tips for the office holiday party? Care to share any fun stories about misunderstandings of office holiday party etiquette? 

Pictured.

The post Office Holiday Party Etiquette appeared first on Corporette.com.

Reader C wrote in with an interesting question about what to wear to a business cocktail party, and it has definitely been ages since we talked about business cocktail party attire! (Here’s our last discussion what to wear to summer cocktail parties from many, MANY moons ago.) Here’s her question:

I am due to start on a graduate programme for a large energy multinational. I have a 3 day induction in London, and I am informed that on two of the evenings there will be dinner and cocktails.

What should I wear? Scared of going over the top, but also don’t want to play it safe with jeans and a ‘nice top’.

Interesting! We sort of talked about this years ago when we answered a reader question about what to wear to an interview dinner, but that was a bit different because she was meeting them for dinner, not working all day and then going to dinner.

Similarly, we’ve discussed the best networking dinner attire, as well as what to wear to a dinner reception and interview — but it’s been a while.

{related: all our advice on summer work events!}

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!

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

What to Wear to a Business Cocktail Party on a Workday

Here’s my thing: if you’re going straight from the induction activities to dinner, then you should wear basically the same thing you wore all day, unless you’re told specifically to wear something else.

Take some time to freshen up your makeup to go from desk to dinner, and perhaps reconsider a portion of your outfit (remove the blazer, switch to different shoes for standing-around purposes, add a cocktail ring so it’s an easy conversation starter while holding your drink, etc).

Ultimately I think people will remember your energy and attitude at these things far more than your outfit — so do what you have to do to look awake and alive and feel fresh enough to meet a zillion new people and express excitement for working on their projects.

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.

{related: the line between wedding wear and office wear}

Small changes to your work attire can be great for this purpose, like adding a statement necklace:

Recent Favorite Statement Necklaces for Business Cocktail Parties

What to Wear to a Business Cocktail Party on a Weekend

If the cocktail party is on a weekend (or it’s been made explicit that you should dress differently), it can be tricky to know what to wear. These are some of our best tips for subdued but stylish cocktail dresses:

Hunting for great cocktail dresses for work functions? Some of the best brands to check include Dress the Population, CeCe, Maggy London, Eliza J, and Calvin Klein. Some of the reader favorites from Amazon might also work! Some other recent favorites include these:

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

Readers, what’s your advice — what would you wear to a business cocktail party under these circumstances? In general, do you ever think the kinds of things stylists in movies come up with (such as bustiers under blazers or other outlandish ideas) have a place in the real world?

Picture via Stencil.

The post What to Wear to a Business Cocktail Party appeared first on Corporette.com.

{related: here’s all of our advice for summer work events and summer associate events}

It’s the summer. Your office is flush with interns, either from law school or MBA school. In order to impress, the company holds numerous summer events, including <dun dun dunnnh> the cocktail party. Maybe at a restaurant, maybe at a partner or executive’s house/mansion. The question looms: What SHOULD young professional women wear to summer cocktail parties?

What Summer Associates Should Wear to Summer Cocktail Parties In General

Honestly, the answer here is usually “a suit.” You simply don’t want to run the risk of looking like someone’s date. Still, there are times when a cocktail dress is appropriate — and when that happens you should strive to be as conservative and as polished as possible.

In general, this means your dress or jumpsuit should not be:

• shiny
• satin (it wrinkles anyway)
• strapless
• low-cut
• mini-skirted
• relying on a safety-pin in any regard
• appropriate for any of the following activities: being a contestant in a pageant, sleeping, or being a dominatrix

That said, here are some suggestions on what to wear to summer cocktail parties:

Professional but Festive Cocktail Dresses for Company Cocktail Parties

Hunting for great cocktail dresses for work functions? Some of the best brands to check include Dress the Population, CeCe, Maggy London, Eliza J, and Calvin Klein. Some of the reader favorites from Amazon might also work! Some other recent favorites include these:

Statement Necklaces for Desk to Dinner Dressing

Updated stock photos via Deposit Photos / photographee.eu.

The post What To Wear To: Summer Cocktail Parties appeared first on Corporette.com.

We recently got this request in from a reader about what to wear to a law firm event with cocktails and dinner… so let’s discuss: what is the correct semi-formal attire for business events?

Hi. I have a question about semi-formal attire I was hoping you and/or your readers could answer. I have been invited to attend a law firm event (cocktails and dinner) in early April and the invitation says attire is semi-formal. I was hoping for your thoughts on what is and is not semi-formal and maybe two or three suggestions for dresses that would fit the bill. I am still in law school, so I’m looking for something I could wear to more than one occasion. I’m hoping to keep the price to around $100. Thanks!

Semi-formal: the bane of everyone’s existence. It isn’t formal, it isn’t cocktail, and no one knows what to wear. So… where does that leave you?

I’ve always heard from readers who are concerned they might be giving up some of their earned respect if they dress too feminine, too girly, too risque — and you also don’t want to be the only one standing there in sequins when all the men are just wearing whatever suits they regularly wear to work.

So what’s a girl to do?

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

General Tips on What to Wear for Semi-Formal Attire for Business Functions

Our advice here is to go on the conservative side of cocktail. Your goal is Jackie Kennedy, not Marilyn Monroe (or, ahem, Romy and Michele).

As general rules, shiny fabrics and anything bedazzled are out; we would also not recommend strapless (unless worn with a bolero jacket or shrug). Sleeveless dresses are harder to avoid, but you can make them more demure by wearing a wrap.

On the flip side, you don’t want to be too boring — a plain cotton or wool fabric will be too casual for the event. If you’re looking for something to wear for more than one occasion, black is your friend.

Furthermore, we have no problem keeping the dress itself on the cheaper side — you may even be able to borrow something from a friend at the firm. But you may want to consider splurging on accessories — shoes, clutch, a beaded wrap, a sparkly brooch, a cocktail ring, et cetera.

In reality, with your budget, we’d recommend hitting discount stores or and outlet malls. (Another idea: Rent the Runway.)

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

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

Some Specific Suggestions for What to Wear for Semi-Formal Business Events

Some of Our Latest Favorite Statement Necklaces

{related: what to wear to the wedding of a colleague}

Some Of Our Latest Favorite Cocktail Dresses

Hunting for great cocktail dresses for work functions? Some of the best brands to check include Dress the Population, CeCe, Maggy London, Eliza J, and Calvin Klein. Some of the reader favorites from Amazon might also work! Some other recent favorites include these:

{related: what to wear to summer cocktail parties for the office}

Hunting for generally affordable evening gowns for black-tie work events? Some of our favorite brands include Lulus, Dress the Population, Eliza J, XScape, and Alex Evenings.

Hunting for plus-size gowns for black-tie work events? For affordable options we like like Kiyonna, City Chic, Reformation, Anthropologie, and eShakti — also check out bridesmaid brands like BHLDN and Birdy Grey. If you’re open to spending more, check out Marina Rinaldi and Lafayette 148 New York (limited options).

Readers, please weigh in, particularly if you have a recent sighting of an inexpensive but appropriate semi-formal dress!

Updated stock photo via Deposit Photos / sgorin.

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

The post The Best Semi-Formal Attire for Business Events 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!)

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

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