NYE Outfits for Every Occasion

I can’t believe it, but it’s almost New Year’s Eve! Time to ring in the new year and celebrate with new beginnings with sparkles all around. I’m a big proponent of sparkly outfits, so NYE is just another excuse to wear them! In this post, I’ll share outfit ideas for every NYE occasion! 

Growing up, I would celebrate with my family and sometimes a small group of friends in a very casual setting. When I moved to Dallas and started dating Kale, we went to a few big NYE parties and I wore cocktail dresses a few years in a row, and then I graduated to a formal gown! When you get an opportunity to wear a full-length sequin gown, you take it!

No matter the event on NYE, whether I wear a cocktail dress, full-length gown, or jeans, I do always try to always add some sparkle! There are so many events and parties happening every year, especially in Dallas. In the past, we’ve gone to big parties, formal events, and small get-togethers. 5 New Years later, I’ve realized it doesn’t matter where you go or what you wear, but what’s important is who you’re with when the clock strikes 12. We’ve been to events at the F.I.G, Beats & Bubbly, and even Top Golf! They were all great in their own right, and we have no plans yet for this year, but I’m sure whatever we do will be a blast! 

No matter what your plans are on New Year’s Eve, you need to go all out. If not NYE, then when? I know it’s hard to think about the new year before Christmas, but you need to start! First of all, if you want to go out, all of the tickets to the good parties will be sold out, Beats & Bubbly sells out every year! Secondly, the good dresses sell out quick! As soon as people make their plans they shop, so don’t be caught without something sparkly to wear! 

NYE Outfit Ideas: a Complete Style Guide

Black Tie and Formal Dress Code

Formal Attire typically means a long gown or a fancy cocktail dress. Read your event attire carefully to know what is acceptable! Gowns sound intimidating, but they are seriously so fun to wear! It’s like going to prom all over again, plus being in December/January it’ll help keep you warm. With a formal dress, it’s important that it is the right length. You can easily get the dress hemmed and done pretty quickly, but you’ll want to order as soon as possible if you think you might need any alterations. Keep in mind, many people will be doing this with dresses for NYE parties so tailors will be busy!

Nowadays, formal parties are pretty mixed with long gowns and cocktail dresses. I chose to wear a long gown for Beats and Bubbly. It is a black-tie, formal event, and I wanted to go all out. Gowns sound super expensive, but that is definitely not always the case! There are a ton of places to get great-priced gowns, which is exactly what I wanted, because I hate spending a lot on one piece I’ll only wear once, although, given another opportunity, I would totally wear my senior prom dress again. For Beats and Bubbly, and a wedding I was recently a bridesmaid for, I got my dress at Lulu’s. They have great quality dresses and many for under $100! Unfortunately, mine is no longer in stock, but I found a ton of amazing options below from various retailers!

Shop these NYE Gowns:

Semi-Formal and Cocktail Dress Code

Semi-formal is a tricky category and can be interpreted in a lot of different ways, but it is NYE and we’re expecting to dress up, so in this case, I’d err on the side of more fancy. Semi-formal and cocktail to me mean a shorter cocktail dress or jumpsuit. This is the style you’ll see in most places you’ll go out. You can get away with a cocktail dress in most places, even at formal and casual events. I love Express for sequin dresses, and I grab links for everything I see throughout the season and collect all of the sparkly clothing I am in love with here on the blog!

Shop my Favorite NYE Cocktail Dresses 

Shop my Favorite NYE Jumpsuits

Casual Sequin NYE Outfits

This is my favorite section because this is my most-worn New Year’s Eve outfit! Growing up I would usually wear a pair of jeans and cute top or sweater, most likely with some sparkle. As I got older, I moved to mini skirts or t-shirt dresses. I love pairing a sequin skirt with a sweater because, again, it’s December/January and typically cold. I also styled this sequin t-shirt with my faux leather skirt and love it for another cute NYE look. It would also look great with jeans!

Sparkly Outfit Separates

3 Tips to Order the Perfect NYE Dress:

The most important part of any dress is fit. Your dress has to be the right length, and it has to fit your body correctly, as well. Finding a well-fitting dress off the rack is nearly impossible, but for an NYE dress, you don’t have a lot of time to get alterations. I’m not exaggerating when I say I ordered 12 NYE outfits and dresses one year before making a decision. Here are some dress ordering tips to help guide your decision!

#1 Know Your Best Styles

At my age, I know what styles I like to wear, I know what looks good on me, and I’ll probably not mess with things that are questionable. For example, I know a low-cut dress is not for me. Open backs and anything that can show off my legs or my butt are the best options for my body type, so I stick with those styles!

If you don’t know your best styles yet, think about what you feel most comfortable in. What part of your body do you like to accentuate? Whether you like a low-cut front, flowy style, or complete bodycon dresses, understanding your best style is key when ordering dresses online! I personally love low-backs on my formal dresses!

#2 Accentuate Your Best Features

We all have that thing we feel super confident about when we know we look hot. Mine is definitely my hair, my legs, and my butt. So I love finding dresses where I can wear my hair down, and show off my best features!

#3 Know Your Skin Undertone

This might sound like an odd one, but knowing whether you have more warm or cool undertones is crucial to know what colors look best on you. Knowing what colors look best on you is so important when choosing dresses. I know that I have cool undertones and I have to stick with cool tones to be positive the color will work with my skin tone.

Dresses are always tough to order online, but this time of year I try my best to stay away from the crowds of the stores and the mall! I order everything online from Christmas gifts to my New Year’s Outfits! Hopefully, this guide was able to help you choose your outfit and get you looking sparkly for New Year’s Eve! Happy New Year!