Wondering what to wear to Thanksgiving dinner this year? This post has some great ideas that will hopefully inspire your outfit for the holiday.
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Thanksgiving is what I call a relaxing holiday. You may not think so when you’re running around the kitchen making gravy, putting the finishing touches on the green beans, or trying to keep the mashed potatoes warm—all at the same time.
But once you do the shopping and set the table, the only thing left is to cook the meal. And of course, decide what to wear, but no shopping for weeks on end to find everyone the right gift. No endless parties to attend in celebration of this holiday. I’m talking to you, Christmas.
You show up, eat good food, say how grateful you are for all the good people at the table, and then go home. See, a relaxing holiday. My focus today is to help you decide what to wear for Thanksgiving dinner this year. If you have a plan in place ahead of time, one less thing to think about the day of.
What is the best color to wear on Thanksgiving?
In any other year, I would recommend browns, golds, mustard yellow, cranberry, or deep greens. Earth tones. But this year, color is all over the place. There are bright bold colors like pink, green and blue. Spring pinks and lavender. There are also traditional fall hues. So this year, the color wheel is your oyster. Go nuts and have fun.
Can you wear jeans to Thanksgiving dinner?
This is entirely up to you and what your family traditionally does. I personally would never wear jeans because they aren’t very comfortable. They aren’t turkey-eating pants.
If your family has a dressier gathering then I’d recommend you stay away from jeans as well. But if it’s super casual and you don’t mind wearing jeans while eating a big meal, then go for it.
I would recommend a pair that is not distressed, fits well, and has a darker wash. These all make jeans a tad dressier. I’d also pair them with a nice blouse or sweater.
What do you wear to Thanksgiving dinner?
Much of this is dictated by how your family celebrates. Is it casual, dressy, or a mix? Do you play football or have a holiday ritual that determines how you should dress?
Or do you show up ready to eat and drink? That’s how we do it in my family, so there are a few criteria I look for in a Thanksgiving dinner ensemble.
- Comfort. You need room to eat extra carbs and dessert. So nothing too fitted or uncomfortable.
- Stylish. You want to look festive. That usually means fall hues and darker colors. But this year colors are very vibrant for the fall.
- Dressy-casual. We have a casual gathering, but everyone puts on something a touch nicer than they normally would. But it’s not formal.
With these things in mind, I came up with a few ideas for what to wear for Thanksgiving dinner this year.
Dark florals
If you love flowers, then you’re in luck. They are still going strong for the fall. The twist is, they are dark. Dark backgrounds with deep colors of flowers. Stunning for Thanksgiving.
The navy dress with the warm tone floral is lovely. Three-quarter length sleeves, a cinch at the waist, and some extra ruffle here and there make for a delicate and feminine dress.
The green floral is in the season it color, green. But it’s a muted green more in line with typical fall hues. You can tie this one at the waist or leave the matching belt off, which is ideal for carb loading.
This last one is my favorite of the three. The olive green, pink and blue are such an unusual blend of colors and the pattern is too pretty. Again you can tie this one at the waist to show you have one, or leave it loose. You can also do both on the same day! Show up with a belt, then ditch it after your second serving of pumpkin pie.
For shoes, you could wear tall or short boots, loafers, heels, or sandals (for those of you in warmer climates). These are very versatile.
I would keep earrings in a metallic or color in the dress and on the simple side. A fun bauble at your wrist especially on the three-quarter and shorter-sleeve dresses would work great. The dresses themselves are the statement piece of the outfit.
Wide leg pants
Why not incorporate the pant silhouette of the season but in fall textiles. Deep navy velvet and sable brown corduroy steal the show in these ensembles.
To make it fresh I’ve put a lavender flutter-sleeved sweater with corduroy pants. The traditional fall hues and texture in the pants, along with a brightly colored sweater make this a very 2022 Thanksgiving look.
The navy velvet pants are stunning. I couldn’t decide between the metallic gold t-shirt or the navy bow blouse. So, I’m showing you both. Either could stand on its own, but the houndstooth blazer pulls it all together. And of course, the gold loafers are a festive and unexpected touch. If wearing the blue blouse, I’d add the gold sparkle earrings.
You could wear these velvet pants through the holiday season and into winter. They are really versatile and elevated basic.
Fall skirts
The color, the style, and the sash at the waist to mask my mid-section are all the things I love about this vegan leather skirt (formerly known as pleather). I am pairing this with a slim-fitting ivory-colored sweater. It has slight balloon sleeves and a pearl zipper. I went with a fun pop of pattern in the shoes. You could do a bold orange or purple sweater with this skirt or any shade of turtleneck. I finished off the look with statement earrings in gold.
The floral slip skirt has orange, purple, and cream. I found a pretty burnt orange wrap sweater and layered it over a turtleneck with pretty ruffle detailing at the neck and cuffs. These are classic fall colors with a bit of a twist on the ditsy floral. I added earrings with a touch of purple that pulled from the skirt.
So picture the Thanksgiving dinner table set, the turkey roasting, the buns warming in the oven, and you in your cute outfit with your favorite drink. Ahh, it’s going to be a beautiful holiday. I hope this post inspired some ideas for what to wear to your Thanksgiving dinner table this year. Please share in the comments if you already know what that will be.
I am so thankful to you. Without you, there is no blog. So thank you for following my blog, commenting, listening to my silly stories, and buying a thing or two along the way.
I’m wishing you and your family a wonderful and well-dressed Thanksgiving holiday.
Kim
XO
