A few years ago, I discovered the joy of the “Thanksgiving dress.” What is a Thanksgiving dress, you may ask? It’s a totally plaid/fall-patterned dress that’s super flowy and comfortable but still makes you feel cute (even when you’re sweaty from cooking all day and satiated from eating all day). I found an amazing thing at J.Crew that many of you bought and loved a few years ago (it’s no longer available, but Here’s one on Poshmark For one lucky buyer). I still wear it almost every year, and I’m sure many of you do too! Plus, it’s shocking that most EHDs have never actually dabbled in Thanksgiving dress art. So this year we thought – why not, follow my rules and see what Thanksgiving costumes are on the market this year that each of us love?? Spoiler: We all got some good ones. Here are our rules for finding the perfect dress:
- Fluid and comfortable (ideally it’s breathable enough to withstand cooking all day or standing in your grandma’s 90-degree house)
- plaid/fall prints/fall colors (prints are generally more forgiving and fun to wear)
- Bonus points if it has pockets!! (So you don’t lose your phone or anything else while you’re wandering around the kitchen! This isn’t “required”, but always nice to have.)
Okay, let’s check out the dress line up!
Mallory
Height: 5’7″
Dress Size: Medium (Blue) + Small (Pink)
I found these two dresses right when I started my search and I was surprised by how cute they are! They’re super comfortable and smocked, so there’s no need to wear a bra (at least for small-chested women like me), and the plaid is absolutely adorable. I got a medium and a small, and both fit really well. Blue is a medium and The Pink Small – I actually think I like a medium and I’m usually a small, so don’t be afraid to size up!
Height: 5’7″
Dress Size: Small
i have fallen in love with her this dress When I saw it in the store, I had to have it too! It’s super flowy (check), has the most beautiful pattern (check), and sadly it has no pockets, but the style was so perfect that I said we were getting it. The sleeves are long but stay up, so you can actually cook, which is great. Absolutely love the neckline with the little tie – very festive, breathable and stylish. Also, I need a spray tan
Emily
Height: 5’4″
Dress Size: Small
I love Emerson Fry clothes – very easy to wear, very well made, and the patterns are always excellent (try the cheaper versions, but they look really nice). This one (I bought from Everve) It has fully covered buttons all the way down, a loose tie at the waist, slightly puffed sleeves and a large chocolate brown floral pattern. All together they make a very cute, cozy, drapey dress that is especially great for Thanksgiving (but also great to wear in the fall/winter). It’s lightweight and absolutely drapey (it’s cotton). I also want to shout out this dress By them, which I have the summer version of, and I still wear it all the time. It drapes very well, is very attractive, while not being tight. I don’t need both, but I also want one, just because they are so easy to wear and look beautiful to wear. I’m wearing a small in brown, but if you’re in between, size up. I have a medium in Francis dress, and it still fits well (because it drapes so well).
Caitlin
Height: 5’8″
Dress Size: Big
Hello from my childhood home! Like Grech, I come from a very small family – just my mom and me! – So the concept of “Thanksgiving outfit” is a little foreign to me. But my boyfriend has a huge family, and I’m excited to have a $98 dress to wear to all of his functions this holiday season! I wasn’t familiar with Tuckernuck’s sizes – my 36F bust measurement, in particular, seemed better suited to an XL – but I found the Large to be a perfect fit. She’s roomy and roomy (read: you’ll be able to hold a ton of food), but the cut isn’t too tight or too high – they’ve done a really good job at draping the fabric to show off your shape a bit! It is not a completely shapeless sack. I’m also partial to the Black Watch tartan pattern over the more traditional fall-toned plaid, as it seems to have a little more staying power throughout the winter months. I do wish it had pockets, but I have no complaints otherwise – I think it’s a steal for the price. (P.S. If plaid isn’t your thing, this dress comes 18 other colors and patterns,
Jess
Dress , belt (Size 85) Shoes ,more colors,
Height: 5’4″
Dress Size: 36/4
Historically, I’m not really a Thanksgiving costume kind of girl. Don’t tell Mallory! It’s nothing against the medium, but I usually wear fall sweaters and jeans and get over it. I also never felt (past tense is important here) that classic Thanksgiving outfits were my style. So when the idea for this post came up, I thought, “I probably won’t find anything I really like, but I’ll take a look.” Well, when you take an innocent look inside the Cézanne pop-up shop at The Grove, it turns out that even the most non-Thanksgiving dressed person will have a change of heart. My plan was to come in, get something I could return (because I knew it wouldn’t be cheap), but I really liked getting an honest recommendation, and doing it right away. Well, the day wasn’t called the way I planned, and I went along this incredible dress and a belt That I will not return.
Dress , Shoes ,more colors,
This little number is so comfortable and light! Perfect for a hearty meal 🙂 Plus, those sleeves are so dreamy and are my favorite part. The model on the site is wearing this dress with no belt and slouchy boots. It’s incredibly cute on her, but I just felt for my 5’4″ frame, I needed some size…that’s how I found my latest favorite accessory…This patent leather mahogany beltThe styling is completely up to you, and obviously, the dress is long enough when it’s not belted and pulled up a bit. I ideally chose a belt size larger than the waist belt because I wanted to wear it with jeans as well. Buying a very cheap belt for a dress was not something I was going to do. I even jokingly asked the very nice sales rep girl if belting clothes was super Millennial, and she assured me that look is back. I’ll definitely stay away from the super tight, wide elastic ones, and everything should be fine 🙂 Oh, but I did go to my local shoe repair place to get a few more holes drilled in the belt so I can tighten it around my waist and make it bigger for my hips. It took him 2 seconds to do this. What I love about this dress is that it has a fall feel but is definitely not fall. The plum and pink colors make it perfect for winter and spring too! For cooler weather, just add tights and boots. I tried with this my favorite plum colored flatsAnd now, I’m planning to be very happy and stylish in this entire look for my California Thanksgiving dinner.
Gretchen
Dress Shoes (VINTAGE ZARA)
Height: 5’9″
Dress Size: big/regular
I’m not a big Thanksgiving celebrant. I come from a Three Musketeers family, meaning it’s just me and my parents, and it’s very rare that we spend the entire day preparing a lavish meal just for us. Our extended family lives far away, none of us really like to cook, and this is one of those holidays we historically don’t care much about preparing for. Sorry about that! Raguses are just as casual, which makes it an interesting challenge to find an outfit that (mostly) stays out of the merchandise list, while still feeling close enough to our family’s usual attire, which is sweatpants. The one I got isn’t fancy (but it’s not a sweatpants either) and I know I’ll wear it everyday. it’s so beautiful Mini Shirt Dress from Banana Republic Factory in Dark Oak. I love that it’s corduroy and collared, which makes me think “Wait, is this just a flannel shirt with a skirt attached to it?” Feeling of comfort. I like the long sleeves and where they sit on my arm. Also, how the skirt flares out slightly below the body. It can be tied at the waist with a (dinky) tieback or worn completely loose to make room for seconds. But be careful, it can give a “cardboard box” look. It is quite comfortable, easy to wear and quite cheap! And I think it looks quite lovely to have. Regular Large fits me great. My one big failure? No pockets.
marley
Dress , black v neck sweater , cardigan (other colors) shoes (old)
Height: 5’8″
Dress Size: Small
When I heard about Mallory’s Thanksgiving dress rules, I thought, “I can’t believe this isn’t happening for me.” Fluent and comfortable – easy enough. plaid or fall print? Maybe… I guess I have a slight dislike for most “fall” prints (or anything that isn’t striped). And even if I find something that meets two of these requirements? No way it has pockets… ok, I see this dress On the Free People site I was extremely attracted to. A nice flowy shape with a tiny leg slit, a cute velvet detail/bow moment at the collar, and I was even having a hard time deciding between the two plaid color ways. So I went to the FP store in Portland and they had it in red. I’d probably wear this as a “skirt” to a family dinner an oversized sweater over the top (see left photo), but I would also totally show off the velvet detail and wear it to a dinner party with friends or on a date a cardigan (Correct). Plus… you can imagine how proud I was when I found out it had pockets! 3 for 3!
So happy that all of my ladies found the perfect Thanksgiving outfits that they looked amazing in! Hope this was helpful to you and a nice little reminder that we’re only a month away from Türkiye Day 🙂 Happy Shopping!
