5 Tips for Renting the Perfect Holiday Party Dress

During the holidays, parties crop up left and right. If you want to stand out (in a good way) by rocking a memorably-fabulous outfit, renting will be your wallet and your Instagram feed’s best friend. Just follow these 5 tips to score the picture-perfect Holiday Party dress.

Step 1: Dress for the Event

Holiday party dress codes vary widely based on groups involved. An office party demands a more modest outfit—don’t show a ton of skin, but add fun seasonal flair to your modest hem-and-neckline with a bright shoe or an accessory with some sparkle (like this Bendel clutch from RTR.)

Step 2: Take Cues from the Locale

Many Holiday Party invites fail to specify the level of formality, but focusing on the venue will help you determine what to wear. While an event held at a restaurant calls for something trendy and on the casual side, anything in a ballroom is automatically going to be more formal—a dress like this Marchesa is perfect because it checks off the cocktail and black tie boxes all at once.

Step 3: Know Your Host

If you’re going to a family party, especially if older relatives will be present, apply the same modesty and formality rules that you did at the office party. If, however, a friend is hosting, relax and have some fun. Go a bit more casual—think your best fitting jeans with a stand-out top like this one.

Step 4: Be Cool with Color

Getting into the holiday spirit doesn’t mean you need to rock the red, white and green. Any of those colors on their own can be fun, however, provided you look good in the shade you choose and the selection doesn’t scream ugly Christmas sweater. Find a piece like this pretty Alexis dress that you can mix with neutrals or metallic to strike just the right note. This year for the holidays, I add just a hint of green with my newest obsession- Essie Gel Couture nail polish in Wrap Party.

Step 5: Up the Ante

Renting an outfit means you can select something that’s so special, people will remember it for months to come. While that would be too much for a piece you own—how annoying is that outfit in your closet that always feels like a repeat since it stands out every time—it’s perfect for a piece you only plan to wear once. Choose one special element—print, material, bold cut or color, sparkle—and you’ll steal the spotlight for all the right reasons. This year I rented a velvet sequins dress by Jay Godfrey from The Showroom in Nashville. Velvet sequins is about as unique as it gets, so I was happy to rent the beauty to The Showroom after a magnificent night.