Thanksgiving is the one dinner of the year where nobody writes down a dress code and everybody still notices. You'll be in a warm house for six hours, you'll sit for most of them, someone will take a group photo, and at some point there will be pie. The outfit has to handle all of it. This year it falls on Thursday, November 26, which leaves enough time to get it right rather than grabbing whatever is clean.
The answer is nearly always the same three ingredients: a good knit or a textured shirt, trousers with some give, and a shoe one step smarter than sneakers. Here is how to pitch that for the house you're actually going to.
First, read the room
The reliable rule is to dress one notch above the host. If your family does sweatpants and football, a merino sweater and dark jeans already makes you the best-dressed man there without looking like you tried. If it's a set table, cloth napkins and in-laws, bring a jacket. You can always take one off; you can't produce one at 4 p.m.
Two practical things to plan around:
- The room will be hot. An oven running all day and a dozen people around one table add up. A chunky knit is a mistake unless what's underneath can stand on its own when the sweater comes off.
- You'll be sitting, then eating a lot. Waistbands matter more on this Thursday than on any other day of the year. Plan for it.
Casual: a fine knit and dark denim
For a relaxed family dinner, the formula is a fine-gauge crewneck, dark straight jeans and a boot. It looks finished in photos, it's comfortable on the couch, and nobody will call it overdressed.
The knit is the piece that matters, and for Thanksgiving it should be fine rather than chunky: warm enough for the walk from the car, thin enough not to cook you by the second helping. We picked the Vannini Classic Merino Wool Sweater for exactly that reason. Merino is warm but breathable, and the tailored fit sits cleanly over a T-shirt or under a jacket without bunching. It comes in grey and white; grey is the one to wear with dark denim. For more colors and weights, browse men's knitwear.
On your feet, a lace-up chukka or a suede Chelsea boot. Both sit right with denim and cope with a wet driveway. Find both styles in men's boots.
Smart casual: flannel, cords and loafers
This is the sweet spot for most Thanksgivings, and the one to default to if you're not sure what you're walking into.
Start with a shirt that has some texture. A brushed flannel looks seasonal without trying too hard, and it's one of the few shirts that looks right worn untucked at a dinner table. The Carson Brushed Cotton Flannel Shirt earned its place for three reasons: it's 100% brushed cotton with a soft, lightweight hand, so it won't overheat you the way a heavy overshirt can; the button-down collar holds its shape under a sweater; and the wrinkle-resistant weave survives the drive and four hours in a dining chair. Forest Green and Cognac Brown are the Thanksgiving colors. Sky Blue is the safer bet if a jacket is going over it.
Then swap jeans for corduroy. Cords are the most Thanksgiving trouser there is: texture, warmth and a little nostalgia, and they read smarter than denim without tipping into formal. We chose the Pavia Corduroy Straight-Leg Pants for their thick, soft cord, comfortable high rise and relaxed straight leg, which means room to sit and a clean line when you stand. Camel or Dark Brown with a green flannel is the whole outfit. More cuts are in men's trousers.
Finish with suede loafers. The Torino Suede Loafers are a clean slip-on with a cushioned insole and a leather interior, and the Coffee colorway is exactly the deep brown that ties cords and flannel together. In late November, wear them with socks.
Dressy: a textured blazer, no tie
If the table is set formally, or you're meeting a partner's family for the first time, add a jacket. Skip the full suit and tie, which reads like you came straight from a job interview. A textured blazer over a knit says you made an effort and still looks like a holiday.
The Pienza Corduroy Blazer is the one we'd reach for: notch lapel, two-button front and the depth of corduroy rather than flat suiting cloth, so it looks at home next to a fireplace rather than a boardroom. Cognac Brown is the warmer choice; Midnight Navy goes with more. Underneath, a merino roll neck replaces the shirt and tie in one move. The Ceruti Merino Wool Turtleneck is 100% merino, naturally temperature-regulating (useful in that hot dining room) and comes in nine colors, from beige and light brown to navy and dark grey.
For trousers, step up to herringbone. The Verona Herringbone Tweed Trousers are high-waisted and straight-legged with a front pleat, plus side buckle tabs that adjust the waist. On the fourth Thursday of November, that may be the most useful feature a pair of trousers can have. Grey under a cognac blazer, Brown under navy. If corduroy isn't your jacket, the rest of the range is in men's jackets and blazers.
The comfort question
Nobody wants to spend dessert thinking about their waistband. If you'd rather keep it simple, a chino with some stretch is the low-effort answer. The Jackson Slim Stretch Chino has a clean, slim line, soft stretch twill and a comfort waistband with elastic, so it looks sharp at the table and doesn't dig in on the couch afterward. Deep Stone is the classic khaki alternative and works with every knit in this guide.
Whatever you choose, avoid trousers that are both slim at the waist and rigid in the fabric. Thanksgiving is not the day for your sharpest tailoring.
Color: one rich tone, grounded
This year's Thanksgiving style guides keep landing on the same palette: rust, chocolate brown, olive, burgundy and burnt orange, balanced with cream or navy. The easy way to wear it is one rich color per outfit, with everything else neutral. A forest-green flannel with camel cords and brown loafers. A light-brown roll neck with a navy blazer and grey trousers.
If earth tones aren't you, don't force them. Navy, grey, cream and black look just as right on the day. The texture of the fabrics, flannel, corduroy, herringbone and merino, does the seasonal work for you.
Three outfits, ready to copy
- Family casual: grey merino crewneck, dark jeans, brown chukka boots.
- Smart casual: forest-green flannel shirt, camel corduroy trousers, coffee suede loafers.
- Dressed up: cognac corduroy blazer, beige merino roll neck, grey herringbone trousers, brown loafers.
A final test before you leave the house: take the outer layer off. If what's left still looks like an outfit, you're set for the moment the heating and the oven win.
The knits, shirts, trousers and shoes for the season are all in the men's Fall Drop. Pieces are already marked down, and buying more than one takes an extra 15% off two items, an extra 20% off three and an extra 25% off four, which is roughly one Thanksgiving outfit.
Read next
- What to Wear to Thanksgiving: A Women's Outfit Guide — the womenswear side of the same table.
- How to Wear Loafers: A Men's Styling Guide — the shoe that carries the smart-casual and dressy looks above.
