Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26 this year, and the outfit question is always the same: what looks good at the table, survives four hours of sitting and eating, and still works when someone suggests a walk after dessert? The answer is not a party dress and not your oldest sweatpants. It sits in between, and this fall the trend reports make that middle ground easier than usual.
The October knitwear roundups are full of scarf-collared cardigans, funnel necks and royal purple sweaters, and the fall dress reports keep pointing to clean '90s shapes in charcoal and black. All of it is made for a long, warm, comfortable dinner. Here is how to put it together.
The rules before the outfits
Every good Thanksgiving outfit follows the same three rules, whatever the dress code at your table.
- Plan for the second plate. Avoid anything tight at the waist or stiff in the fabric. Knits, soft stretch waistbands, belted dresses you can loosen and A-line shapes all win here.
- Dress in layers. The kitchen is hot, the porch is cold and the dining room is somewhere in between. A cardigan or a light jacket over a knit means you can adjust without changing.
- Keep the colors warm. Brown, camel, burgundy, rust, olive and deep purple look right in candlelight and in the photos. Bright white is a risk near gravy and red wine.
Option 1: the knit midi dress
If you want one piece that does everything, this is it. A knit midi dress is as comfortable as loungewear but looks deliberate, and it moves with you through a long dinner instead of fighting you.
The Amanda knit midi dress comes with a belt, which is the useful detail: wear it cinched for arrival and photos, loosen it after the main course. Soft, stretchy knit means no pulling at the seams when you sit for hours. Add tights and ankle boots and you are done.
For a slightly dressier version, the Feliza suede-feel midi dress has long sleeves and a soft brushed finish that reads richer than plain jersey. The coffee and khaki colorways fit the season exactly, and the dark gray is a good match for the '90s minimal mood the fall dress reports keep returning to. Both are part of the wider edit of midi dresses, where the long-sleeve and velvet styles are the ones to look at for late November.
Option 2: velvet trousers and a good sweater
Not everyone wants a dress, and trousers are the more practical choice if Thanksgiving involves kids, a long drive or helping in the kitchen. The trick is to make them feel like an occasion.
Velvet does that on its own. The Kiara wide-leg velvet trousers sit high on the waist and fall loose through the leg, so they are comfortable at the table and look polished standing up. Navy or black is the easy pick; red is for anyone who likes to be the best-dressed person in the room. Wide legs also balance a chunkier knit on top, which matters when you are wearing a sweater rather than a fitted blouse.
For that sweater, look at the colors and necklines the trend roundups are pushing this month:
- Purple. Royal purple has been named one of the sweater colors of the season, and it pairs well with navy, black and camel. The Francesca vintage plaid sweater comes in a purple colorway, and the soft check gives you a nod to the tartan-and-gingham story that ran through the fall runways without wearing a full plaid look.
- Funnel and roll necks. A high neckline looks finished under a jacket and needs no jewelry. It also keeps you warm on the post-dinner walk.
- A scoop or U-neck. The newer alternative to the V-neck, and better if you run warm indoors.
The full range of colors and weights is in women's knitwear.
Option 3: jeans, done properly
For a relaxed family Thanksgiving, dark jeans are completely fine. The rule is that everything else has to work harder. Choose dark or black denim with no rips, a wide or straight leg, and a top that is clearly not what you wore to the grocery store.
This is where the scarf-collared cardigan earns its place. Knits with a built-in scarf or draped collar have been one of the most talked-about sweater trends this fall, and they solve the jeans problem in one move because the scarf adds the polish. The Jodie knitted cardigan with scarf has the scarf built in, a slim fit and patch pockets, in brown or gray. Wear it buttoned over a simple tee or fine knit, with dark jeans and ankle boots. It looks put together without looking like you tried.
Shoes that survive the whole day
You will be on your feet in the kitchen, sitting for hours, and possibly walking around the block afterward. Skip the stilettos and the brand-new pair you have not broken in.
Ankle boots with a manageable heel are the answer for almost every outfit above. They work with tights and a midi dress, they sit cleanly under wide-leg trousers, and they look right with jeans. The Carmilla suede ankle boots have a pointed toe and a narrow heel; light brown is the warmer choice with camel, rust and plaid, black works with everything else. Suede also reads softer and dressier than shiny leather at a dinner table. More styles, from block heels to lug soles, are in women's boots.
Dressing for different kinds of Thanksgiving
- Formal dinner or hosting in-laws: the suede-feel midi dress or velvet trousers with a roll-neck sweater, heeled ankle boots, small gold jewelry.
- Relaxed family gathering: the knit midi dress with flat boots, or dark jeans and a scarf cardigan.
- Friendsgiving: more room to play. A purple or plaid sweater with velvet trousers, or a corduroy or knit dress with a statement boot.
- Football and the backyard after: keep a coat or a heavy cardigan by the door, and wear shoes you can walk on grass in.
What to avoid
- Anything tight at the waist. You know why.
- Big sleeves and loose cuffs. They end up in the cranberry sauce. Push-up knit sleeves are the safer choice.
- Pale, delicate fabrics. Cream silk and white denim are a gamble at a table full of gravy.
- Costume-level themed clothing. A turkey sweater is a joke that lasts one photo. Warm colors say the same thing more quietly.
The short version
Pick comfort that looks deliberate: a belted knit midi dress, velvet wide-leg trousers with a good sweater, or dark jeans with a scarf-collared cardigan. Keep the palette warm, add a layer you can take off, and wear ankle boots you can stand in all day. That covers every kind of Thanksgiving table.
Everything you need to build these outfits, from knits to boots, is in the women's Fall Drop.
Read next
- How to Wear a Cardigan: A Women's Guide for Fall — more ways to wear the layer that makes every outfit above work.
- What to Wear to a Fall Wedding: A Women's Guest Guide — when the next invitation calls for something dressier.
