How to dress for thanksgiving: 9 outfits to choose from!

Food, family, friends, and fashion. All your favorite things combined in one day. Yes, it could only be Thanksgiving. It will be here before you know it. So, let’s discover plenty of ideas on how to dress for Thanksgiving.

You’ll find lots of examples below of thanksgiving outfits for women over 40 to give you inspiration whether you will be spending a casual day with friends and family or you’re heading out for a more formal dinner.

How to dress for thanksgiving

Along with the decision about whether to eat in or out, the big question is how to choose what to wear for thanksgiving.

In this article I will show you how to dress for Thanksgiving and give you plenty of thanksgiving outfits to choose from.

After all, if you’ve already sorted out the perfect Thanksgiving outfit, you can turn your attention to how you are going to cook your turkey. Or who is going to cook it for you.

How to choose a Thanksgiving outfit

As well as how your outfit looks, there are a number of considerations to take into account.

Think about comfort

You will want to make sure that your outfit not only looks good but is comfortable.

I’m sure you’ve joked about having to loosen your pants or move where your belt is fastened by a notch. If you are planning a big meal, you won’t want to wear anything that will be uncomfortable on your belly.

You also might want to sit on the floor and play a board game with family, for example, or you might want to go for a walk after lunch.

Ashley (above) wears an outfit which perfectly blends comfort with style.

Recreate her outfit with this similar shirt, jeans, cardigan, loafers and crossbody bag.

What will you be doing at Thanksgiving?

Does your family traditionally get together at home before heading out for a walk together, for example?

Or will you be going out to a fancy restaurant for a Thanksgiving dinner? What you wear will reflect the occasion.

Patricia (above) wears an outfit which would be perfect for a lunch out.

Steal her look with this similar short sleeve sweater, pleated skirt, pumps, handbag, earrings and sunglasses.

Add some subtle glamour

Even if your Thanksgiving tends to be a fairly casual affair, you can always add a little bit of glamour with your accessories, or you could choose a silk shirt instead of cotton, for example, to add a feeling of luxe.

You will still be just as comfortable, but you will have given your style a little festive flair.

Jona (above) wears a silky shirt with on-trend plaid pants, and she adds a touch of luxury with her designer handbag.

Check out this similar silk shirt, plaid pants, booties, handbag, sunglasses and headband.

Think about color and texture

As it’s the festive season, you could opt to wear a bold red or choose a texture or material traditionally thought of as party wear, such as velvet or jacquard.

Kim (above) perfectly teams her velvet skirt with a cozy sweater and leather jacket for a combination of textures which works well together.

Get her look with this similar sweater, velvet skirt, moto jacket, pumps, clutch and earrings.

You can still wear jeans and a sweater for Thanksgiving

Of course, you can still be comfortable but you can up the style stakes by choosing red jeans and a cashmere sweater, for example, rather than your everyday blue denim and sweatshirt.

Oxana (above) opts for red jeans worn with pointed flats.

Check out this similar sweater, jeans, jacket, flats, handbag, belt and sunglasses.

Keep the weather in mind when considering what to wear for Thanksgiving dinner

Thanksgiving tends to be when the weather starts to change.

Make sure you take the weather into account, unless you’re planning on staying indoors all day in front of a cozy fire, of course.

Tanasha (above) wears a stylish raincoat over her jeans.

Recreate her outfit with this similar belted coat, jeans, pumps, handbag and scarf.

Are you hosting Thanksgiving this year?

If you’re the hostess with the mostess, you may find you are rushing between kitchen and dining room.

So make sure your outfit is comfortable and allows you to move freely. You can, of course, still wear a skirt rather than pants if you prefer. Just make sure you are comfortable.

Cheryl (above) teams her skirt with a loose top and flat loafers.

Check out this sequin top that you wear with this similar skirt, loafers and bag.

Outfits for all Thanksgiving scenarios

I’ve assumed that you’re either at home with family and friends or you’re heading out to a restaurant this Thanksgiving to put together this capsule, but you’ll find options here which should suit the occasion no matter what you are doing.

You can mix and match these outfits to take you from the most casual of family days to the most dressed up of occasions.

You can simply up the refinement levels by pairing a lace blouse with a midi skirt, for example, or you can dress it down a bit by wearing a velvet dress with a cardigan.

There are hundreds of combinations, but you’ll find 9 suggested outfits at the bottom of this article which feature the clothes and accessories used here in this Thanksgiving capsule.

Don’t forget to let me know what you are wearing this Thanksgiving in the comments at the bottom.

Thanksgiving dinner outfit: Jeans and a velvet top

Velvet is always a beautiful option for Thanksgiving. You could either choose a more formal option such as a velvet dress, or you could keep your look more casual by opting for a pair of jeans worn with a velvet top.

Marina (above) wears a wrap top with her jeans and Gucci belt.

Check out this velvet wrap top that you can wear with this similar pair of pants, booties, bag, earrings, necklace and a Gucci belt.

Boden velvet top – Mavi Jeans skinny jeans – Karl Lagerfeld Paris crystal embellished flat – Hobo leather crossbody bag – Kendra Scott drop earrings

A flowy jumpsuit

While it can feel traditional to wear a dress for a party, no matter how small the gathering, you could choose a jumpsuit instead.

You can alter the formality of your jumpsuit by wearing with heels or sneakers, for example, or with a faux fur jacket, blazer or cardigan.

Fraiche by J faux wrap jumpsuit – Simplee Women faux fur short coat – 27 Edit slingback pump – Hobo leather crossbody bag – Argento Vivo pendant necklace – Kate Spade New York stud earrings

Poncho and pants

To add a bit of warmth while looking nonchalantly elegant, how about adding a poncho? Robin (above) choosing a red poncho with faux fur trim to wear with her jeans and booties.

Get her look with this similar poncho, pants, booties, earrings and sunglasses.

COS tunic-style shirt – BOSS wool poncho – Wit & Wisdom plaid ankle trousers – Tory Burch mule – COS leather bag – COS oversized chain choker

A dress with a long vest and booties

If you do want to wear a dress for thanksgiving, how about adding an extra element with a long, sleeveless vest? This can not only add interest to your outfit, but can also create long, lean lines to make you look taller and slimmer (if you would like to).

Kylie (above) wears a gray sleeveless vest over her pale pink dress. She makes sure her outfit is winter appropriate by adding tights and booties.

Check out this similar dress, vest, booties and tights.

All in Favor brushed jersey dress – Eileen Fisher wool long vest – Pelle Moda bootie – COS leather bag – Halogen layered necklace – Karin Sultan beaded earrings

Wide leg pants and block heel mules

Wide legged pants can look just as glamorous as a dress. Bev (above) wears flowy, wide-legged cropped pants and tucks in her top to make sure her outfit is flattering.

Recreate her outfit with this similar top, wide leg pants, mules, handbag, earrings and sunglasses.

BOSS square neck sweater – Lyssé suede moto jacket – COS flared pants – Tory Burch mule – Madewell croc embossed crossbody bag – Karin Sultan beaded earrings

A red coat and matching skirt or pants

Red is always a beautiful option for the festive season. Monika (above) looks beautiful in her single-breasted scarlet coat, and picks up the red in her skirt.

Check out this similar shirt, coat, printed skirt, pumps and clutch.

If you don’t want to choose bright red, you could always opt for a deeper burgundy shade, which is always a lovely look in autumnal and winter weather.

Sam Edelman belted coat – Anne Klein mock neck top – Judith & Charles cuffed crop pants – Vagabond Shoemakers Chelsea boot – COS leather bag – Karin Sultan beaded earrings

Take a look at how to wear red for more inspiration.

Sweater dress with leggings and boots

When it’s cold outside, it can be tempting to ditch your dresses when thinking about how to dress for Thanksgiving. However, how about choosing a warm sweater dress like Anita (above)?

Get her look with this similar sweater dress, leggings, booties and scarf.

Fraiche by J sweater dress – Hue microsuede leggings – Vagabond Shoemakers Chelsea boot – Madewell croc embossed crossbody bag – Kendra Scott drop earrings

You’ll find more choices here in this article on the warmest dresses for winter.

Warm jacket and winter leggings

Perhaps you’ll be spending your Thanksgiving in the great outdoors. If you and your family love to go for a walk after your dinner, you’ll be needing a warm outfit.

Abi (above) wears a quilted coat with her lace-up snow boots.

Check out this similar jacket, sweater, leather leggings, boots, handbag and beanie.

COS cashmere jumper – Cole Haan hood down & feather jacket – Hue denim leggings – Chaco waterproof hiker boot – Ganni crossbody bag – Sh*t That I Knit wool beanie

Comfy loungewear

Perhaps you won’t be going anywhere at all for Thanksgiving. Many of you are at home more than usual right now. So, you may prefer luxurious loungewear rather than a “going out” outfit.

Julie (above) looks stylish, cozy and comfortable in her slouchy sweater and wide-legged pants.

Steal her look with this similar sweater and lounge pants.

Frank & Eileen oversize sweater – Halogen open front cardigan – Nordstrom wide leg lounge pants – Patricia Green embroidered slipper – Kate Spade New York stud earrings

You’ll find more loungewear inspiration in the best loungewear for women over 40.

9 fabulous outfits you can wear for Thanksgiving

There are so many different ways you could combine these pieces so they are suitable not just for Thanksgiving, but to take you through winter and fall.

Below are nine ideas to get you started.

Read our ultimate guide to creating a capsule wardrobe that works best for you.

Do you know how you will dress for Thanksgiving yet? I’d love to hear about your Thanksgiving outfits in the comments below

Continue reading:

1. Holiday Gift Guide: The Best Gift Ideas For Women Over 40
2. How To Dress For A Christmas Party: 11 Outfit Ideas!
3. Top Perfumes For Women This Winter: The Most Glamorous Scents For Your Christmas Parties

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Feature image by Robin

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