Here’s Why We’re Making the Case for the Everyday Red Dress (2024)

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Notable knit dresses, structured wool coats, stompy lug-sole boots, these are just a few winter wardrobe essentials making up our cold-weather closets. And given that the time between now and New Year’s Eve is notoriously festive, we’re adding one more It item into the mix: the everyday (yet still statement-making) red dress. Now it’s no secret that red is the defining color of the season, seen on everything from knit- and outerwear to handbags and footwear. However, we can thank brands like Proenza Schouler (photographed in Vogue’s holiday dressing edit!), Toteme, and Cos for offering up a bold alternative to the practical LBD. Not only are we wearing this winter’s best red dresses to the office and then to co*cktail hour afterwards, but we’re also incorporating them into our weekend wardrobes by way of a trendy trainer and slouchy handbag. And because it is the holiday season, after all, no party-ready outfit would is complete without a fabulous red moment or two.

Vogue’s Ultimate Red Dress Wish List:

• The Scandi Style Staple: Toteme belted gathered crepe maxi dress, $680
• The Scarf-Adorned Dress: Cos scarf-detail draped midi dress, $150
• The Polished Shirtdress: Staud Winona dress, $595
• The Loungewear Dress: Skims soft lounge long-sleeve dress, $88
• The Runway-Ready Dress: Proenza Schouler wrap-effect maxi dress, $1,790
• The Notable Knit Dress: Mango round-neck knitted dress, $60
• The Cozy Cashmere Choice: Extreme Cashmere cashmere-blend maxi dress, $815
• The Casual T-Shirt Dress: Polo Ralph Lauren pleated wool-blend midi dress, $402
• The Velvet Number: Ganni velvet midi dress, $240
• The Turtleneck Dress: Zara mock-neck knit dress, $60

Back to Toteme: the ever-stylish Scandinavian label knows how to craft an elevated essential and its belted red maxi dress is high on our shopping list this winter. (It’s been a Vogue reader-favorite as well this season.) With a cinched-waist silhouette, it’s as flattering as it is elegant. Similarly on our radar is Cos’ scarf-adorned version–a (quite literally) dressier alternative to the trendy scarf jacket. As for how we’re styling two of the season’s best red dresses, look to pointed-toe kitten heels or sleek black knee-high boots—tights recommended. On the cozier side, longline knit dresses from Extreme Cashmere and Jardin des Orangers are chic as they are warm.

Meanwhile, polished shirtdresses from Staud, Mango, and J.Crew are practical enough for the workplace; and same goes for Polo Ralph Lauren’s casual T-shirt dress. Then, there are bright and beautiful red dresses that belong in a category of their own–think those from A.W.A.K.E. Mode, Proenza Schouler, and Ulla Johnson, all of which secure your top spot on any best dressed guest list to come. Searching for a way to cure your winter blues? The best red dresses are the perfect sartorial panacea.