What to Wear to Your Virtual New Year’s Eve Party

Many of this year’s holiday and New Year’s Eve parties are scheduled to take place online rather than in person. While it's easy to get nostalgic about our favorite holiday parties, it’s also a small respite to be able to enjoy the holidays quietly at home. What's more exciting than trying out a novel way to celebrate and ring in a new year with family and friends.

Since online partying is new, you might be wondering what the dress code is if you’re not there in person. Lean into some relief, since you really can just party in your pajamas. Still, some of you may be longing to get out your favorite sparkly heels even if no one is going to see them. Wherever you fall in this spectrum, we have some tips and ideas of how to dress and what to wear when “attending” your virtual New Year’s Eve party this year.

Wear Something Festive

Just because Christmas and Hanukkah have passed doesn’t mean we can’t continue the festivities. Wearing your stylish Christmas sweater is a casual but festive way to ring in the New Year virtually. Also, don’t be shy about pulling out your favorite sequins and sparkles. Just because the party is virtual doesn’t mean you can’t glitter and glow on screen.

Other festive ideas are to wear seasonal colors. Colors like red, white, blue, gold, and green are all colors that will let the holiday season shine through. Keep in mind that you will be on screen, so opt for wearing brighter colors to be sure you stand out rather than sink into the pixels.

Wear Something Cozy

If your virtual New Year’s Eve party is a little more low-key or only involves family and close friends, choose something cozy to curl up in and ring in the New Year, all toasty and snuggly. Slip into your favorite cashmere turtleneck or oversized cardigan and pour yourself a glass of champagne. A nice sweater will keep you feeling cozy and festive for your virtual party. Additionally, a sleek-looking cardigan in a bright or festive color will make the perfect image on screen. You’ll look elegant, festive, and snug all at once.

Wear Something Classy

Perhaps your virtual New Year’s Eve party is still scheduled to be cocktail attire. Embrace the fun of dressing up, even if it’s for the camera, and put on something cute and classy that will have you feeling festive and all dressed up. Slip into your special occasion dress and enjoy the opportunity to look fabulous. The perk is, you don’t even have to wear high heels and can just keep your fluffy slippers on over your tights.

For the men in the house, put on a button-up shirt and your favorite holiday tie to ring in the New Year. You can even wear a blazer or suit jacket if you feel like looking super spiffy. Having a themed or dress-coded virtual New Year’s party is a great way to keep the holiday cheer going and have an excuse to get dressed up, even if we’re physically far apart and staying home.

Wear Something Comfy

The great news is that for this New Year’s Eve party, you can even choose to wear something simple and comfy. Wear your favorite oversized chunky knit sweater and sweat pants. Or, slip into a fuzzy seasonal favorite and wear your flannel pajamas. You are staying up past midnight after all, so why not do it warm and snug in your pajamas since you won’t be out partying anyway.

One of the fun parts about virtual partying is that, for the most part, your fellow party-goers will likely only see your upper half. Have fun and wear a button-down shirt with pajama pants and slippers. No one will know that your top half is dressed for the party while your bottom half is decked out for snuggles on the sofa. There’s no shame in this approach, and in fact, we highly recommend this mixture of being dressed up fancy and dressed down comfy all at once.

Wear Something Fun

Many of us are missing the fun of getting dressed up to socialize, meet with friends, or simply go out for cocktails. Enjoy the opportunity of a virtual New Year’s Eve party to wear something fun and uplifting that will raise your mood and have you feeling the joy of getting ready to go out with friends. Wear that costume jewelry, red lipstick, and silk scarf. Pull out some of your favorite pieces you haven’t worn in a while and simply have fun getting dressed up again. Slip into your favorite fit and flare dress and pretend you’re on your way to your yearly New Year’s Eve party. Even if it’s just on the screen and you’re not leaving the comforts of home, you can still have fun getting dressed up.