20 of the Best Cocktail Dresses to Keep You Feeling Fancy

Best Overall

Reformation Cassi Knit Dress

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The Cassi Knit Dress from Reformation puts a modern spin on a classic cocktail dress silhouette. From the length of the dress to the thickness of the straps, this little black dress can get a ton of mileage, as it’s an appropriate option for office parties, wedding receptions, and fancy dinners—and, of course, cocktails. What makes this dress truly outstanding in our eyes is the comfort. Thanks to its ribbed TENCEL lyocell and spandex material, the dress is one of the most comfortable cocktail dresses ever.

Price at time of publish: $148

Material: 88% TENCEL lyocell, 12% spandex | Size Range: XS-XL

Best Splurge

Cult Gaia Azaelia Gown

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For a splurge-worthy cocktail dress, the Cult Gaia Azaelia Gown is our top choice. This satin, floor-length gown has an ultra-luxe feel in a timeless high cowl neck draped design. This dress is the perfect cocktail dress for galas, fundraisers, weddings, and other black-tie events. And, because of its classic style, it’s a dress you’ll have forever.

Price at time of publish: $1,200

Material: 92% silk, 8% spandex; 100% rayon lining | Size Range: XS-L

Best Budget

Wild Fable Sleeveless Ruched Mesh Dress

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You don’t have to break the bank to find an amazing cocktail dress. The Sleeveless Ruched Mesh Dress from Target’s Wild Fable label is a great example of that, as it is chic and sexy and looks more expensive than it is. This trendy dress is a nod to Y2K style with its spaghetti straps and mesh overlay—and that aqua-blue wave color screams Carrie Bradshaw in the 2000s. It’s a great option for a party with friends, a wedding, or a night on the town.

Material: Recycled polyester | Size Range: XS-4X

Best Strapless

Vince Camuto Popover Cocktail Dress

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Strapless yet sophisticated, the Vince Camuto Popover Cocktail Dress is our top pick for this category, because it boasts a classy design that is still sleek and sexy. The silhouette is one that transcends a variety of personal styles as its simple design makes it easy to accessorize based on shoe, jewelry, and handbag preferences. We love the elegant dress for weddings, fancy dinners, banquets, and more.

Material: 65% polyester, 32% rayon, 3% spandex | Size Range: 0-18

Best Silk

Reformation Marguerite Silk Dress Es

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Silk is a fabric must for a classy cocktail dress. While there are some amazing silk dress options on this list, we absolutely adore this Reformation dress for its unique design details, such as its standout pink hue, fitted seamed bodice, faux wrap skirt, and tie straps. Made from lightweight silk, the dress is flirty enough for a night out with your girlfriends, yet sophisticated enough to wear to a more formal event. It's also available in sizes 0-12.

Price at time of publish: $298

Material: 100% silk | Size Range: 14-24

Best Black

Reformation Damaris Dress

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We can’t stop thinking about this stunner, the perfect choice if you’re looking for the best little black dress. The mid-length halter-neck dress features a low back with contrasting white trim on the neckline, creating the perfect cross between sophisticated and sexy. It’s a dress that will truly never go out of style, and one you’ll wear over and over again.

Price at time of publish: $278

Material: 53% viscose, 47% rayon | Size Range: 0-12

Best Lace

Elliatt Yuna Mix Media Lace Detail Bandage Midi Dress

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There is no shortage of lace cocktail dresses, but this one hits our fashion hearts differently. We love the modern spin on this lace dress, with the form-fitting bodice and lace accents on the skirt and shoulder straps. It’s a mix of structural and whimsical and a great choice for summer events, or even a rehearsal dinner.

Price at time of publish: $230

Material: Polyester and spandex | Size Range: XS-XL

Best Satin

House of CB Myrna Satin Corset Midi Dress

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Inspired by corset construction, this cowl neck satin dress from House of CB is one of the sultriest dresses on our list. The form-fitting, knee-length cocktail dress boasts ultra-thin spaghetti straps with a nearly strapless silhouette and has a built-in underwire for support (no bra necessary here). The satin material is ultra sleek and soft with just the right amount of silky sheen.

Price at time of publish: $269

Material: 100% polyester with 95% polyester, 5% elastane contrast | Size Range: XS-XL (straight), XS-XL (plus)

Best Feathery

Cult Gaia Shannon Feather Mini Dress

View On Cultgaia.com

If you’re going to wear feathers, we say go all out with a fully flocked—and ultra-chic—dress. For this category, we had to include the Shannon Dress from Cult Gaia. This cocktail dress is covered in ostrich feathers from front to back with a high neckline and mini party dress silhouette. What we love the most about this dress is the dimension, and how the feathers move and flow with every step—it’s like wearing a piece of art, and we are obsessed.

Price at time of publish: $1,198

Material: 100% viscose with ostrich feather trim | Size Range: XS-L

Best Leather

Good American Vacay Dress

View On Nordstrom View On Goodamerican.com View On Saks Fifth Avenue

Good American does faux leather so well—and this Vacay Lace-Up Sheath Dress is no exception. The Y2K-inspired silhouette hits right at the knees with a back slit that serves as a functional design choice, making it a lot easier to walk in the leather material. The real appeal to this dress, though, is the strappy, corset-inspired lace-up back, which perfectly ties the design together and gives some movement and flow to the slick leather dress.

Price at time of publish: $159

Material: 100% polyurethane | Size Range: XS-5X

Best Square Neck

Staud Mini Wells Dress

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This Staud dress is our top pick for the best square neck category, because not only does it have a stellar square neck, but it feels like a nod to the trendy tennis dress, which we love. The corset-paneled fit-and-flair dress is made of 98 percent cotton with a little bit of spandex, giving it a durable construction with breathability and some stretch for added comfort. It’s a universal cocktail dress you can wear with sandals and sneakers, or dress up with a pair of sleek pumps—and it comes in a ton of fun colors, including a stripe option we adore.

Price at time of publish: $195

Material: 98% cotton, 2% spandex | Size Range: 00-16

Best Sweetheart

Norma Kamali Sweetheart Side Drape Dress

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You can’t have a list of the best cocktail dresses without including a dress with a sweetheart neckline. For this category, we love the Norma Kamali Sweetheart Side Drape Dress. It’s a classy silhouette with modern details, including ruching at the sides and a sexy slit. We also love the slanted hem detail, and the sleeve length.

Price at time of publish: $155

Material: 95% polyester, 5% spandex | Size Range: XS-XL

Best Velvet

Banana Republic Velvet Slip Dress

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For a winter or fall cocktail dress, velvet is always in season. This swoon-worthy Velvet Slip Dress from Banana Republic is our top pick, thanks to its trendy silhouette and all the styling opportunities. Because it’s a mini, it would work well for warmer fall evenings, but just imagine how good it would look with a pair of fun tights and heels. It’s classy, cozy, and super sexy.

Material: 100% polyester | Size Range: XXS-XXL

Best Puff Sleeve

Azeeza Cameron Dress

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Puff sleeves bring the party, and we are all about their statement-making superpowers. For this category, the Azeeza Cameron Dress was a no-brainer. Everything from the color to the dress silhouette to the sheen of the silk fabric takes our breath away. And, those sleeves—those sleeves! They have the right amount of poof, are the perfect length, and have elastic at the shoulders, so you can wear the dress off the shoulder, too.

Price at time of publish: $995

Material: 100% silk | Size Range: XS-L

Best Tie Straps

Show Me Your Mumu Claire Midi Dress in Emerald Chiffon

View On Showmeyourmumu.com

Whether you’re shopping for a wedding outfit or want a cocktail dress that feels a little less constructed, Show Me Your Mumu’s Claire Midi Dress is an excellent pick. We love this dress because of the simple shape and design, plus the quality of construction and comfortableness with the stretchy smocked back. What really captured our hearts were the tie straps, and the fact that they are detachable, so you basically get two looks in one dress.

Price at time of publish: $188

Material: 100% polyester | Size Range: XXS-3X

Best One-Shoulder

Mac Duggal One-Shoulder Metallic Brocade Midi Cocktail Dress

View On Nordstrom

If you’re looking for a fun cocktail party dress, we found your match. This one shoulder dress from Mac Duggal feels vintage-inspired with its silhouette, yet modern with the addition of pockets. The fit-and-flare style feels universal, the ruffled sleeve feels ultra fun, and the overall coverage feels appropriate for many different formal occasions. Whether it’s a black tie event or a swanky New Year’s Eve party, it’s a one-shoulder dress to remember.

Price at time of publish: $498

Material: 100% polyester | Size Range: 0-18

Best Print

Staud Le Sable Dress

View On Staud.clothing

Make a bold statement with this even bolder print. This beaded mini dress from Staud boasts a simple square-neck silhouette as the backdrop for a magical print. Featuring graphic beaded art depicting a leopard, a palm tree, the sun, waves, and a lobster, the dress is such a fun and fresh take on prints.

Price at time of publish: $695

Material: 83% nylon, 17% spandex; 100% polyester lining | Size Range: 00-16

Best Ruffle

Amur Gen Floral Silk Cutout Midi Dress

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For a show-stopping ruffle cocktail dress, look no further. This cut-out dress from AMUR is a mix of all of our favorite things: It’s frilly and floral with a ton of great movement. (This is a dress that makes us want to dance!) In addition to the amazing ruffles, we love the high-low hemline and plunging neckline that complements the waist cutout.

Price at time of publish: $598

Material: 100% silk | Size Range: 0-14

Best Floral

ASTR The Label Gaia Floral Midi Dress

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With 15 different floral prints to choose from, the Gaia Floral Midi Dress from ASTR the Label was a shoo-in for this category, but the floral print is the only reason it’s on our list. The dress is high-quality (it certainly doesn’t feel like an under-$100 dress) and has a silhouette that is always in style, so you’ll get many wears from it. It also has a high slit on the side, which makes it breathable enough to wear on warm summer days, and the criss-cross adjustable straps make you feel secure while you dance the night away.

Price at time of publish: $98

Material: 100% polyester | Size Range: XS-XL