14 Perfect Holiday Dresses If You’re Curvy Or Have A Tummy
It’s the most (force-us-to-dress-up-and-look) wonderful tiiiiiiiime of the year. 🎶
by The Candidly Team
This is the problem with most pretty dresses. They work very well on 6ft, size 2 models. But when we try them on in our own size on our own bodies, we realize they were made in a way that will only possibly work on 6ft, size 2 models.
So many dresses just weirdly do not take the reality of our curves into consideration. The skirt that’s so layered with crumpled fabric it adds 4 inches to our hips. No thank you. A spaghetti strap halter hoisting up the entirely of our DD cups. Also no.
Because of this weirdness, dresses take us longer than anything else in our closets to find. Even then we do find them, we often settle for ones we don’t really love so we have to repeat the process all over again in a year. Especially around the holidays.
Holiday dresses can be exciting. They’re a chance to dress with a bit more romance. A bit of fun. Wrap things in a bow. Add a whisper of sparkle. It’s taken us ages, but we have managed to source a shocking, not 2 or 3, but 14 marvelous holiday dresses, each with their own assets, all perfect on curves.
Let’s get right to ‘em:
1. The Absolute Easiest Dress On This List That You'll Want To Wear To Everything
You know that one dress that always looks good on you no matter what? The one you can just toss on with your hair messily bunned to the top of your head and know you look classic and lovely and every curve on your body has been complemented. Well this is that dress. The gathered shoulders, dipping neckline and smocked waist look incredible on your upper body. Brilliantly, there’s a strap across the back so it sits exactly right on a bigger bust. The whole thing is made from European poplin cotton, so the skirt, in particular, is airy without being bulky (and it has pockets!). Oh, and it’s machine washable, which is amazing considering how often we choose to wear it.
We style it 72 ways with different shoes and bags so each time it’s a new look. It also comes in other colors, the white reminding us of this iconic dress that we may or may not have been hunting for our entire adult lives:
Sizes up to XXXL.
Price: $143
2. The Wildly Cozy, Dramatically Drapey Off Shoulder Dress
Modern Citizen Kezia Off-Shoulder Satin Jersey Dress
This is very much for those of us who like the idea of dressing up but once the time comes, we really just want to be comfortable and feel like we’re still in our house clothes. The material of this dress so soft and light, you will feel like you’re in your most expensive lounge set, but the draping and the ruching and the sliiiiightly off-shoulder neckline bring drama and smolder, and are absolutely INCREDIBLE on curves. It’s sleek without being tight on the waist, and the ruching round the bottom smooths over thicker hips and thighs. The color is also quintessential fall/ winter and looks great on everyone.
Sizes up to 1X.
Price: $158
3. The Bit Of Fun Dress That We Feel Entirely Free In (aka No Shapewear Required)
Tuckernuck Feather Jamie Dress
Is it giving Madeline Kahn in Clue? A bit. But it also has that Gatsby era elegance-meets-fun without being short or tight or sleeveless (aka a self-consciousness-inducing, pain in the ass to wear). Plus, it’s an understated way to finally wear feathers. It also comes in pink for those feeling even more daring. But the black is very chic, and the spaciousness wildly freeing.
Sizes up to XXXL.
Price: $298
4. The Flattering Floral Dress
By Anthropologie The Katerina Button-Front Dress
If you’re finished with black and ready for compliments, this dress is an incredible option. The cut is so feminine and flattering but also so easy. You don’t feel an ounce of restriction anywhere on your body. You get plenty of arm coverage, and yet, it leaves you with such a gorj hourglass, you still feel sexy(ish). And by the way, we love that it’s a print but still matches with black shoes.
Sizes in plus and petite.
Price: $198
5. The Chic Designer Dress That’s Sure To Become Your Favorite
Florence & Fortitude Paloma Dress
So many designer pieces that are interesting and have a point of view annoyingly run up to only a size L or a 10 and run small at that. This stunning New Zealand brand is making unique, standalone dresses that take our breath away and size up to 20 US (which FYI is a New Zealand 24). This particular dress is so chic, minimalist, and beautiful it might be our favorite. The neckline/ sleeve combination is a work of art, but it’s also one of very few fitted dresses we feel amazing and ourselves in.
Price: $709
6. The Easy Peasy Gorgeous Silhouette Dress
J.Crew Pleated Ballet Dress In Stretch Cotton-Blend
We showed this one from the back for obvious reasons. I mean look at that back. The top is stretchy and long-sleeved so it holds you in on top, but the skirt is airy and ethereal, so you get all the perks of wearing something that isn’t big and baggy, and gives you more of an hourglass, but you still feel like you can eat loads of bread or have a bloated day, and know you look incredible. The black is excellent, but it also comes in 4 perfect holiday colors (cream is breathtaking).
Sizes up to 3X.
Price: $89.50
7. The Festive Dress That Shows Off Our Legs
Tuckernuck Royal Stewart Tartan Daphne Dress
The idea that you can be festive and alluring at the same time is almost too good to pass up. Plus, anyone with thicker arms and waists understands that showing off your legs is a way to make more spacious dresses still look sleek and mod and captivating. This dress is truly one of a kind, and you will have a wild amount of fun with the fit. We wear it with THESE shoes and you’d seriously never know how incredibly comfortable we are despite looking deeply glam.
Sizes up to XXXL.
Price: $248
8. The Strapless Gown That's Made For Apple Shapes
J.Crew Strapless Bow-Back Maxi Dress
Ok, this dress does come in black. And it’s perfect. But the toile has some kind of spell over us, though admittedly it’s selling out of sizes fast. But the cut is really the star; it’s just so effortlessly beautiful without being too tight or too loose. You must see the back though. It’s a showstopper. Take a look.
Sizes up to 24.
Price: $160 - $228
9. The Knit Wrap Dress We Want To Live In
Modern Citizen Linden Front-Wrap Sweater Dress
As cozy people, we adooooooore a knit dress. But add that to the Diane Von Furstenbergian wrap style, and we have a knit dress that doesn’t make us look the slightest bit bulkier. Instead we have a smoothed, nipped silhouette. Only problem is we cannot choose a color. Help!
Sizes to 1X.
Price: $152
10. The Romantic Fit And Flare Dress You'd Wear To Christmas on The Amalfi Coast
We discovered this brand in what felt like a dream. Every single piece feels special and custom and like we need to immediately plan a holiday in Rome. There’s some nostalgia in the vintage bodices and full skirts, but that’s also representative of a time when womanly curves were more celebrated and understood by clothes. This dress is princess cut with a genius placement of bows ivory bows but it has stretchy elastic in the back, so you can breathe and walk and dance and feel your best all through the night.
Sizes to XXL.
Price: $380
11. The Chic Velvet Dress For Those Of Us Who Hate Going Sleeveless
J.Crew Factory Velvet Mini Dress
We spoke about how a shorter length gives you the ability to choose a dress with more space without looking like you’re in a mumu. This dress also has clean lines so it’s very chic and French, and the sheer sleeve makes the whole thing lighter. Wear it with tights and THESE spectacular, not-too-high heels, and poof, you’ve just created the perfect holiday look for well under $200.
Sizes up to 20.
Price: $64
11. The Fitted Dress That's Unbelievable On Bellies
By Anthropologie The Soleil Slim Strapless Ruched Dress
Don’t be scared by strapless. Strapless is actually MORE flattering on wider shoulders and thicker arms than short sleeves. And this dress is made from the single most magical fabric, which is actually famous at Anthropologie. It stretches over and smooths curves, giving us tons of hold, but it’s also so breathable and comfy, we could sleep in it. And last but far from least, there’s the ruching, which is nothing short of phenomenal around the waistline. We were scared to wear fitted dresses before we discovered this dress. We wear it year-round, but during the holidays we drape over THIS pashmina and add any shoe we love, and it might be our best party look.
Sizes in plus and petite.
Price: $170
13. The Soft Sweater Dress We Belt And Wear With Boots On Extra Cold Nights
J.Crew Factory Midi Sweater-Dress In Extra-Soft Yarn
We all need a heavenly soft sweater dress that makes us feel like we’re wrapped up in a blanket on our couch, yet with tights and boots, maybe even a belt to cinch the waist, we seem like we’re completely-in-command masters of style. It’s one of our favorite lazy gal hacks, and the price of this particular dress is so good we’re going back for another color.
Price: $49.50
14. The Showstopping Corset Dress
V. Chapman Vera Ruffle-Strap Corset Side-Slit Midi Dress
Whenever we see a cup or a corset style, we think “that is not made for us. It is not made for curves.” So when we fell in love with this modern fairy-tale dress, we skipped right past the model photos (though to their credit, Anthropologie does include plus and curvy models) and looked at the reviews. And there we saw just how absolutely lovely this dress looked on every shape of lady. The cups are big enough to accommodate a larger bust and the back has smocking so it adjusts to our waist. The skirt is full but has a slit to make it more grown up. It comes in so many gorgeous color variations, but be warned, they do sell out all the time. It’s just that special of a dress.
Price: $525
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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