5 Under-$60 Party Outfits I'll Be Vibing in Until 2022

www-target-party-staples-296572-1638165316578-main

(Image credit: @courtneecrews)

Pardon me, but from here until January, I will be stressing over the plethora of holiday party invites that have suddenly bombarded my inbox. Gathering together with your friends, family, and co-workers over spiced drinks and sugary desserts is the easy part, unfortunately figuring out what to wear for the occasion is not. And if you're like me, you'll want to be especially extra and whip out a new outfit each time. Every holiday season I used to feel the need to shell out big bucks for expensive sequinned gowns and designer tops I'd usually never wear again, but this year, I decided to streamline my approach.

This season not only am I keeping myself to a strict budget, but I also plan on investing in pieces that I can still get wear out of, even after the party is over. It didn't take long for me to find the solution: our very own in-house collection with Target, which specializes in affordable, trendy statement items that get a lot of bang for your buck. After a quick browse, I assembled five easy special looks that cover everything from a fancy soiree to lowkey home hangouts. For everyone else in the same boat right about now—keep scrolling.

The Leather Two-Piece

The easiest way to look expensive and the easiest approach for a party look that will blow everyone away? Faux leather, which is on my shortlist of occasion outfits to wear this season. This coordinating set comes in two colors—a chocolate brown and a sleek black—so buy both and kill two birds with one stone. I plan on styling this with dangly diamante earrings and pointed-toe stilettos for a fashion girl vibe.

Shop the look:

The Leather Mini

When I'm looking to keep things simple, I'm all for a dress. With the bulk of your outfit done, the only thing to ponder over now is the accessories. For this, I'd go for snakeskin over-the-knee boots and hoops.

Shop the look:

Cozy Textures

So the dress code isn't cocktail, but not completely casual? Here's your open invitation to fully embrace coziness. The trick to being cozy without looking sloppy is to go for laid-back silhouettes in rich textures and thick materials. These velvet pants hit all those points and for less than $30. I can either wear it with a soft cable knit sweater for a family gathering or with the coordinating velvet top for a company holiday party.

Shop the look:

Winter Whites

It's not an understatement to say that an outfit of winter whites hit different. There's just an air of sophistication that pervades when you manage to keep your outfit crisp (and unstained) throughout the night. For under $60, I love this subtle approach to a festive party look. The best part is I can easily repurpose the top and pants for future winter ensembles.

Shop the look:

Optional:

The Knit Dress

I've owned many expensive knit dresses, and this one rivals them all in terms of style points. It comes in so many colors, I've been thinking about buying those too as a quick outfit option when time is of the essence. This deep burgundy feels wonderfully on point for the holidays, especially with shiny gold accessories.

Shop the look:

Shop More Who What Wear x Target I Love

Next: Try-On Haul! How WWW Editors Are Styling 6 Forever Items for Under $40

Fashion Market Editor

Indya Brown is a fashion editor, stylist, and writer living in Los Angeles. While going to school at Columbia University in New York City, she got her feet wet in the fashion industry interning at Elle magazine, Harper's Bazaar, and New York magazine's The Cut. After graduating in 2016, she joined The Cut as a fashion assistant, eventually working her way up to fashion editor. There, she worked on a multitude of projects, including styling inbook feature stories for New York magazine's print issue, writing and pitching market stories for The Cut, and serving as fashion lead for The Cut's branded content. While New York has been her home for over 10 years, she moved to Los Angeles in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 for a new chapter. Now she is a fashion market editor for Who What Wear, focusing on emerging designers, rising trends on and off the internet, interior design, and BIPOC creatives and brands. Aside from her duties as a fashion market editor, Brown is also a freelance stylist and writer, working on national print and video commercial campaigns for Sephora, The Independent, and Cadillac. Her bylines also include Harper's Bazaar, Vox, and The New York Times. But once the computer goes down and the emails turn off, she's likely eating her way through Koreatown, hunting down vintage furniture, scoping out new outrageous nail designs to try, or taking a hot cycling class.