It’s a known fact that December is the most popular month for proposals, so it’s no surprise that getting decked out in one of the best engagement party dresses for a big blowout celebration is front of mind for so many of you at the start of the year.
After all, if you can’t go all-out when someone you adore has just asked you to spend the rest of your life with them (not to mention gifted you that ring), then when can you?
Second only, perhaps, to ‘the big day’ itself, an engagement party is one where all eyes are guaranteed to be on you – so you want to look (and more importantly, feel) good.
Plus, not only are they the perfect receptions for receiving all those lovely engagement gifts, but – as the first of many wedding-related events – they also set the tone for your future bridal style. So you no doubt want to impress.
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Which brands are best for engagement party dresses?
Every party girl’s favourite dress label, Clio Peppiatt serves up exactly what many brides-to-be are looking for in the form of their Paloma convertible draped embellished satin mini dress. Undeniably at a treat-yourself price point (though we’d argue that you deserve it), the Bardot-strapped design captures all the elegance and sophistication you could wish to exude, while the sequins and knot-tie front give it a flirtatious sense of fun.
Looking for something a little more affordable or less fussy? ASOS has got you covered, with its own cape overlay low back maxi dress, a truly beautiful option for an elegant dinner and a Six Stories pleated drop-waist gown, which would work perfectly for a super chic engagement lunch. In fact, ASOS’ full selection of the best engagement party dresses and other pieces for your special occasion – white suits, blazer and jumpsuits included – are spot on, especially for those of you who want to save your money for the wedding dress itself.
Why you can trust us
You won’t be surprised to hear that the fashion team at Glamour has researched, shopped, tried-on and road-tested more than a few new season buys. It is our job, after all. We also both got married over the last couple of years, meaning bridal trends are still on the top of our radar.
Neither of us ended up having an engagement party ourselves (regrets!), but if we had, then Georgia would’ve looked to either Nadine Merabi or Nobody’s Child, while Charlie wouldn’t be able to resist Cecilie Bahnsen for a cocktail party with friends or Free People’s Marcella Midi Dress for a slightly more low-key engagement party. All of which could easily be worn again throughout the wedding weekend, during your hen party or even to a lavish date night dinner with the other half post-nuptials, too… That’s how we’d justify the slightly pricier options, anyway.
How we test the best engagement party dresses
As we said, we sadly didn’t host engagement parties ahead of our own weddings, but we do know a good dress when we see one. Having each spent a decade discovering brands, analysing fabrics, sitting front row at fashion shows, attending press days and grilling designers, we’d like to think that our trained eye is more accurate than ever. And if we find that a brand’s offering lacks enough variety to keep even our small fashion team satisfied, we can almost guarantee that it’s not going to hit the mark with everyone reading this. So we’ve put together our ultimate guide of options that we truly believe nail it across the board. What makes them so great? Chic pieces, sure, but also short delivery times, varied silhouettes, broad size ranges, thoughtful fabrics, stock availability and product quality.
So after well over a decade of both professional and personal research, we can confidently say that the dresses in this edit are not only worth your consideration, but are also ones you’ll return to time and time again throughout the (endless) bridal celebrations coming your way…
Read more about how we test and choose here.
For more from Glamour UK’s Senior Commerce Writer, Georgia Trodd, follow her on Instagram @georgiatrodd. For more from freelance Fashion Editor Charlie Teather, follow her on Instagram @charlieteather.