11 Best Red Dress Outfit Ideas for Every Occasion

ByIngrid Leo Updated on

Red is the color of passion, love, and excitement. It’s no wonder that red dresses are such a popular choice for special occasions! Whether you’re headed to a formal event or just want something extra special for a night out on the town, a red dress will make you feel confident and beautiful.

In this article, we’ll show you 11 red dress outfit ideas for every occasion! We will also provide tips on how to accessorize and style your red dress.

We have divided this post into several topics – how to style a red dress for summer, winter, and special occasions. After that, we will discuss the basic rules for creating aesthetic red dress outfits.

How to style a red dress for the summer?

In the first style, we chose a beautiful satin red dress with puffed sleeves, an open back, and a pleated skirt. We combined the rich red color with black accessories – cat-shaped sunglasses, a straw bucket hat, and suede mules. Please note that the soles of the shoes are red.

This outfit with a red dress is perfect for lunch in the city. By changing the accessories, you can easily create an outfit for a special occasion.

  1. Rebecca Vallance: Magdalena Open-Back Satin Red Midi Dress
  2. Loewe: Cat-Eye Acetate Black Sunglasses
  3. Christian Louboutin: Me Dolly 55 Suede Black Mules
  4. Gigi Burris: Ida Straw and Wool-Chenille Black Bucket Hat

The red dress with white floral motifs served as our color inspiration. We then created a whole design plan around lighter beige tones, including an oversized blazer, shoulder bag, and mules.

This outfit is perfect for going out on the town.

  1. The Great.: The Western Bridge Embroidered Duchesse-Satin Burgundy Midi Dress
  2. By Malene Birger: Rosettan Cotton-Blend Beige Blazer
  3. Saint Laurent: Tribute Woven Leather Beige Mules
  4. Saint Laurent: Le 5 à 7 Leather Cream Shoulder Bag

In this red dress outfit, the light linen dress is decorated with red flowers, has long puffed sleeves, and beige buttons. To finish the look, add a boater hat, woven leather mules, and some chic sunglasses.

This outfit is ideal for a tropical vacation.

  1. Zimmermann: Lyre Bead-Embellished Printed Linen Red Mini Dress
  2. Gucci: Color-Block Straw-Effect Cream Boater Hat
  3. Saint Laurent: Tribute Woven Leather Beige Mules
  4. Jacques Marie Mage: All These Nights Cat-Eye Acetate Brown Sunglasses

This is another example of a red summer dress made from cotton, with puffed sleeves and a tie front. The waistline is accented to give the dress more shape and elegance. The print on the fabric is cherry red, against a white background – this combination tells us what sorts of accessories would work well with the outfit. A straw hat decorated with a white ribbon and cream leather slides would complete the look perfectly. Brown-tinted glasses finish off the ensemble so that it’s not too formal or stiff looking.

This outfit with a red dress is perfect for a summer day.

  1. La Doublej: Peek-A-Boo Belted Printed Cotton-Poplin Red Midi Dress
  2. Eugenia Kim: Mirabel Grosgrain-Trimmed Straw Sunhat
  3. Staud Nevil: Nevil Asymmetric Cream Leather Slides
  4. Velvet Canyon: Motel Musa Square-Frame Acetate Brown Sunglasses

The fifth red dress can be a challenge to match with the right accessories. However, we learned two rules that apply in this situation – we can always combine red with black or repeat the colors seen in the dress. Or, of course, apply both rules at once.

In this case, we chose a black bucket straw hat and cat-eye sunglasses which look great with the green slingback pumps as seen in the background of the dress.

This outfit is bold and chic and perfect for summer days spent outdoors.

  1. La Doublej: Ruffled Smocked Printed Cotton-Blend Poplin Red Midi Dress
  2. Gigi Burris: Ida Straw and Wool-Chenille Black Bucket Hat
  3. Jennifer Chamandi: Vittorio 105 Lizard-Effect Leather Slingback Green Pumps
  4. Velvet Canyon: Beatniks Cat-Eye Acetate Black Sunglasses

How to style a red dress for the winter?

You can never go wrong with a classic burgundy hue in the winter. We’ve styled a midi-length cashmere dress with smooth leather heeled knee boots in the same shade. And to complete the look, we added black accessories – a croc-effect patent leather shoulder bag and wool beret.

Paired with a coat, the outfit is perfect for going out on the town.

  1. Ralph Lauren Collection: Intarsia Cashmere Burgundy Midi Dress
  2. Gigi Burris: Finn Velvet-Trimmed Wool-Felt Black Beret
  3. Jimmy Choo: Karter 85 Leather Burgundy Knee Boots
  4. Saint Laurent: Manhattan Small Croc-Effect Patent-Leather Black Shoulder Bag

The seventh red dress outfit idea is both fun and playful. The metallic shades and purple color of the dress led us to choose a shoulder bag of the same hue with a golden buckle. A brown gilet and heeled knee-length boots in a similar shade perfectly finish off the look. In this instance, black accessories would be too heavy.

This dainty outfit would be perfect for an evening stroll when fall weather is still sunny or going on country drives.

  1. Paco Rabanne: Striped Metallic Knit Red and Purple Maxi Dress
  2. Saint Laurent: Le Carré Purple Leather Shoulder Bag
  3. Gabriela Hearst: Bocca Tan Leather Knee Boots
  4. A.L.C.: Sutton Paneled Faux Shearling Beige Gilet

For this outfit with a red dress, we opted for a red, heavier cotton dress in a claret wine color with long puffy sleeves and black ribbons at the waist, hinting that black accessories would perfectly complement the ensemble. We accessorized it with a black fedora and black patent leather slingback pumps. To finish it off, we chose a dark brown leather shoulder bag.

This stylish outfit is perfect for going out on the town or for a Christmas party with the family.

  1. Ulla Johnson: Althea Gathered Cotton-Poplin Claret Midi Dress
  2. Gigi Burris: Velvet-Trimmed Wool-Blend Black Felt Fedora
  3. Christian Louboutin: Miss Jane 55 Black Patent-Leather Slingback Pumps
  4. The Row: Clea Brown Leather Shoulder Bag

How to style a red dress for a special occasion?

An elegant and timeless red silk dress with three-quarter sleeves and a straight-cut midi-length skirt is combined with black accessories – a black fedora, a croc-effect shoulder bag, and pointed-toe heeled pumps.

A few rules are important here. The dress is a solid fabric, so at least one of the accessories should have a structure, like a croc-effect shoulder bag. Moreover, the golden details are repeated both in the handbag and in the shoes.

In the examples below, we will show you how gold tones go well with red clothes for special occasions.

This outfit with a red dress is ideal for special occasions.

  1. Saloni: Adele Hammered Silk Claret Maxi Dress
  2. Gigi Burris: Velvet-Trimmed Wool-Blend Black Felt Fedora
  3. Saint Laurent: Blade Embellished Black Patent-Leather Pumps
  4. Saint Laurent: Manhattan Small Croc-Effect Patent-Leather Black Shoulder Bag

The tenth outfit consists of a red gown with a ribbon-accented waist, tulle-embellished sleeves, and a skirt. To complete the look, we added golden accessories like a clutch decorated with a playful ribbon and slingback sandals.

This is an excellent choice for any fancy party you may have coming up!

  1. Huishan Zhang: Nicolette Grosgrain-Trimmed Tiered Ruffled Plissé-Tulle Red Gown
  2. Manolo Blahnik: Callasli 90 Gold Leather Slingback Sandals
  3. Loeffler Randall: Rayne Bow-Embellished Plissé-Lamé Gold Clutch

The red corduroy maxi dress is a beautiful party piece. Please note that the long sleeves are perfectly balanced with the long V-neckline and asymmetric skirt. This red dress goes great with golden accessories like a clutch and crystal-embellished high heels.

This luxurious dress is perfect for a New Year’s Eve party.

  1. Alexandre Vauthier: Asymmetric Gathered Stretch-Velvet Red Maxi Dress
  2. Aquazzura: Celeste 105 Crystal-Embellished Gold Leather Sandals
  3. Jimmy Choo: Clemmie Fringed Crystal-Embellished Gold Clutch

How to create outfits with a red dress?

Several rules can be applied when creating a red dress outfit:

  1. Consider the shade of the red dress. Although black always goes well with red, it works better with richer, darker shades of red.
  2. Repeat the other colors present in the fabric of your red dress. This will create a more unified look.
  3. For the summer season, choose to combine with brown beige clothes and accessories. Black can sometimes seem too heavy.
  4. If your red dress is plain, choose other clothes or accessories with texture. This will create visual interest in your outfit.
  5. If you are attending a party, consider pairing your red dress with black or gold accessories to create an aura of luxury and sophistication.

Will the red dress suit you?

Although some people tend to avoid red because it is a bold color, the truth is that everyone can wear red – you just need to find the right shade.

If you want to make an impactful statement, choose a vibrant hue that will turn heads; however, if you prefer something more subdued, go for a softer, muted tone. You can also create different effects by pairing your red clothes with other clothing and accessories in various colors.

If you are just starting to experiment with red, start small by incorporating this color into your look with accessories or clothing items like a blouse or pants. You can gradually increase the amount of red you wear until you feel confident and stylish in the color.

For special occasions, you can try rental services. This would allow you to try on different shades and styles of red dresses without having to make a big investment.

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed in detail different red dress outfit ideas for different seasons and occasions.

To ensure you look your best in a red dress, consider pairing it with complementary colors. Black and gold accessories can turn a plain red dress into something special, while different shades of brown work well for summer months. Remember that texture is also important when styling a red dress to create visual interest in the outfit.

No matter your style, there is sure to be a shade of red that works for you. Start by experimenting with accessories and clothing items featuring shades of red, then gradually increase your confidence in wearing this bold color.

A red dress is always a show-stopper, but you don’t need to buy one every time you want to wear one. You can easily rent clothes nowadays.

With these tips, you will be able to create beautiful outfits with a red dress!

Featured image by Mikhail Konetski.

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