White Dress Outfit for Party: How to Accessorize a White Dress

Discover my white dress outfit idea for a party, with some helpful advice on how to accessorize a white dress for any occasion.

Hey gorgeous! White is the perfect color that suits every skin tone, body type and looks really rich and elegant. White never goes out of fashion, and there are so many shades of white to experiment with.

If you’re going for a party, white dress is a great idea. White is easy to pull off and looks classy. If you select the right dress and accessorize it right, it can make a big statement with a white dress outfit for party. A white dress is like a blank canvas. You can paint it whatever way you like – the same white dress can become boho, trendy, preppy, or cute – whatever you want it to be!

Personally, I love wearing white dresses. This particular dress is one I bought for my birthday and I’ve been wearing it for years since. I’ve accessorized it in so many ways, wave metallic accents, colored accents and even neutral ones with it. I’ve worn it while travelling as casual outfits, and have worn it for parties as formal outfits. Basically, there are countless ways to rock a white dress and you can hardly go wrong with it!

This outfit idea is an easy to recreate white dress outfit for party. A mix of white and gold accessories makes it really glam and also wearable.

How to Choose a White Dress

There are so many shades of white then you can go for, for example, ivory, ice, off-white, eggshell, snow and so on. Women with warm skin tones and rich complexions can try warmer white shades, such as off-white, because it really brings out their rich skin tone. Woman with lighter skin tones (if you have blue-ish undertones) can go for snow white or cool ice white shades.

The length of the dress is also important. For a casual day party, such as a birthday party or a date, you can go for higher hemlines. And for more formal parties such as an engagement party or a formal gala, you can go for a long dress, something below the knees.

For a black tie event, go for a midi dress. For office parties, you can try knee length formal dresses like sheath or pencil dresses. Obviously, It’s best to avoid wearing white at someone’s wedding, unless that’s a bridesmaid dress code and you’re one of them.

Types of White Dresses

There are so many silhouettes and types of dresses to try, for example sheath dresses, wrap dresses, shift dresses or bodycon. It all depends on the kind of look you are going for on the occasion. For formal occasions like office parties, you can go for a shift or a pencil dress.

For casual parties like birthday parties or brunches, go for a shift dress or a cute mini skater dress. For a formal occasion like a black tie event or a cocktail party, try a midi A line dress or a belted wrap dress. You can try a body-con dress for a dance party.

Choose something that suits your body type, and shows off your best parts. Here’s a guide on how to find your body type and how to dress for it.

How to Accessorize a White Dress

There are so many ways to accessorize white dresses. Here are some of the easily wearable ones.

Colored Accessories

White is the perfect blank canvas to show off your colored accessories. Pick one bright accent color for your white dress outfit for party, such as sapphire blue or purple. Then add purple earrings or necklace with matching shoes and clutch and you’re good to go! Or add a large sapphire ring with matching eyeshadow and pumps for a really showstopping outfit. Great idea for a dinner party or engagement.

If you wanna go really crazy, try yellow, hot pink, lime green or other bright colors. You can even mix them up for a casual party.

Nude or Neutral Colored Accessories

White also goes really well with neutral colors. Neutrals combined with a white dress outfit creates a really rich color palette. This is an idea that never goes out of fashion and always ends up looking expensive and elegant. So if you’re unsure of how to accessorize your white dress, this is a great idea for any occasion.

Nude heels are a great idea to match with your white dress. While white heels can give a bridal or nurse look, nude color looks elegant and well put together on white dresses.

Go for a metallic copper clutch or just stick to nude to match your heels. Add a smokey brown eyeshadow look and nude lip and you’re ready for your fancy party!

Metallic Accessories

Metallics are a great way to glam up a white dress outfit. So if you’re wondering how to accessorize a white dress for formal party, metallics are the way to go. If you want to keep it elegant, go minimal on bling, and try light chain accessories such as a simple pendant chain necklace and a chain bracelet. Crystal can work well, too. This can be a good idea for a charity dinner or a dance party.

If you want to go bold, try a statement ring with gold heels a la Carrie Bradshaw, and add gold eyeshadow. Add a statement necklace and go all out! Great idea for a gala, cocktail party or fancy exhibition opening.

Black and Red

Red, black and white are a classic combo that can work on any skin tone and never go out of fashion. You can go for a red lip and black eyeshadow look to stand out on your white dress and add black heels with a matching clutch. This is the easiest way to create a white dress outfit for party that anyone can rock. This is a great idea for a dinner or engagement party.

White on White

White on white looks great and classy, but you have to be really careful so that you don’t end up creating a bridal look. And this is what I did with my white dress outfit here. I matched my white dress with some white accessories but I avoided white shoes and this is why it doesn’t look like a bride outfit. White accessories can go with a white dress if the dress is plain and doesn’t have too many embellishments, lace or other bling elements.

Also read: How to Wear All White Outfits for Different Body Types

Makeup for White Dress Outfit for Party

White can make your skin tone look washed out, so blush is a must, and so are floral lip shades. Red lipstick is a glam and classic idea. But you can also try pinks and peaches for a softer look.

You can go for bold eye makeup, which will really make a statement against the plain white dress. Black smokey eye, copper, and gold eyeshadow are great idea. If you’re going for colorful accents, you can match them with your eye makeup.

You can also try glitter lipstick or eyeshadow, which will be great for a fancy gala or a dance party, like I’ve done here:

My Take on White Dress Outfit for Party

For this outfit, I chose a knee length straight-cut white dress, with sheer panels on the top and sides. I love this dress, since it’s a great silhouette for my body type and short height. And I love wearing white any time!

I accessorized my white dress with a gold statement necklace, and added a gold body chain to up the glam factor. To add an expensive Shilpa-esque touch, I pinned a pearl necklace on my head like a head band. And a squiggly gold statement ring. I completed my white dress outfit with nude strappy heels, which balance the bling without looking bridal.

For makeup, I went for a glam look, with red glitter lipstick and shimmery gold eyeshadow, with a dark black winged eyeliner. I also added a bit of contouring and bronzer to give more structure to the face, so it doesn’t look washed out against the white dress.

I combed my eyebrows into place and filled them in to make them slightly bolder. Finally, I added blush and highlighter on the cheekbones and inner corners of my eyes.

My hair, I just let it be natural, with all my crazy waves! This idea could work for a dinner party, your birthday party, a formal black tie event. Or you could also wear this outfit to a new year’s even party or a white party.

So how did you like my white dress outfit? Lemme know below if it inspired you! If you recreate the look, or create your own white dress outfit look with the tips I mentioned here, I’d love to see it, so tag me in your pic @shilpaahujadotcom.

Muaah <3