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Thanksgiving Dress Code

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Harvard chapter.

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday for a number of reasons, one of which is the enormous amount of delish food that is associated with it. At the same time it is also a great time to visit home, mingle with your family, or take a trip and meet your friends or significant others family, possibly for the first time! If it’s the latter that you’re up to this thanksgiving weekend then you may be slightly concerned about what to wear; after all, the sweatpants and baggy t-shirts you flaunt at home probably aren’t what you want your boyfriend, or girlfriends, mom to see you in for the first time.

If I may, a few key pieces of advice for when it comes to dressing for the thanksgiving holiday; while that tight shirt, dress, or pair of pants might really flatter your shape and make you look super cute, after 2 rounds of stuffing your face and some pumpkin pie for dessert, you’re going to hate yourself for choosing something so restricting; instead you need to choose an outfit that will accommodate the food baby that you’ve now grown. I suggest either nice leggings and a flowy top or oversized knit sweater, or if you’re feeling a little dressier, a non-restricting dress or skirt paired with tights and possibly knee high socks for warmth!

No matter the specific pieces of clothing you decide to wear, remember to ask yourself these three questions: will this feel comfortable later on when I’m bloated? Is this appropriate for a family, or whatever the case is, gathering (your short party dress or low cut top should probably stay packed at home)? And is it the right level of dressiness; nothing like showing up to your besties house wearing jeans and a t-shirt only to realize that unlike your family, your best friend celebrates thanksgiving gossip girl style, in a dress and high heels.

Canadian born and raised aspiring lawyer living in Cambridge and studying at Harvard. I am a Netflix enthusiast and an avid reader who enjoys long naps, cupcakes (who doesn't), and puppies!
harvard contributor