I’ve found the perfect ‘classy’ Christmas party dress for £45 on the high street (original) (raw)

I’ve found the perfect ‘classy’ Christmas party dress for under £50 at River Island

The elegant LBD looks way more expensive than its price tag and offers a sultry figure-flattering fit - perfect for the festive season

My 'classy' £45 River Island dress is perfect for Christmas

I’m calling it. This is officially the Christmas party dress of the year - and it’s less than £50. Ticking every single box, this little black dress offers a festive feel, flattering fit, affordable price and is perfect for injecting some glam into your winter occasion wear wardrobe.

According to River Island, this Black Velvet Asymmetric Bodycon Midi Dress was one of their top five bestsellers for womenswear last week, and more than 300 have been snapped up online in the last two days alone. Oh, and I was one of them.

When I saw this dress online my jaw dropped. I was supposed to be on a spending ban ahead of Black Friday and Christmas, but I didn’t give breaking it a second thought and ordered the LBD immediately.

Firstly, it’s velvet and nothing says festive fashion quite like this. It's a beautiful quality and feels super soft to touch. Coming in sizes 6-18, the dress features a sultry asymmetric neckline that reveals one shoulder, as well as a split hem to reveal a little bit of leg.

In a midi length with short sleeves, it's perfect for a whole host of occasions. As a former shopping addict, I now ask myself to name at least three times where I can wear the piece I’m buying, and frankly I can’t think of a situation where I wouldn’t wear this stunning outfit.

This week, I wore it for a date night with my fiancé who even commented on how ‘classy’ the dress was. It’s undeniably elegant, and is a great pick for Christmas parties, theatre trips, and since I’m a December baby, I’ll definitely be making it my birthday outfit, too.

The figure-flattering River Island dress gave me curves I didn't know I had (

Image:

Bethan Shufflebotham)

My absolute favourite thing about this dress is the ruched detailing, with elegant draping across the shoulders, to a wrap skirt that creates a ruched effect at the waist, which is very figure-flattering and accentuates curves that I don’t particularly have, giving me more shape.

What’s more is that it looks so much more expensive than it actually is. At £45, it comes in cheaper than this £68 dress from Karen Millen or even this £88 top from Reiss, which offers a similar effect.

I styled the dress with some satin platform heels from Primark, as well as a sparkly silver bag - also Primark - and a glitzy headband from River Island, and it's genuinely faultless. I'd go so far as to say it's the best item of clothing I've bought all year.

Other festive trends I’ve spotted at the retailer in recent weeks include sparkles, because it wouldn’t really be Christmas without them, with this glam blazer being a fabulous pick. While red is also proving popular, with this £30 dress in the sale having been spotted on Susanna Reid earlier this week.

The retailer is expected to launch a Black Friday sale in the coming weeks which could see shoppers save up to 25 per cent on its orders. You can see our River Island Black Friday sale predictions here. Or snap up the £45 velvet midi dress here.