Objects of Desire: party dresses
I hate New Year's Eve. There's always so much pressure to have a great time, and maybe that pressure gets to people, because everyone always seems to get shitfaced. And unless you like paying a ridiculous cover charge at a bar/club (or shelling out for a five-course meal), if you're like me, you tend to end up at a house party, which can be totally fun--MW and I threw an impromptu bash last year that I thought was going to be awful up until 7 p.m., but once I stopped worrying, it ended up being a pretty good party. Or, the opposite can happen, which was the case my senior year in college (the millennial new year, so there was even more pressure than usual), when I ended up in the apartment of a girl who totally hated me--there's nothing like ringing in the new year with a girl who thinks you're a bitch because you were the editor of a magazine that ran a story on the star of her musical, not the whole musical itself. Ahem. Anyway, at least there's one thing you can control on New Year's Eve, and that would be how fabulous you look. Here are some of my favorite party dresses, most of which are out of my price range, but, hey, a girl can dream.

The little black dress is always a smart choice for New Year's, especially because you can always wear an LBD again. This Foley + Corinna rhinestone-trim dress has a retro look that's on the trendy side right now, but my inner lazy girl likes the fact that due to the rhinestones, you don't have to worry about wearing jewelry with it.


I wore my Erin Fetherston bunny dress to my company's holiday party last week, and while I was worried that the dress was too girly for me, all of my coworkers assured me that I am, in fact, girly. I had no idea; I always considered myself more gamine. But I guess that explains why I like this ultra-feminine Notte By Marchesa lace babydoll dress.


If you are single and looking to, well, mingle, I don't know that I'd recommend a 3.1 Phillip Lim dress such as this one--women love them, but men tend to find them a bit shapeless. Then again, this strapless dress is hot and the flyaway panel will draw attention to your boobs. Sounds like a win-win situation to me.


This M Missoni swing dress is totally me--in fact, I own something very similar. The knit fabric is comfy and will allow you to drink and eat to your heart's content, but there's enough sparkle to still be festive. Add black tights and heels and you're good to go.


Alice + Olivia's sequined minidresses are ubiquitous for a reason--they're simple, they're flattering, and they're accessible. I like this pink one especially, because its color is a nice change from basic black and the warm tone will look good with a range of skin tones.


Of course, all of these dresses are way out of my New Year's budget, so I'll probably end up doing what I usually do, which is buy something at Forever 21. This beaded dress is chic, simple, roomy, a little girly, and, most importantly, $35, so if I spill red wine on it, I won't be heartbroken. Sold!