That being said, there’s no reason why the sartorial-obsessed among us shouldn’t dare to dress with some style while ringing in 2021. In fact, it’s a great opportunity to get creative with our clothes again and celebrate fashion for fashion’s sake.

After a year of spandex, cotton, and fleece, our New Year’s Eve outfits need not be bland. Even if we’re couch-bound for the big ball drop, there’s no shame in resurrecting our most fabulous outfits. It just so happens that the runways have given us a roadmap for great New Year’s Eve outfits, if only for the sake of sparking our own joy.

Take, for instance, Vaquera’s no-pants party look from fall 2020. A cute pair of underwear paired with a sparkly blazer and fancy white button-down is just right for dancing the night away, barefoot, and in your own living room. There’s also Dries Van Noten’s oversized shirt, printed trouser, and statement necklace combo from fall 2020 and Paco Rabanne’s spring 2021 printed-dress-over-jeans trick. Both of these examples speak to an elevated approach to leisurewear, one that feels fresh at the end of the year. Another far-from-ubiquitous take on comfy clothes comes from Matthew Williams’s first collection for Givenchy. Embellished sweats are clutch for an at-home toast, as are matching metallic slides. And if you’re really in the mood for some fashion romance, nothing says “Auld Lang Syne” like a proper party dress a la JW Anderson, paired with a gilded bag and sneakers, and of course, a glass of bubbly in hand.

For true fashion nerds, each of these runway moments reflect several of the top trends of the fall 2020 and spring 2021 seasons, including cocoon shapes, elevated loungewear, and mix-and-match layering. Staying safe and staying home are of course the top priority this New Year’s, but, as the runways have proven, there are plenty of fun ways to liven things up when it comes to your wardrobe.

Dries Van Noten fall 2020




Paco Rabanne spring 2021




Vaquera fall 2020




Givenchy spring 2021




JW Anderson fall 2020