What to Wear: 22 Long and Short Winter Formal Dresses

Updated Article 1/6/2025

Winter formal is the perfect occasion to showcase your style in a stunning dress, offering a night filled with endless selfies, dancing, and unforgettable memories with your besties. Whether you’re aiming to recreate the good vibes of homecoming, see this dance as a ‘rehearsal’ for prom, or simply looking forward to a fun night out with friends, finding a formal dress that stands is key.

Perhaps you’re considering a twirl-worthy short party dress or a long, sparkly gown that shines in pics and #IRL. We’ve got you covered. Our curated list features trendy short and long dresses that will help make your winter formal look truly unforgettable.

Short Winter Formal Dresses

Short party dresses for a winter formal bring a fun and flirty vibe, so when it comes to choosing the right style for you, there are two key silhouettes to look out for— skater and fitted. Skater dresses are designed with an a-line skirt that’s shaped in a circle, making it pretty irresistible not to do a few twirls- whereas fitted silhouettes shape the body. Go with a style that you feel most comfortable wearing throughout the night as you dance and enjoy your time with friends.

Whether you go with a skater or a fitted mini dress, you may be interested in exploring different necklines and sleeve lengths to land that picture-perfect look for a Winter formal. Try a trendy square neck silhouette that instantly creates a beautiful frame around the face and is the perfect display for necklaces. If you’re looking for a dress that gives haute wintery vibes, try a long sleeve velvet dress with a wrap front skirt. The plush textured fabric effortlessly creates a luxe Winter aesthetic, especially in deep rich colors like dark green or blue.

Formal Skater Dresses

Ivory Satin Lace-Up Corset Skater Dress for Winter Formal
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Twila Satin Lace-Up Corset Skater Dress

Light Pink Sequin Halter A-Line Mini Dress for Winter Formal
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Celebrate Good Times Sequin Halter A-Line Mini Dress

Burgundy Strapless A-line Mini Dress for Winter Formal
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So Your Vibe Strapless A-line Mini Dress

Black Velvet Drop Waist Skater Dress for Winter Formal
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Andie Velvet Drop Waist Skater Dress

Want to learn how to style a strapless mini dress for a Winter formal? Our stylists curated a style guide featuring their fave mini dresses and how to wear them during the cooler months to help inspire your best look for Winter Formal.

Mini Formal Dresses

White Pearl Long Sleeve Bodycon Mini Dress for Winter Formal
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Emma Faux Pearl Beaded Long Sleeve Mini Formal Dress

Light Blue Rhinestone Bodycon Mini Dress for Winter Formal
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Eliza Sleeveless Rhinestone Mini Formal Dress

Light Pink Strapless Sweetheart Satin Ruffle Mini Dress for Winter Formal
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Kathleen Strapless Sweetheart Satin Ruffle Party Dress

Sage Green Sequin Mini Formal Dress for Winter Formal
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Leila Sequin Bodycon Mini Dress

Explore the best colors for Winter formal dresses in our latest article featuring the top seven hues for your next school dance. 

Long Winter Formal Dresses

If you’re looking for a floor-length gown and envision your Winter formal ‘fit to have a slightly sophisticated and elegant vibe, you’ll love the variety of long formal dresses this season. Consider a satin dress with its luxuriously soft glow or a sparkly glitter dress that shimmers in the light. For the ultimate glam look, try a dress trimmed with sparkling rhinestones at the neckline or side slit or an all-over sequin dress.

These gorgeous fabrics look stunningly beautiful in seasonal colors like hunter green, navy blue, and burgundy— which are also the hautest trending colors of the year. However, you can never go wrong with choosing a dress in classic shades like black, red, or metallic, like silver, for an elegant and timeless look.

Long Satin Dresses

Red Satin Wrap Bow Long Formal Dress for Winter Formals
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Carolina High-Slit Bow Wrap Long Formal Dress

Black Sweetheart Strapless Wrap Long Formal Dress for Winter Formals
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Daria Strapless Wrap Slit Slim Satin Formal Dress

Gold Satin Cowl Neck High Slit Long Dress For Winter Formals
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Stella Satin Cowl Neck High Slit Formal Dress

Light Blue Satin Halter Open Back Long Formal Dress for Winter Formals
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Darla Halter Open Back Bow Slit Formal Dress

Long Formal Glitter Dresses

Emerald Green Glitter Strapless Long Formal Dress for Winter Dances
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Vivienne Strapless Slit Glitter Formal Dress

Light Green Glitter Cowl Neck Mermaid Formal Dress for Winter Dances
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Patricia Cowl Neck Mermaid Glitter Formal Dress

Slate Blue Glitter Cutout Mermaid Long Formal Dress for Winter Dances
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Harley Sleeveless Cutout Mermaid Glitter Formal Dress

Corset Mermaid Glitter Long Formal Dress for Winter Formals
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Athena Corset Mermaid Glitter Formal Dress

Long Sequin Dresses

Light Pink Sequin V-Neck Mermaid Long Dress for Winter formals
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Estella V-Neck Mermaid Long Sequin Formal Dress

Light Blue Sequin Mermaid Long Dress for Winter Formal
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Jillian Formal Sequin Slit Mermaid Long Dress

Black Strapless Satin Sequin Mermaid Long Dress for Winter Formals
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Stacey Strapless Satin Sequin Mermaid Formal Dress

Emerald Green Lace-Up Mermaid Sequin Satin Long Dress for winter formal
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Marisol Lace-Up Mermaid Sequin Satin Formal Dress

We hope this list of 22 stylish short and long dresses inspires your most gorgeous Winter Formal look. If you’re inspired to explore more styles, check out our full collection of Winter formal dresses online or at a store near you

We love a gorgeous Winter Formal look! Don’t forget to tag your Windsor dress with @windsorstore or use #WindsorStore on Instagram to submit your photo.

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About the author

Valerie Mekki

Valerie Mekki, with over 20 years in the fashion industry, is a content writer for Windsor Stores. Transitioning from merchandising and product development to digital marketing, she writes about fashion trends and styling tips. Valerie also runs the 'Oh, Hello Work Life' blog and 'Mindful Life Changes' podcast, focusing on personal and professional growth.

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