What to wear to dinner with friends in 2024

Are you going out tonight? Dinner and perhaps drinks? Are you meeting a friend or a couple of friends for some much-deserved quality time? Reservations are made, and you have freed up your schedule. The only question remaining is what to wear. In this article, we give you 6 fresh ideas for every season. We look at celebrities and stylish common people and we pick the absolute best outfits to wear when you are having dinner with friends.

What to wear to dinner with friends in the Spring

Leather jacket + Dark denim + Silk camisole

There is something sexy about mixing leather and silk, and it is also chic. Your friends will appreciate the casual edginess of your outfit, it is exactly the thing friends notice. Add a necklace or a pair of earrings.

If you are not a leather jacket person, this outfit works equally well with a blazer, as seen in the last picture. I prefer dark blue jeans for this look, but you could wear grey jeans or even leather pants if you like to make more of a statement.

Black midi skirt + Simple top

A black skirt is easy to wear, but it will instantly make you look chic. You can combine it with a lot of different types of tops and thus adjust this outfit combination to your personal style.

I like it with a simple burgundy top. But it works equally well with a turtleneck, a white shirt, or a champagne-colored top. The key to this look is a black skirt with some texture or an interesting twist.

Silk shirt + Pants

Take a look at the vintage snapshot of Ali Macgraw (4th picture.); it must be from the 60s, and it still works today. Such is the power of combining a silk blouse with your favorite pair of pants. It’s a grown-up look that makes you look like the heroine in a romantic novel. This is what she would wear to a secret rendezvous.

It is an outfit that’s elegant while still not trying too hard. Pull your hair up to look even more put together.

Printed skirt + Solid colored top

Pull out your fun printed skirt and start experimenting. The skirt is the statement, and when you find the right top to balance its boldness, you have an outfit that’s “dinner with friend” gold.

A white silk blouse works, or a navy sweater (if you tend to get cold), or a tweed jacket if we are talking about a Michelin Star restaurant.

White pants + Fun top

This outfit is as joyous as spring itself. Celebrate the season by dressing in a fun print. Polkadots or flowers, your choice. Pick a top in a color that compliments your skin, add a pair of white jeans or white pants, and voila.

You will be dinner-ready without feeling overdressed or underdressed. This outfit formula rescues any situation.

White skirt + Neutral top

Your friends love it when you look elegant. If you want to impress them, I particularly like a brown or beige top together with a white skirt. Both colors are on trend for spring 2024.

This is an outfit that allows for your jewelry to shine (no pun intended), so pick out some minimalistic pieces and channel Calvin Klein from the 90s chic.

My best styling idea for what to wear to dinner with friends in the spring

Are you still in doubt about what to wear? Let me give you one final tip: just add red. Anything red will have your friends swooning over your outfit. Red looks good on everyone, and it brings that festive, fashion-forward feeling you are looking for.

What to wear to dinner with friends in the summer

Blazer + Neutral top + Shorts

Dinner with friends is about pleasing and impressing your friends, and most women just love this outfit combination. (I know; friends can be male as well.) It is a bit daring, for sure. You need to experiment a bit to find the right balance; the shorts should be a bit longer if you ask me.

The vintage pic of Kate Moss is especially endearing, right? It shows us the timeless appeal of a really good outfit.

To learn more about creating memorable outfits, read What makes a great outfit? – How to look stylish all the time.

White pants + Cropped top

These women show just a slice of skin; that’s how you want to play it. If you feel like you need more coverage, just add a blazer. The white of the pants makes the top the focal point, like a white frame around a painting.

Since it is summer, I would add some chunky gold jewelry.

A cool jumpsuit

This idea is an outfit in a single piece of clothes. I particularly love how Amal Cloney wears hers.

A nice, fun clutch is the icing on the cake, and your friend will, for sure, be full of compliments. Jumpsuits look good with both heels and flat shoes. A pair of statement earrings takes your style to the next level.

Wearing all black

I love an all-black outfit in the summertime, just because it is unexpected. It looks elegant and gives you an air of mystique. Play around and combine different black pieces you already own; add some sheen and an interesting cut.

I like it with nude or black shoes. A red lip is the final touch.

A summer dress + A denim jacket

This styling trick has been around since the 80s and I still love it. There is something about the harshness of the denim jacket combined with a feminine dress that just looks cool. It is a look that says you care about fashion but at the same time, you live by your own rules.

Girlfriends love it when you look cool.

Wearing all white

If you are not a fan of wearing all black, the other direction works equally well. There is a reason why people like to throw “white parties,” a good white outfit captures the essence of summer.

You do not need to match the shade of white; different shades of cream and beige look equally elegant. Bring on the champagne and have a summer celebration.

A shirtdress + Espadrilles

Once again, Amal Cloney delivers when it comes to the question of what to wear to a dinner with friends.

The classic shirtdress will have you looking like you are fashionable but still know how to work an iconic item. Add a nice belt for extra compliments. To get a summerly feeling, I would absolutely pick a pair of espadrilles. They give you french style.

If you want more French style advice, read my article How to create perfect French summer outfits – 18 chic looks.

My best styling idea for what to wear to dinner with friends in the summer

I take it you want to impress your friends? The best way to achieve an effect of wonder and envy is to add one or two metallic elements. This styling trick is particularly effective in the summer.

Maybe because it makes you look like a Greek goddess?

What to wear to dinner with friends in the autumn

Silk skirt + Matching knit

When the weather turns chilly, wear your silk skirt with a knitted sweater to achieve a preppy elegance. Add a velvet bow and you are ready for dinner with friends.

Comfortable knitted sweater + Statment earrings

This was one of the most popular combinations for fall 2023, I predict it will be the same for fall 2024. It is simple and easy to wear. You will be warm enough.

I especially like it with a fushia-colored sweater.

If you want to make the look more festive, wear a skirt, short or long doesn’t matter.

A velvet jumpsuit

When you want to turn heads and get compliments, this outfit idea will never disappoint. It doesn’t have to be velvet, a nice print or another nice material works equally well.

Play around with accessories until you find perfection.

Both flat shoes and heels work. A structured clutch is a nice addition. I don’t know why, but a jumpsuit always receives compliments from other women. We just love this item.

Wear different shades of white

Match the potential of the first snow by pulling out all your white clothes and making an outfit from them. I absolutely recommend some pearls or other “strong” jewelry.

The great things about this idea of what to wear to dinner with friends is that the final result is much more impactful than the simple pieces. You can wear a simple white shirt and white jeans and still be the most elegant person in the room.

For a more dressed-up event, choose nice fabrics and you have yourself a winner, outfit-wise. Don’t be afraid to mix white with different shades of champagne, the combination feels modern in winter 2024.

Wear both the bottom and top in jewel tones

If you ask me, no winter is complete without venturing into “jewel tones” territory. Adding color is a good way to look festive, without putting into much of an effort.

If jewel tones don’t look good on you, just choose pastel tones and get the same elegant effect. You will be the jewel of any dinner.

A maxi skirt

Don’t fight the cold. Embrace it by wearing a floor-length skirt or dress. Autumn is an opportunity to bring a bit of Leo Tolstojs doomed leading lady into your outfits. Be a romantic heroine and dress the part.

Since the skirt is such a statement, the top can be simple. I especially like the combination with the cardigan.

For more ideas, read my article Maxi skirt outfits to wear all summer long – 17 chic ideas. (Yes, they work for autumn as well.)

My best styling idea for what to wear to dinner with friends in the autumn

Lace makes getting dressed easy, just add a pair of lace stookings and you can pretty much wear your normal clothes. If stockings is not your style, wear a lace scarf and lace earrings and you are dinner ready.

The thing about dressing for dinner with friends is that you don’t need to make it complicated. One simple beautiful accessory is often enough.

Minimal style dress + A blazer

This outfit combination is autumn perfection, as you can tell from the pictures. The key to achieving this look is to wear a simple dress in a discreet color, possibly in silk. The simplicity of the dress plays extremely well with the formality of the blazer.

The outfit looks equally good with sneakers if you ask me.

Silk shirt + Dark blue jeans

Here I wanted to show, once again that what to wear to dinner with friends is not a question that needs overthinking. A simple silk blouse (in any color) combined with a pair of dark-colored jeans is the most straightforward answer.

If you want to look more fancy, I recommend a pair of suede pants. I love suede and silk.

I would also add a camel coat to give you a classic style that will feel appropriate in any restaurant.

Tweed blazer + Column dressing

I know I showed a lot of white, but this outfit is all about showcasing your amazing tweed blazer. You could also wear all black, or navy. A white tweed blazer is another great idea.

No single item of clothes is more synonymous with autumn and winter than a tweed blazer. Make sure you get one and bring it to your next dinner date.

Over-the-knee boots + Turtleneck sweater

This outfit is all about the over-the-knee boots. I recommend this strategy when you are wondering what to wear to dinner with friends. Pick one yummy item of clothes and build your outfit around that item. The item can be a cool clutch, a great printed skirt, or a blouse you just picked up.

Back to this outfit, it screams winter dinner to me. You can wear tight pants, tights or a skirt, the choice is yours. A chunky sweater balances the sex appeal of the over-the-knee boots.

Tweed pants + A colorful blouse + A punchy coat

Here I wanted to show the power of color. I love the idea of a pair of green silk pants.

Any color will bring joy to the winter gloom. An electric blue coat will make a nice statement. When you wear color, one or two things can also be neutral so I showed a pair of tweed pants and a chunky white fisherman cardigan.

A bodysuit + Flared pants

In the wintertime, a good bodysuit is always a winning idea.

Sure, you don’t have to wear flared pants, but look at how much more dressed up they make the whole ensemble.

If you want to know all the secret ingredients to create killer outfits, read my article What makes a great outfit? – How to look stylish all the time.

Pussybow blouse + Proper pants

This is an elegant and grown-up look. A pussybow blouse is one of those items girlfriends tend to love. Combined with a pair of serious pants, the outfit becomes an instant winner.

Let’s order a bottle of red wine and a nice steak (or portabello steak if you are a vegan.)

My best styling idea for what to wear to dinner with friends in the winter

Nothing says winter glamour more than velvet. Why not try velvet pants or a rich purple velvet top? If you prefer less of a statement, I also love velvet shoes or a velvet clutch. One nice detail is all you need, make it a velvet one.

A final note on what to wear to dinner with friends

Going out for dinner is about having a nice time and connecting with your friends. There is no need to overthink your outfit, keep it simple. But do chose one piece that stands out and is sure to make an impact on your friends. We dress up to feel good about ourselves, kind of like spring cleaning the apartment and changing up the decoration a bit.

Keep it fresh and fun and you will have a good time.