Casual Thanksgiving outfits give you plenty of reasons to bring out a cardigan, a plaid skirt, or the brown flats you've been wearing all fall. These seven looks pair soft knits with jeans, skirts, and a matching set. There's burgundy, pale pink, navy, and a generous amount of chocolate brown.
The clothes are the point here. You can wear a cardigan buttoned over a white tee, let a cream sweater sit loose over plaid, or tuck a little pink knit into a brown satin skirt. A change of shoes or a different bag can take the same pieces to another dinner.
Whether you're heading home, eating with friends, or stopping by for dessert, start with the pieces you like wearing. You don't need the exact items in the photos to try the combinations. A brown skirt you own might work with more of your sweaters than you'd expect (it gets quite a few invitations in this lineup).
Casual Thanksgiving outfits with a burgundy cardigan and dark jeans
A burgundy cardigan, white tee, dark straight-leg jeans, and brown loafers make a strong Thanksgiving outfit. The deep red gives the look its fall color. The white tee keeps a little light around the neckline.
Wear the cardigan buttoned, with the tee showing at the top and hem. In the photo, the jeans stop above the shoes, so you can see the white socks. Those socks deserve to be seen. They pick up the white tee and give the loafers a small preppy detail.
A dark shoulder bag keeps the colors close together. Small gold hoops would work here too, especially if you want another warm detail near your face. You can skip a necklace and let the cardigan's buttons have the space.
If you're choosing between jeans, try the whole outfit with each pair. A wider leg will sit over more of the loafer. An ankle-length pair will show more sock. Neither changes the basic idea, but the hems give you two quite different versions.
For more ways to use that same deep red, our burgundy outfits with fall wardrobe staples pair it with jeans, trousers, and a midi skirt.
A cream sweater, plaid skirt, and tall brown boots
A cream sweater with a brown plaid skirt, dark tights, and knee-high boots gives you a dressier Thanksgiving option. The sweater's loose knit sits well beside the small checks in the skirt.
Let some plaid show below the sweater. You can leave the hem loose or tuck a small bit at the front, depending on the knit and the skirt's waist. A thick sweater can get bulky with a full tuck, so try it before you settle on it.
The brown boots carry the skirt's warm colors down through the outfit. Dark tights fill the space between the skirt and boots, while a small brown bag stays in the same color family. It's a lot of brown, and the cream sweater gives it enough light.
This is a good combination if you want to wear a skirt to dinner. Choose boots you already like sitting and walking in. If your plans include a long trip, your coat can stay loose over the sweater rather than needing to fit around a tight tuck.
For an afternoon of plans with friends over Thanksgiving break, a knit and plaid skirt can move from lunch to a few photos outside. The boots have had enough time in the closet.
A chocolate knit set with suede clogs
A chocolate-brown knit top and matching wide-leg pants make a whole outfit in one color. Suede clogs add another shade of brown and keep the shoes low.
The set in the photo has a loose crewneck top and a drawstring waist. The sleeves are pushed up, so there's a little space around the wrists. The top falls over the waistband rather than sitting in a sharp tuck. All those small choices keep the knit looking soft.
Look at where the pants meet the clogs. A wide hem can cover part of the shoe, but you'll still want it clear of the floor when you walk. Try the pants with the shoes you plan to wear, since a different sole height changes where the hem lands.
You could add small earrings and a shoulder bag, then leave the rest alone. A matching set already has a clear shape. It doesn't need another layer indoors unless you want one.
If you own a brown sweater and brown knit pants from different places, put them together before shopping for a set. A close match can look lovely. A slightly lighter top can work too, with the difference in shades kept visible rather than hidden.
A pale pink sweater and brown satin skirt
A pale pink sweater with a brown satin midi skirt gives you soft color beside a little shine. Brown ballet flats and a burgundy shoulder bag finish the look in the photo.
The skirt falls below the knee, while a small front tuck lets you see its waist. The sweater stays loose at the sides. That gives the outfit shape without hiding the soft knit or the way the skirt falls.
Pink and brown do so much together here. The pink keeps the top light, and the brown gives the skirt depth. A cream sweater would make a different version, but the pink is worth trying if you already have one. It doesn't need to be a bright shade to show up.
Keep your bag close to the body if you like the narrow line of this outfit. The burgundy bag adds another color without changing the soft palette. Small earrings are plenty beside the crewneck.
Before you head out, look at the skirt while you walk and sit. Satin can catch the light in different ways, so the color may look lighter along a fold. That movement is part of what makes this pairing pretty. A knit on top, a little shine below, and flats you can wear through dessert.
A navy cardigan, blue jeans, and a canvas tote
A navy cardigan over a white tee works with blue jeans and brown loafers for a casual Thanksgiving day. A cream canvas tote gives this version a lighter bag.
The jeans in the photo have a wider leg than the first dark pair. Their blue wash also stands apart from the navy cardigan, so the outfit has two clear shades of blue. White socks show above the loafers and connect back to the tee.
Button a few cardigan buttons or leave it open, depending on how you like the tee to sit. If you're carrying a tote on one shoulder, make sure the cardigan feels good there too. A soft knit can bunch under a strap, and a small adjustment before leaving helps it fall the way you want.
This is the outfit we'd pick for a day with several stops. You have jeans, a removable layer, and a tote with room for a book or a container someone insists you take home.
If the denim is your favorite part, there are more fall outfits built around your jeans to try with the pairs already in your drawer.
A navy cardigan and a dark plaid skirt
A navy cardigan with a white tee and a dark plaid skirt gives the same top layers a different look. The navy pulls out the cooler shades in the plaid, while the white tee keeps the neckline bright.
This photo is a seated view, so it's useful for seeing the cardigan's length and how the skirt sits at the waist. The burgundy shoulder bag gives the blue a warm contrast. There's no need to match the bag to every color in the plaid.
For the rest of the outfit, we'd try dark tights and brown flats or boots. Those are styling options, rather than shoes shown in this seated photo. If your plaid has a brown stripe, brown shoes would repeat that color. If it's mostly navy and gray, dark shoes would keep the lower half close in tone.
You can also try this with the cream sweater from the earlier plaid look. The two tops give the skirt different moods, so a quick mirror check may settle the choice. One skirt, two knits, and a bag that apparently wants to join both outfits.
A cream cardigan and brown satin skirt
A cream cardigan over a white tee makes another soft pairing with a brown satin skirt. The light layers sit above the skirt's darker shine, with a burgundy bag at the shoulder.
The cardigan in this closer photo has dark buttons. They add small points of contrast down the front, while the tee fills in the open neckline. You can leave the cardigan partly open so both layers stay visible.
This version has more layers than the pink-sweater look. It's worth trying if you like taking off a cardigan once you're indoors. Keep the tee's hem where it feels good with the skirt, then let the cardigan fall over it.
Brown flats would be a lovely finish, though the closer photo focuses on the knit, bag, and skirt rather than a full shoe view. You could also use low boots you own. Try them with the skirt before choosing, since the height of the boot changes how much of the skirt's hem stands out.
Our cardigan outfits with skirts and trousers give that cream knit a few more places to go after the holiday.
Pick a Thanksgiving look from the pieces you own
For a casual dinner, start with the jeans and cardigan combinations. For a skirt outfit, try plaid with a loose sweater or brown satin with pink or cream. The chocolate knit set is the all-brown option when you want matching top and bottom pieces.
You can carry one pair of brown shoes through several looks. The same goes for a burgundy bag, a white tee, or a cream knit. Put those pieces on the bed together and see what you like before deciding anything needs replacing.
If you're unsure how dressed up dinner will be, ask the host what they're wearing. That gives you more to work with than a dress code that says “casual but nice.” Then choose the outfit you want to spend the day in, right down to the socks.
You might also like
Hosting Friendsgiving in a small space
Ways to wear a scarf with a sweater
