The safe answer to what to wear to Thanksgiving dinner is smart casual: a good sweater with trousers, a skirt or dark jeans, or a knit dress with boots, and shoes you can stand and sit in for hours. Choose pieces with some give at the waist, dress in layers that can come off in a warm kitchen and go back on for a cold drive home, and match the host’s level of dress rather than outdoing it.
Thanksgiving 2026 falls on Thursday, November 26, according to the federal holiday schedule published by the Office of Personnel Management. Below: a dress code table, typical weather in 13 US cities, Thanksgiving outfit ideas for women and men, and notes on partners’ families, hosting, kids and warm places such as Florida.
The most useful rule comes from the Emily Post Institute: when the hosts are known to dress up a little for the holiday, guests should match them, and when in doubt, dress at least one step above an ordinary day. Asking the host is always fine, the institute adds, and if the answer is stretchy waistbands and slippers, guests can dress down to match. It repeated the advice word for word in its 2024 Thanksgiving newsletter.
Thanksgiving dress code by setting
Each row gives a starting point, and the last column names whose advice it rests on. Anything the host has said about dress overrides the table.
| Setting | Women | Men | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casual dinner at a relative’s home | Sweater with dark jeans or trousers, or a knit dress with boots | Button-down or sweater with chinos or dark jeans; loafers | Emily Post Institute: one step above everyday clothes. Marie Claire’s Lauren Tappan (women). The Modest Man: chinos and loafers with a button-down, plus a blazer or pullover. |
| Hosting | Washable separates, sleeves that push up, comfortable shoes | Shirt with rolled-back cuffs, a light layer under any heavy knit | Complex: comfort first. Who What Wear’s Allyson Payer: washable fabrics, sleeves that roll up, walkable shoes, a layer under the sweater. |
| Meeting a partner’s family | Knit top or sweater with a skirt, trousers or neat jeans, plus a layer | Knit sweater, dark jeans, loafers | Etiquette expert Elaine Swann: avoid overdressing and underdressing, wear layers. Complex (men). |
| Restaurant dinner | A dress, or a skirt or dressy trousers with a dressy top | Blazer or sport coat with slacks; tie optional | Emily Post Institute’s dressy casual code, which it recommends for a meal at a good restaurant. |
| Friendsgiving | A statement piece, such as a coat with a faux-fur collar | A brighter sweater, plus a jacket in case the evening moves on | Christie Tyler in Marie Claire: bolder than at a family meal. The Modest Man (men). |
| Dressier family tradition | Cocktail-length dress or dressy separates | Suit with shirt and tie, or a cable-knit turtleneck under the jacket | Emily Post Institute: match hosts who dress up; its semi-formal list. The Modest Man for the turtleneck. |
What the weather is usually like on Thanksgiving
The table lists the normal high and low for November 26 at 13 weather stations, from NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 U.S. Climate Normals. A normal is a 30-year average, not a forecast. NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), which publishes the normals, calls them a yardstick for judging current weather and forecasts, and says they help travelers pack the right clothes. Cities run from the coldest normal high to the warmest.
| City (weather station) | NCEI station ID | Normal high | Normal low |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul (airport) | USW00014922 | 37°F (3°C) | 23°F (-5°C) |
| Chicago (O’Hare Airport) | USW00094846 | 43°F (6°C) | 30°F (-1°C) |
| Boston (Logan Airport) | USW00014739 | 48°F (9°C) | 35°F (2°C) |
| Denver (Denver International Airport) | USW00003017 | 49°F (9°C) | 22°F (-5°C) |
| Seattle (Sea-Tac Airport) | USW00024233 | 50°F (10°C) | 39°F (4°C) |
| New York City (Central Park) | USW00094728 | 50°F (10°C) | 39°F (4°C) |
| Atlanta (Hartsfield-Jackson Airport) | USW00013874 | 61°F (16°C) | 42°F (5°C) |
| Dallas (DFW Airport) | USW00003927 | 63°F (17°C) | 43°F (6°C) |
| Houston (Bush Intercontinental Airport) | USW00012960 | 69°F (21°C) | 49°F (9°C) |
| Los Angeles (downtown, USC campus) | USW00093134 | 70°F (21°C) | 50°F (10°C) |
| Phoenix (Sky Harbor Airport) | USW00023183 | 72°F (22°C) | 50°F (10°C) |
| Orlando (Orlando International Airport) | USW00012815 | 77°F (25°C) | 56°F (14°C) |
| Miami (Miami International Airport) | USW00012839 | 80°F (27°C) | 67°F (19°C) |
Fahrenheit values are NCEI’s daily normals for November 26, rounded to the nearest degree; the Celsius figures were converted for this guide from NCEI’s unrounded values.
- Cold: in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Chicago and Denver the normal low is below freezing, so the coat for the trip matters as much as the outfit indoors. Denver also has the widest daily swing in the table, more than 25°F from afternoon high to overnight low.
- Cool: Boston, Seattle, New York, Atlanta and Dallas have normal highs of 48°F to 63°F and normal lows above freezing.
- Warm: Houston, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Orlando and Miami have normal highs near or above 70°F. Miami’s normal low of 67°F is higher than the normal afternoon high in eight of the other twelve cities.
Each year’s holiday will differ from the table. NCEI’s files put the standard deviation of the November 26 high at about 4°F in Miami and over 10°F in Denver, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Chicago and Dallas, the stations in the table where a single year’s high tends to land furthest from the normal. Recent weather can mislead too. In Gainesville, Florida, the afternoon high reached 81°F to 86°F every day of the week before Thanksgiving 2025, then fell to 70°F on the holiday and 62°F the day after, with lows of 47°F and 36°F, according to NOAA’s daily records for Gainesville Regional Airport. Local TV station WCJB, in a forecast published November 24, suggested a sweater and jeans for the day, plus a coat after dark. Check the National Weather Service forecast for your destination in the days before the holiday, and adjust the outer layers rather than the whole outfit.
What to wear to Thanksgiving dinner: women
These Thanksgiving outfit ideas for women come from fashion editors at Marie Claire and Who What Wear:
- Sweater dress and boots. Marie Claire fashion editor Lauren Tappan treats a soft sweater dress with plain black boots as a low-effort formula. Her shoe for another sweater-dress outfit is a kitten heel, which she finds easier to walk in than a platform.
- Patterned sweater, relaxed jeans, loafers. Tappan pairs a Fair Isle sweater with relaxed jeans and shiny penny loafers.
- Wrap dress. One Who What Wear editor’s argument for it, in a 2016 roundup, is practical: the tie can be loosened as the day goes on.
- Half-zip and tailored trousers. Tappan’s pants option: a knit half-zip with loose tailored trousers and ankle boots.
Whatever the base, put a thin layer under a heavy sweater: Who What Wear’s Allyson Payer notes that a house with the oven going gets warm, however cold it is outside. Her list of mistakes also includes shoes that pinch once feet swell.
What to wear to Thanksgiving dinner: men
Smart casual is the most common choice for men at Thanksgiving, according to a July 2026 guide from the menswear site The Modest Man. The guide’s no-risk outfit is a blazer or pullover over a button-down shirt, with chinos and loafers. If the blazer feels too formal, the guide says, take it off.
- Chinos, button-down, blazer or sweater. The Modest Man’s default, made seasonal with texture such as cashmere, corduroy or tweed.
- Cardigan and corduroys. Valet’s 2024 Thanksgiving packing list pairs pleated cords with a cardigan, which looks dressed up and comes off easily if the meal leaves you warm.
- Shawl-collar sweater over flannel. Celebrity stylist Melissa Garcia’s shortcut on TODAY in 2016: leave on the flannel you watched football in and add the sweater, dark-wash denim and brown boots.
- A suit for a formal house. The Modest Man swaps the shirt and tie for a cable-knit turtleneck under the suit, or pairs a brown suit with a knit tie in mustard.
The same guide notes that some families take shoes off at the door, so wear presentable socks or pack indoor moccasins.
What not to wear to Thanksgiving dinner
In a 2018 guide updated in 2022, Who What Wear’s Allyson Payer lists the pieces that fail over a long day of eating, each with a swap:
- Rigid, high-waisted denim. Choose jeans with some stretch that are not skin-tight.
- Silk and satin. Stains are hard to get out of both; wear fabrics that can go in the washing machine.
- Leather clothing. It has little give and is not very breathable. Knits are the comfortable swap.
- Pale colors. Red wine is the risk she names, and other guests may be less careful than you. Her swap is what she calls forgiving colors.
- Bell sleeves. They trail through food while you cook or eat; pick sleeves that roll up.
Satin divides editors, though: Tappan suggests a satin slip skirt with a matching knit top for a more polished look. The other mistake is misjudging the level of dress. Elaine Swann warns against both overdressing and underdressing, and John Robertson, the etiquette consultant behind CBC Prince Edward Island’s The Butler Is In feature, said ahead of Canada’s Thanksgiving in October 2016 that a host’s “casual” is still not an invitation to a T-shirt and jeans.
What to wear to Thanksgiving dinner with your boyfriend’s family
The same advice fits any partner’s family on a first visit. Etiquette expert Elaine Swann, founder of The Swann School of Protocol, gave The Zoe Report a short plan:
- Work out the dress code first. A family that watches football and eats early dresses differently from one that sets the table with several forks.
- Look at photos. Scroll back through your partner’s posts for family pictures; they show how everyone dresses.
- Stay recognizably yourself. What you wear the first time sets expectations, Swann notes, so dressing far above your usual style commits you to it on later visits.
- Dress in layers. One can come off if the house is warm or go back on if the family goes outdoors.
- Ask what your partner is wearing. Matching is unnecessary, but outfits that work together read as a couple, family photo included.
Swann also favors comfortable clothes over sloppy ones; jeans, she says, should not be a pair you have to fight your way into. For men in the same position, Complex’s Mike DeStefano recommended a bright knit sweater with indigo jeans and loafers, smart without a suit, while staying close to your everyday style.
What to wear if you are hosting
Complex puts comfort first for hosts, who spend much of the day moving around a hot kitchen. Shinnie Park’s hosting outfit for Complex was a dressy sweatshirt with a pleated midi skirt, and she noted that the pleats leave space for a big meal. The host also sets the tone for everyone else, The Modest Man observes. When guests ask what to wear, give them a clear answer.
What to wear to Thanksgiving in Florida, Arizona and other warm places
The Emily Post Institute’s general casual dress code, not specific to Thanksgiving, includes sundresses and, where the occasion and climate allow, shorts; for men it lists khakis, polo or casual button-down shirts and loafers. A cotton or linen dress in a fall color, or chinos with a light knit, keeps the holiday look without the heat.
Plan for the evening too. Orlando’s normal low is 56°F, and in Phoenix and Los Angeles the low is about 50°F, roughly 20°F below the afternoon high, so a dinner that runs late can end in cardigan weather. Gainesville’s 2025 holiday, in the weather section above, shows how quickly a warm week can turn cool.
What should kids wear to Thanksgiving?
The Everymom’s Emilee Janitz aims for put-together but practical. Busy toddlers heat up fast, she writes, so she builds their outfits from a thin layer up rather than relying on one warm sweater. For children who are potty training, she looks for pants that pull down and up easily, with hidden stretch or a drawstring, and a baby who will nap at the gathering needs an outfit that is safe to sleep in, or a spare one in the bag.
Frequently asked questions
Can you wear jeans to Thanksgiving dinner?
Yes, at a casual family dinner. The Emily Post Institute’s casual dress code lists jeans for women and men (clean, with no holes, in the men’s list), and its dressy casual list for women includes nice jeans with a dressy top. Pick a dark wash with some stretch, add a top that shows effort, and skip jeans when the host has signaled a dressier meal.
What should ladies wear to Thanksgiving dinner?
A sweater dress with boots, a sweater with a skirt, or a knit top with trousers or dark jeans suits a casual family dinner. Add a layer you can remove and choose fabrics with some give.
What’s a good color to wear for Thanksgiving dinner?
No color is required. The Modest Man builds on brown, burgundy, olive, forest green and warm gray, and uses brighter shades such as burnt orange and mustard mostly as accents. For fall 2026, Who What Wear’s Michelle Scanga found brown and burgundy leading the season’s new arrivals, with olive and moss greens working almost as neutrals, and Marie Claire’s Tappan picked mustard yellow as a bolder shade that suits the season. Who What Wear’s Payer also steers readers away from pale colors because red wine shows on them.
What to wear for Thanksgiving 2026?
The smart casual formulas above still apply, plus a few trend notes. Who What Wear’s runway report named purple the standout color of the fall and winter 2026 shows, and its October 2026 knitwear roundup highlighted very high turtlenecks, chunky cardigans, knitted vests and striped knits.
What should you wear to meet your boyfriend’s family at Thanksgiving?
Aim one step above casual: a good sweater or knit top with trousers, a skirt or neat dark jeans, plus a layer. Ask your boyfriend what the family usually wears and what he plans to wear, and look at family photos he has posted. Stay close to your normal style, since Elaine Swann notes that a first visit sets expectations for later ones.
Sources
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Federal Holidays (2026 Holiday Schedule), accessed November 1, 2026
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals, accessed November 1, 2026
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991 to 2020 daily normals station files, documentation (April 2021) and station inventory, accessed November 1, 2026
- National Weather Service, weather.gov, accessed November 1, 2026
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Climatology Network daily summaries, Gainesville Regional Airport (USW00012816), November 2025, accessed November 1, 2026
- Emily Post Institute, Tips for a Happy Thanksgiving, November 8, 2020
- Emily Post Institute, Etiquette Today: Thanksgiving Guest and Host Roles, November 14, 2024
- Emily Post Institute, Attire Guide: Dress Codes from Casual to White Tie, August 2, 2020
- The Zoe Report, What to Wear To Thanksgiving With Your New Partner’s Family, November 12, 2021
- Who What Wear, The 7 Worst Things to Wear on Thanksgiving, November 19, 2018
- Who What Wear, What Our Editors Are Wearing to Thanksgiving Dinner, November 3, 2016
- Marie Claire, These Outfit Formulas Are My Secret to Looking Chic on Thanksgiving, November 6, 2024
- Marie Claire, I’m Building My Thanksgiving Outfits Around These Dramatic Style Centerpieces, November 21, 2025
- The Modest Man, Men’s Thanksgiving Outfits for All Types of Celebrations, July 16, 2026
- Valet, Your Thanksgiving Packing List, November 11, 2024
- Complex, 7 Outfit Ideas for Every Thanksgiving Situation, November 12, 2024
- TODAY, What to wear to Thanksgiving? 5 creative ways to shop your closet, November 23, 2016
- CBC News, The Butler Is in: Thanksgiving tips for being a good guest, October 6, 2016
- The Everymom, Adorable Thanksgiving Outfits for Babies, Toddlers, and Kids, November 8, 2023
- WCJB, Your Thanksgiving outfit should include a sweater, a cool front is on the way, November 24, 2025
- Who What Wear, I Looked at Hundreds of New Arrivals: These Are the 7 Colors That Matter for Fall 2026, September 25, 2026
- Marie Claire, Forget Navy and Brown: These Are Fall’s Most Surprising Color Trends, August 8, 2026
- Who What Wear, 10 Trends Set to Define Fall 2026 Fashion, April 11, 2026
- Who What Wear, A Great Jumper Is the Outfit: 8 Knitwear Trends You’ll See It Girls Wearing This Winter, October 4, 2026
Lead photo: A Thanksgiving place setting with a fall flower centerpiece. Photo: Missvain, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped).
