If you listen closely you can almost hear the sleigh bells ringing, and there, over on the lane, you might be able to see that the snow is glistening.

’Tis (almost) the season to be merry and to avoid any and all things that could encumber said merriness. The first – and arguably most important – stop on this journey to festive merriment is to decide how we will choose to adorn our bodies.

In the same vein that we’ll be dressing our trees, our homes and every crevice of our lives in order to fully lean into the festivities, we ought to also consider our outfits. Which is where ye olde faithful Christmas dress comes to the fore.

Differing ever-so-subtly from the dresses we wear for the majority of the year, Christmas dresses are a breed unto themselves. Crafted from sumptuously soft velvet and celestial star sequins, these are dresses that can vary in length – minis, midis and maxis all work in the Christmas category – but provide all of the pleasant punch that an entire month spent guzzling mulled wine and scoffing mince pies requires. When in doubt, these are the dresses that will faultlessly and effortlessly provide the je ne sais quoi required by daily socialising.

Should you currently be swimming through a pool of sartorial festive options, fear not – team Stylist has tried the best Christmas dresses this year, purely so that you don’t have to. Instead, you can use the time you would’ve spent hurrying around the shops to put your feet up in front of Home Alone (or another Christmas classic, if you prefer) with a glass of pinot noir in hand. Pure bliss.

Best Christmas dresses 2022: team Stylist trials the most stylish dresses for party season