18 Cocktail Dresses That Work For Every Occasion

Cocktail attire has a way of feeling confusing and restrictive. It's not quite black tie, but it's definitely a few notches above casual, which means we're always teetering on that line of formal dressing that doesn't involve a ball gown. Sure, having a trusted LBD in your closet can definitely help alleviate the stress of finding the perfect piece to wear, but throwing on the same item time and time again can get boring. So we're here to give a girl a helping hand (minus the cool '90s shopping montage).

Thankfully, the rules of cocktail dressing are a little more free than you would expect. From mini to maxi and everything in between, nailing a look for whatever big event is on your calendar can actually be easy (not to mention fun). When shopping around, we demand options — and, of course, that applies to our fancy frocks. In that vein, we've rounded up 18 different pieces that suit any mood, occasion, or venue. And if you end up buying all of them, well, we won't blame you.