Find a festive frock for the holiday social season

If playing dress-up is your favorite part of the holidays, then this will be a particularly fun season for you. Boutiques, department stores and local outposts of national retailers are stocked with dresses that run the gamut from cute and casual to supremely elegant, making shopping for a party dress a much simpler task than in seasons past.

Here are some of the best places in Seattle and on the Eastside for putting together your celebratory ensemble:

Arden B. (Bellevue square)
Arden B. is a grown-up version of the teen-friendly store Wet Seal, which happens to be Arden B.'s parent company. Women who demand attention will be attracted to the store's holiday dresses, which tend to be form-fitting and cleavage-enhancing, in bright patterns or animal prints, with a fair amount of faux fur. With prices that range from $88 to $128, you can afford to be a little naughty this holiday season.

BCBG (Bellevue Square, Pacific Place)
Always a reliable source for dresses, BCBG consistently delivers pretty party frocks during the holidays. The jewel tones of fall are well represented in long satin halter gowns ($380-$580), while gray, the season's most popular color, shows up on satin baby dolls and fluid silk chiffon minidresses ($250-$480.) We also love the convertible dress, a black charmeuse tiered gown ($704) that goes from floor-length to cocktail with the removal of a bottom tier.

Canopy Blue (Madison Valley)
Enjoy a glass of champagne, poured by a member of Canopy Blue's friendly and fashionable staff, while you peruse their selection of holiday dresses. The Siren from Nanette Lepore ($325) is a stunning sleeveless form-fitted dress that would make the perfect backdrop for ornate jewelry. Other favorites include a jacquard number from Milly ($445) and perennially classic wrap dresses from Diane von Furstenberg.

Carmilia's (West Seattle)
If you only don a dress once a year, head over to Carmilia's in West Seattle, where owner Linda Sabee offers casual dresses that are nonetheless appropriate for a holiday celebration. The shimmery cowl-neck dresses from T-shirt impresario Michael Stars ($150-$160) are the perfect antidote to your everyday uniform of jeans and a black top. Wool options from Susana Monaco are elegant and demure ($198-$300).

Damsalfly (Ballard)
Not exactly an antique shop, but they sell antiques. Not exactly a clothing store, but they sell clothes. Either way, Damsalfly stocks several affordable fête-friendly dresses. Prices start at around $50.

Flit (Fremont)
Under the shadow of Lenin, this edgy boutique stocks the unique shapes and styles seen on the runways. Owner Pesha Nguyen regularly updates her blog with images of new inventory. The demure-in-front, sexy-in-back Lucca dress from Suzabelle ($184) is just the right look for a holiday party that starts slow and picks up steam as the night wears on.

Frock Shop (Phinney Ridge)
A sweet pink chandelier on the Frock Shop sign beckons shoppers into this corner boutique in Phinney Ridge, where you'll find a unique collection of vintage dresses. Frock Shop also carries new designers and stocks jewels and handbags to complete your evening-out outfit.

Les Amis (Fremont)
Evoke your own sense of je ne sais quoi at this French-inspired cottage with one of the most varied dress collections around. Flirty dresses hang alongside sexy knockout numbers.

Mario's (Downtown)
As Seattle's premier destination for high-end (and high-priced) fashions from the likes of Oscar de la Renta, Pucci and Lanvin, Mario's is filled with party-dress options from formal to fun. A striking floor-length Zang Toi gown in bright tangerine will ensure a grand entrance to any celebration, or opt for classic Christmas colors with a dark red knit dress from British design duo Marchesa.

Merge (Fremont)
Former fashion designer Patricia Wolfkill fills her boutique, which just moved from Ballard to Fremont, with timeless fashions from lesser-known designers. Though the store is normally stocked with a heavy dose of black and gray, Wolfkill has introduced more sparkle, sequin and shine for the holidays. We particularly love the shiny silver and dazzling red shifts from Chaiken ($326-$392). Also look for easy shifts and trapeze dresses from Mint, Elijah and Marie Marie.

MNG by Mango (Bellevue Square)
Long a popular shopping destination for chic Europeans, MNG by Mango brings style and sophistication from Spain to the Eastside (and at very affordable prices). MNG's attire can shift gracefully from the office to the office party.

Tulip (Downtown)
This downtown doll of a shop brings in dresses from labels you read about in Vogue and won't find anywhere else in town, including Jovovich-Hawk, brainchild of model-turned-actress-turned-fashion-designer Milla Jovovich. This time of year, there's certain to be a perfect little black dress hanging on the racks or in the window.

White House | Black Market (Various)
For the time- and budget-conscious, White House | Black Market consistently delivers up-to-the-minute styles in shades of black, white, silver and gold. With sizes up to 14 and prices in the sub-$150 area, this up-and-coming chain is quickly becoming a must-shop.

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