8 Disco Outfit Ideas To Ensure You’re Best Dressed On Any Dance Floor

Is there a better dress code than disco? Think about it. As a theme, it’s got ‘high-glamour’ and ‘good time’ written all over it, with references from an era that prioritised look-at-me fashion and fabulousness almost like no other. Its hallmarks were skintight catsuits sewn with constellations of crystals. Flared pant suits with plenty of swagger. And sequins, sequins and more sequins. What’s not to love?

Of course, the decade’s style manta - essentially, the louder, the better - goes hand in hand with disco's musical icons, titans of the scene like Donna Summer, Diana Ross and Gloria Gaynor, all of whom took a 'more is more' approach to getting dressed that provides the perfect inspiration the next time you want to look as spotlight-stealing as the disco ball you'll be dancing beneath.

But where do you begin? If in doubt, start with sequins. As you can see from the above photograph of Donna Summer, which was taken sometime during the '70s (read: peak disco), a top-to-toe approach was very much the name of the game. Finish the look with a liberal dusting of eyeshadow from lid to brow, and a giant metallic fan, to seal the deal.

Once you're suitably bedazzled, turn your attention to the key pieces that will dial up the drama of your disco outfit ideas...

The Catsuit

If one garment sums up the turbo-charged glam of disco, it's got to be the catsuit. Diana Ross' version was fitted, flame orange and covered in fabulously extra crystals from top to toe. Paired with slingback heels in the same hot shade of tangerine, the singer sealed the fate of the one-piece as the ultimate disco outfit if you want to hit the dance floor in iconic style. Fast-forward to circa now and the main-character catsuit still has legs (and is almost guaranteed to make yours look a foot longer, FYI).

The Sequins

1974's Met Gala - theme: Romantic and Glamorous Hollywood Design - featured a look that belongs in the disco hall of fame courtesy of Bianca Jagger. Arriving in tomato red sequins from head to toe, with a hot-to-trot halter-neck gown, tuxedo jacket and beret, the model-actor's outfit was the perfect foil to her then-husband's pinstriped suit. Fifty years later, the red sequin dress is once again having its moment in the sun, with winning versions at Reformation, Zara and Rebecca Vallance.

The Loud Tailoring

Bold and ever-so-slightly brash tailoring was another '70s hallmark and, as you can see from this street style snap from Paris, it's still bang on trend in 2024. Lean into wide lapels, a high-rise waist, flared bottoms and an exuberant colour palette.

The Boots

Frosted eyeshadow? Check. Crystallised catsuit? Check. According to Cher, circa 1978, a fun plus one for any outfit is a pair of heeled metallic boots. High impact but impressively low effort, they'll be the cherry on top of all your disco looks.

The Printed Dress

For a slightly more lo-fi but no less spectacular take on the trend, look to the original disco goddess, Donna Summer. A metallic printed dress, accessorised with strings of beads and a shimmering gold bag, is the perfect way to waft through summer 2024.

The Flared Trousers

Flared trousers experienced a boom in the '70s, with bell-bottomed hemlines that played into the era's liberal, look-at-me approach to personal style that's 100% disco. And while that particular silhouette isn't such a common sighting in 2024, wide-leg trousers with a gentle flare are definitely still in business. Give them even more disco flavour by opting for a metallic or a print.

The Little Gold Dress

At Jean Paul Gaultier's fashion show in 1992, Gloria Gaynor arrived wearing a leopard-printed mini dress. Disco might have technically finished a decade earlier, but disco style was very much still on trend. For summer 2024, try a strappy gold mini with strappy high sandals to channel Gaynor.

The Platform Sandals

You can't do 'disco' without a stacked heel that defies the amount of dancing you'll no doubt be expecting to do. At Paris Fashion Week, Paola Locatelli wore a vertiginous pair with a platform sole that somehow has the retro flavour of the '70s while feeling circa now.

Renee Washington, Grazia's Digital Fashion and Beauty Assistant, lives online. With a penchant for wispy lashes and streetwear, she writes about the worlds of fashion and beauty from the viewpoint of the modern fashion girlie.