From Chocolate Chrome to Plaid Prints, These Are the Chicest Thanksgiving Nail Ideas to Try This Year

We are officially in the thick of November, which means festive nail art is now on the horizon. And with Thanksgiving just a few weeks away, there's no better time to lean into a playful fall manicure than at your next nail appointment.I rarely need an excuse to get a fresh set. Still, Thanksgiving feels like a particularly good one to experiment with autumnal designs and shades that are perfectly on-theme for the big feast. Between family dinners and Friendsgiving celebrations, there are plenty of opportunities to show off your nails. “The holiday season is the perfect excuse to embrace maximalist nail art,” says celebrity nail artist Max Estrada. “If your nails want to dress up for dinner, let them.”Ahead, I chatted with nail artists about their favorite Thanksgiving nail ideas, along with polish recommendations to help you recreate a turkey-day-ready look.Plaid prints@chummy.nails@overglowedit“Thanksgiving is all about family gatherings, cozy evenings, and the warmth of the fall season,” says celebrity nail artist Vikki Swan. “I gravitate toward earthy tones and designs that reflect this atmosphere, so I especially love plaid patterns.” You can choose classic stripes or argyle prints, and go for an all over pattern or a subtle French tip. It’s quite literally the manicure equivalent of your favorite knit sweater.Autumnal leaves@avrnailswatches@samrosenailsLet the changing colors of fall foliage be the inspo behind your next manicure. “I’m loving gold leaf and metallic foils for Thanksgiving,” says Estrada. “The irregular placement of the leafing is part of the beauty and you don’t need every nail to look identical.” You’ll be sure to have the most on-theme manicure at the holiday table.Moody French@samrosenails@townhouse“I love a classic French manicure with a seasonal twist, such as chocolate brown, caramel, or burgundy tips,” says Swan. Start off with a milky or nude base, and simply choose your favorite fall hue for the tip of the nail.Animal patterns@chummy.nails@chummy.nailsAnimal prints in the brown hue family, like tiger, cheetah, and fawn, are an ideal pattern to lean into for November. They won’t feel stale days after your Thanksgiving feast is over, either. There are plenty of print variations to play with, but I especially love the look of a milky base with spots or stripes layered on top in the shape of a French tip.Shimmery browns@overglowedit@avrnailswatchesBoth Estrada and Swan love a warm brown polish this time of year, “paired with a subtle pearl chrome finish provides beautiful depth and a soft shimmer to the nails,” Swan says. “Cat-eye effects are another big part of the conversation,” Estrada adds. “They give those rich colors movement and dimension, so the manicure becomes interesting through the finish itself.” You can’t go wrong with OPI’s Cliffside Karaoke or Zoya’s Thatcher.Fall skittles@samrosenails@samrosenailsWhy settle on one fall hue when you can wear a different shade on every finger? “Using different shades from the same color family across the nails and transitioning from lighter to deeper tones, is a simple yet elegant way to capture the fall mood without intricate nail art,” says Swan. Just choose a few of your favorite polishes, and they don’t need to match perfectly, either.Meet the experts:Vikki Swan is an award-winning nail educator and founder of Vikki Swan Nail Academy in Los Angeles,​Max Estrada is a celebrity nail artist and founder of eNailCouture in Tucson, Arizona.Why trust Cosmopolitan?Jasmine Hyman is the assistant beauty editor at Cosmo who covers all things nails—from the latest design trends to new polish launches. For this story, she consulted celebrity nail artists for their favorite Thanksgiving nail ideas.Jasmine Hyman is the Assistant Beauty Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she writes about the latest beauty trends and must-have products. Her most prized beauty possessions are a meticulous skincare routine and salon blowouts. You’ll also likely find her in bed reading a good book or endlessly scrolling TikTok (spoiler: it’s usually the latter) while listening to Harry Styles’ entire discography on repeat. Follow her on Insta to be inundated with pictures of her meals.