Before my birthday dinner party last weekend – if you haven’t read it, you can catch up on all the epic details here – a couple of my friends sent me messages asking, “What should I wear?!”
My reply was this –
I’m wearing a knee-length dress and sparkly earrings but honestly, anything goes. Whatever you feel comfortable and fabulous in is always the best option x
what to wear when you don’t know what to wear
Not knowing what to wear is a very common thing. It happens to me all.the.time.
Prior to an event that’s not usually part of my everyday life the following questions may or may not run through my mind.
Will I look too OTT in a dress? Are jeans too casual? Should I wear high heels or are flats ok? Maybe wedges? A handbag or a clutch? Where IS that clutch I bought last year? Oh, there it is. Yeah, that’s not going to work. Great. I have no idea what to wear. Probably best if I just don’t go.
Sound familiar?
I had a feeling it might.
But don’t worry, I’m here to help. In just a few quick and easy steps you’ll know exactly what to wear when you don’t know what to wear. I promise.
1. Check for a dress code
Sounds obvious, but often in times of panic we forget the obvious. And yes, not knowing what to wear definitely counts as a time of panic.
If you’ve received an invitation, check for a dress code. If it’s something obscure like ‘vintage garden party with an 80’s vibe’
- please add me to the invite list because that sounds a lot of fun
- google and Pinterest will help get your outfit sorted
2. Consider the venue
Will you be outside or indoors? Under shade or in air-conditioned comfort? Will there be a lot of walking involved or can you sit all night long?
These are all very important things to consider and once you have the answers, you’re well on your way to knowing what to wear.
What I wore to an outdoor concert (Adele) – T-shirt, shorts, comfortable closed in shoes, hair up in an attempt to beat the hot and humid conditions, cross over bag {purchased at the Kate Spade outlet store in Hawaii. Further details in this post: my favourite places to shop in Waikiki}
My shoe of choice when there is a lot of standing and/or walking involved – FRANKiE4 EMMA heel. Find them here.
3. Check the weather
The weather app on your phone is your what to wear BFF. Check it a week or so before the big event and then a few days before – yes, the forecast can change – and plan your outfit accordingly.
4. Scroll through Instagram
Scrolling through the various fashion and style hashtags on insta is a fantastic was to discover new outfit and style ideas.
The official Kirsten and co. Instagram hashtag is #sharedmystyle if you want to check it out or join in. For more fashion and interiors hashtags, head to this post.
5. Forget the rules
When I say ‘forget the rules’ I don’t mean forget them in a disrespectful way.
For example, wearing white to a wedding is only ever acceptable if
- you’re the bride
- you’re the bride
- you’re the bride
But all those other rules that might be ingrained in us for whatever reason? They can exit the building anytime you’re ready.
Wear what makes you happy, what makes you feel fabulous, what brings you joy. Life is too short to be worried about bright colours or horizontal stripes or leopard print. If you love it, wear it!
What I wore to the last Kirsten and co. charity event – Renee Loves Frances OTS dress, with a pair of statement earrings by Nicole Fendel. Shoes were a very comfortable pair of Zoe Kratzmann’s featuring a low block heel and neutral tan colour. Catch a glimpse of what others wore to the event in this post – Coffee With Kirsten – a fabulous afternoon with the best people.
The advice offered in this post is quite general. If you’ve got a specific event or function coming up that you would like help with, leave a comment here or on the Facebook page and I will whip up a blog post for you!
In the meantime, these posts might help:
How to create a layered look in 5 easy steps
get your shimmer on with these 10 metallic pieces
what to wear to a burlesque show
Is there an event coming up in your life that you would like some outfit help with? What do you wear when you don’t know what to wear?
This post contains affiliate links as per my disclosure policy
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