Summertime’s arrived (so the clocks say), and the invites have started dropping on the doormat. It could be a wedding, a day at the races, a landmark birthday, an evening at the opera, a graduation ceremony, or perhaps another important family event.
These are, of course, all wonderful occasions that you’re looking forward to attending, but do you have that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach and a feeling of dread that just won’t go away? “What on earth am I going to wear!?”
The first thing to do is to check the dress code for the event to get an idea of what is expected and what other people will be wearing. You may not have the perfect outfit hanging in your wardrobe ready to be whisked out and accessorised, so you may need to start thinking about a shopping trip. Don’t leave it until the last minute, you’ll only put yourself under more pressure, and end up panic buying.
Take a deep breath, have a think about the sort of outfit you’d like to see yourself wearing, and collect some pictures from magazines that appeal to you.
The outfit you choose should be more fun than your work wear, smarter than your weekend wear, and more grown up than your going out gear – all this without losing sight of your personality or turning into a dreaded frump!
The other thing you might want to consider is this. Buy an outfit and accessories that become investment buys ie. those you absolutely adore because you love how good you look in them, but also can wear in different ways with different pieces on different occasions so you know you’ve spent your money wisely.
Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention, the outfit should fit you perfectly, be the perfect style for your bodyshape and the perfect colour that make you look radiant and glowing.
Feeling stumped? Then read on for our take on How To Nail That Outfit For That Special Occasion (Part 1):
Weddings
Don’t be tempted to wear black – this is a real cop out and can be a bit of an insult to the happy couple. Experiment with wearing different colours together – three colours work brilliantly together, two can look a bit contrived, and more than three can be overpowering.
Consider wearing tones of the same colour and mix a neutral in with them, again preferably not black – navy, khaki, brown or cream, can all look chic when worn with other colours.
Don’t step too far out of your comfort zone – make sure your outfit reflects your personality! Think about what others will be wearing – will they have hats? Will they all have shopped in the same local high street store – you don’t want to end up wearing exactly the same outfit as the person seated next to you, styled by the same sales assistant in exactly the same way!
If it’s a church wedding, make sure you’re suitably dressed, in other words, not showing too much cleavage or leg – it’ll just look tarty, not sexy. Remember, those wedding photos are going to be around forever.
Summer events, eg. Glyndebourne, Ascot, The Royal Windsor Horse Show, Epsom, Derby, The Chelsea Flower Show, Glorious Goodwood
Check the dress codes on the websites as some of them have very specific guidelines on what you can wear.
If you’re going to be outside, look at the weather forecast and be prepared! This doesn’t mean shoving on an anorak over your gorgeous dress, but you don’t want to be miserable if you’re freezing cold and wet all day.
A great cover-up option is a thin silk scarf, a sarong or pashmina which can be worn as a wrap over your outfit – buy a pretty one in a gorgeous colour or pattern. It’ll be easy to carry around, and you’ll be glad of it when there’s a chill in the air.
Another good cover-up is a jacket or perhaps a matching coloured coat (they’ll be great for dressing up jeans afterwards). Nude coloured micronet tights are a brilliantly discreet way to cover up if it’s too cold for bare legs.
Are you fed up with wandering around the shops aimlessly because you don’t know what suits you? Do you worry about getting it wrong and looking ridiculous? What about wasting money on an outfit you don’t even like and will only ever wear once?
Call 0845 045 0858 and find out about our special 2-hour Special Occasion Personal Shopping Experience which is tailor-made for finding you the perfect outfit. Or, you and a friend/partner/relative could share a 7-hour Personal Shopping Experience to cut the cost even further.
