"I have nothing to wear!"

Dressing for special occasions can be a nightmare.  Suddenly, you've got a wedding to attend, a formal dinner celebration, an anniversary party or an office event and the typical female lament ensues..."I've got nothing to wear!!"

My philosophy has always been to have several special occasion outfits in your closet "just in case." 
Buy them when you find them so you are ready and have a couple of options to choose from.  You know what happens if you don't, don't you?  You go to the stores, catalogs, online sites and look and search and can't find anything that makes you feel how you want to feel for that event.  So you keep looking, getting frustrated, then you are forced to make compromises. Finally, at deadline, with exhaustion and close to tears, you simply settle.  You buy that thing to wear that doesn't make you feel like you wanted, it doesn't make you feel special, pretty or glamorous.  And once you wear it, you know that you will never, ever wear it again.  Kinda like those ugly bridesmaids gowns you had to wear to make the bride the prettiest girl in the room.



Grab your purse and shop around.  You don't have to go to expensive stores either.  Just go out periodically and look around.  It helps to have a plan.  I recommend that you start out with separates.  Buy a gorgeous brocade, sequined, chiffon, silk, lace or sparkly skirt or pants. 
 


It helps to look for a jacket, cardigan or shawl that offsets the bottom piece to formalize the outfit and ward off a chill.

       


 Next find a couple of tops to wear with them.  Remember when Sharon Stone wore a black Gap tee shirt with a formal skirt?  She tilted the fashion world  by wearing cheaper and plainer with glitz. And got rave reviews from fashion critics.

And keep in mind that a plain crisp white shirt (like Carolina Herrera wears) looks wonderful with many pieces. 

 

Of course,  you can never go wrong with a little black dress, like Holly Golightly.  Or red, or pink or other colors that look great on you (know what colors flatter or ask friends). 
         

Accessories can dress up your formal attire, if you'd like.  But you don't really need to - sometimes it is just clutter.  There is elegance in simplicity.  Carry yourself with confidence and...

 

You can have several pairs of shoes ready (nude, black, red, silver) and I would carry a pair of black flats on standby for the event (there are those fold-up shoes in little bags that you can tuck into a purse).  A few various handbags in your closet also give you options (clutches, small evening bags, tiny shoulder bags, or minaudieres)

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

              

 

 

If you buy and keep a couple of these special items, you're ready to go at any time.  And you know exactly how you'll feel and look for any special occasion. You're good to go and you will most definitely wear those pieces again and again knowing you do, indeed,  have several things in your closet to wear. 

 

 

Until next week, I remain,

 

 

Stylistically yours,

 

 

Sooz