Summer Events-Do I have the appropriate attire?

During the summer season, you may find that you're invited to events where the way you are dressed is important. This could be anything from a wedding to a company pick-nick. As your preparing for an event, stop and ask your self, do I have the right outfit for this?
This edition of the Big Girl Blog will focus on do's and don'ts for summer events, and provide suggestions on what may be appropriate. And, as always, questions and suggestions are welcomed!!

1. Weddings: Summer weddings can either be casual or formal. Regardless of the type of wedding, there is one important rule to remember...NEVER EVER WEAR WHITE TO A WEDDING! Unless you are the one getting married, that is the ultimate don't. Why? Because etiquette dictates that the only woman that should be in any shade of white at a wedding is the bride.

Now, with that out of the way, lets tackle casual weddings first. Casual does not mean it's ok to go in khakis, and a button down. And I would hate to think that any woman would wear jeans to a wedding. So, the perfect compromise for something casual might be a pair of Linen pants, with a nice top, or a simple sun dress. See below for examples: The pants and dress can be found at www.onestopplus.com, and the top can be found at www.catherines.com

                                                    
For formal or black tie weddings, you'll need something that is classy and elegant. And, as far as I am concerned, formal doesn't necessarily mean you have to wear a dress. Pant suits are fine, as long as they are feminine. Also, this is an occasion where you want to keep the cleavage to a minimum, and the miniskirts hidden.  Lastly, you want to make sure your ensemble is age appropriate. Below, you'll find a dress that may work for someone who is a bit younger, and a pant suit for someone who is a bit more mature...both options come from onestopplus.com

Lastly, when preparing your outfit for either wedding scenario, there are two things to remember:
 1. It is the brides day, so she should be the ONLY one wearing any shade of white.
 2. unless you are part of the bridal party, do not wear any shade of the wedding colors (if the colors are black and white, I say this doesn't really apply, as long as you don't wear white).  If you are unsure as to what the colors are, the invitation is usually a good indication.

Corporate Summer Parties: This can run the gamete from formal to a BBQ. In either case, you want to make sure your attire is appropriate for the occasion. This means, little cleavage, no mini skirts, and y'all already know how I feel about short shorts...lol.  So with that said...

 If it is a formal, or black tie event, the same rules for formal weddings apply. Keep it classy, and age appropriate.

If it's a more casual affair, the same rules for the casual wedding would also apply. Again, keep it classy and age appropriate.

If it's a day time BBQ, or family day, this more than likely would be a very casual setting...so it would be perfectly fine to wear a nice pair of jeans, capris, or bermudas. I would keep away from T-shirts, unless they are company provided for the event. And again, age appropriate is a must! Any woman of any age could consider something like this: (the entire look can be found at oldnavy.com)

Now, I understand the ankle wrap is not for everyone...so for those who prefer not to, or who simply shouldn't wear them, consider something like this:

As always, thank you for reading my blog! Now, go forth and keep it classy!