I don’t know about you guys but when I’m required to “dress up” I get this little knot in my stomach followed by the incessant “I have nothing to wear!” speech that I howl from my closet. I may own a lot of clothing but it may as well be Superwoman’s closet with the same thing to wear everyday. It’s really just a steady rotation of black t-shirts and jeans.
It’s not that I don’t own items that I can use to get dolled up with, it’s the pressure to be “dressy” that throws me into a tizzy. Because I’m naturally a relaxed person with my wardrobe, this makes me feel that I need to hold up to a standard that I don’t have for myself on a day to day basis. I’m sure a lot of you feel me on this.
When myself, Sharday & Leonie were choosing our outfits for the second look, I felt very overwhelmed. I knew I wanted to look a little more elevated but I kept guiding myself towards the casual items. I think the look turned out great!
If you are like me, then I have some tips for you on how to take your casual items and style them fit for a dressy occasion.
Add items to your wardrobe that are fashion-forward. These can be items like leather skirts, pattern blouses, items with detailing similar to the skirt I’m wearing below.
Don’t overdo it. I like to keep my dressy items to a minimum in one outfit.
Choose items that have the casual cut but with a dressy feel to them. This jacket below is the perfect example. It’s a bomber style jacket but made of velvet to give my outfit texture and shine.
Mix your casual with your dressy. Below I’ve paired a basic cut t-shirt with a detailed skirt. I look put together for an evening out but I feel super comfortable in my t-shirt.
Think of your accessories! I can swap out my cross body bag for a clutch to make this outfit more formal or I can swamp my heels for Adidas to dress it down.
I hope that helps you! Here are 5 casual-dressy items that are currently on my Shopbop wishlist. How would you style them?
To see more of Sharday & Leonie‘s outfits click on their names!
Building Block bag via One Of A Few | Steve Madden Stecy heels | Iza Jewelry Forever Never ring | Keltie Leanne ring.
Photos by Jeremy Wong – Makeup by Sephora on Robson Street.