Style Buzz: Event Style Game Plan + Styling a Linen Skirt

Eugene Stylist
Dec 5
4 min read

Three Ideas to Inspire Your Style This Week

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Just because I don't wear vests doesn't mean I can't try one on and see how it looks!"

Especially around the holidays, I hear chatter about how someone wants to look when they're headed to an event - polished, sexy, festive, comfortable, but most often they just want to look like themselves, not in a costume. Finding just the right thing can be tough, so here's your reminder to head out to the shops NOW, well before your event, so you can shop calmly, deliberately, and with time to try on things you might not normally go for. You never know - you might just find those pieces that are perfect for the occasion AND make you feel most like yourself!

xxx rachel

*She tried it, she loved it, and she bought it!*

EVENT STYLE GAME PLAN

Welcome to December! The month feels busy already and we're only 5 days in. If your calendar is starting to fill up faster than your plate at a cookie exchange, the last thing you want to be thinking about is what to wear every day but particularly for an event, especially 10 minutes before you're rushing out the door. Are you ready for some useful tips that can help you get through the month without a single meltdown in front of your closet? (Of course you are! And because I know you're busy, I'll keep it quick.)

appropriateness

Factors such as the weather and location of an event are pretty obvious when picking an outfit, but there are other things to consider when coming up with an appropriate outfit, like

are you dressing to impress or blend in? If you're accompanying a sweetie to their event, what kind of impression do you want to give - elegant, lively, understated, charismatic, confident? Think about the length of the event, and can your feet handle the shoes that look great but aren't terribly comfortable? Yes, you love your silk wrap, but are you fussing with it and pulling it back into place constantly? Think about how your clothing fits and whether it's sending the right message for the occasion, not one that makes you look fidgety, squirmy, grumpy, or not your usual delightful self.

emotional comfort

When an event lands on the calendar, we're often inclined to go out and buy something new. But consider your emotional response to new clothes at an event. A new outfit lets you try on a new persona and can sometimes be an armor in an unfamiliar situation, while wearing what you already have brings comfort and security and removes the unknown factor of how an outfit will feel. Which is your preference?

preplanning

This can be as simple as putting together three outfits ahead of time (assemble the entire outfit on one hanger, accessories included): one for casual events, one for semi/formal events, and one right in between that could be dressed up or down a little more depending on accessories and outerwear. Then each time you have an event of a particular type, you just pick that outfit. No one cares if you wear the same things several times, but if you care, just swap out one element from it and voila! A new outfit.

Another variation is to create a capsule wardrobe section within your closet or on a separate rail and only choose from those pieces throughout the month. Pull 6 blouses, 3 pants, 1 skirt, 1 dress, 3 sweaters, 4 shoes, and 2 coats, plus a limited amount of jewelry and accessories like scarves and handbags. It'll challenge your creativity skills and get you thinking about your pieces in new ways and see something you'd previously overlooked work in multiple ways.

you don't have to do all of these, I promise!

But if trying even one or two helps you reclaim a few minutes each day, brings peace of mind in a chaotic time, or helps you step out with confidence and comfort, then pick whichever tip resonates with you and set aside some time TOMORROW to do it. Don't wait - the month will be over before you know it and you'll be the one who shows up to your events looking like you're on the Nice list, not the Naughty one.

3 WAYS TO STYLE IT: Linen Maxi Skirt

This was a big score at a resale shop in San Francisco. It's a cotton/linen blend so it's heavy and hangs beautifully (and it has pockets!), but the weight is strangely perfect for both warm summer days and cold winter ones and everything in between. It dresses up nicely but I don't feel overly fancy in it, just polished and only slightly tempted to twirl.