What to Wear: When You Have Nothing to Wear
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You’ve an exciting day ahead of you. You’re going to a party, a concert, a date, wherever. You throw open your closet doors to discover you have absolutely nothing to wear, or at least, you think you don’t though your closet is beyond stuffed with sewn treasures.
You could have all the clothes in the world, but when you’re anxious about something, no outfit will ever seem perfect at the moment. The trick is to plan the perfect outfits when not intoxicated with the excitement of the day to come. After watching more than my fair share of What Not to Wear, I’ve decided, a girl needs to have three outfits on standby for the IHaveNothingToWear days— a LBD, a casual outfit and a wild card outfit
The Little Black Dress
Everyone from Coco Chanel to your mom has touted the necessity of a little black dress, so it must be true. Generally, the color black is flattering. I say generally, because there isn’t one color (or absence of color) that looks perfect on every skin tone and body type, but a simple black dress can be styled up or down for most occasions. Maybe your LBD shouldn’t be worn to your 8 a.m. public physical education class or your ex-boyfriend’s wedding, but other than that, it’s pretty much fair game. Also, if you think black is too much of a downer, this season’s Little White Dress (LWD) trend works perfectly as well. The same rules apply— including the one about the ex-boyfriend’s wedding.
A PRC Approved LBD: Cross Back Dress With Lace by Rachel | Rachel Roy, $83
A PRC Approved LWD: Cowl Front Puff Skirt Dress by Reiss Louvel, $238
The Casual Outfit
I must admit, in What Not To Wear, they generally focus on a work-appropriate outfit, but after seeing many women fall into the trap of having a closet full of work gear and nothing to wear to a picnic, I think everyone needs one good casual outfit— it comes in handy on the first day of school, a day-date, meeting a potential work contact for coffee, a concert, etc. This outfit generally, includes a pair of jeans with a fit that works well with your body type, a basic tee or blouse and a pair of flats. I know some ladies don’t wear jeans— I become one of them during the summer— or flats, so you can replace them with a flirty skirt or shirts (not too short) and high heels (not too high). The point of the casual wear is to be comfortable with yourself, not only psychologically but physically as well.
A PRC Approved Casual Outfit: Maybe Tee by Cheap Monday, $38 (Affiliate Link); Indigo Skinny Baxter Jeans by Topshop, $80; Kimball Flats by Report Shoes, $49
The Wild Card
A wild card outfit is something that doesn’t quite fit into your everyday life, but it shouldn’t be all that wild. This should be the outfit set aside for events that may not happen regularly, but do happen. I generally think of it as an evening or cocktail look. Still being in college, there are very few times when an evening gown is necessary, so I tend to lean more towards a cocktail outfit— think above-the-knee bright dress with high heels and complimentary clutch. For me, I can pull this baby out not only when I have to go to fashion events around NYC, but also, for parties, bar hopping, and dates.
A PRC Approved Wild Card: Ain’t Misbehavin’ Dress by Trina Turk, $268; Leduc Mary-Jane by Type Z, $99 (Affliate Link)
Talk Back: Do you have certain go to outfits to help subside your stress when planning the perfect look for a special occasion?
