4 Style Tips on Dressing for Special Events in 2022 & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #278

June 7, 2022 / 50 Comments

Picture this scenario…

It is a Friday evening and you are sitting at home alone with nothing to do. Your phone sits on the coffee table as you mindlessly zone out on Netflix when suddenly your phone screen lights up with activity. There is a message in a group chat with your besties initiating a fancy friends’ night out on the town. Your Friday night boredom shifts to excitement at all the possibilities that the night could present to you, opportunities that only come when you pull yourself out of the couch and immerse into society. You begin to look forward to capturing your night in photographs, laughing with your friends, and hopefully meeting new and exciting people to enrich your life further. You have decided to go out and you have gotten excited about it when a sobering reality occurs to you as you text your friend group, “What the heck are y’all going to wear?”

Getting dressed for semi-casual events like a fancy Friday friends’ night can be very challenging. What does semi-casual even mean? Basically, it falls somewhere between formal and casual. Not ball gown and black ties. Not jeans and tee shirts. Semi-casual requires a decent level of dressiness that is respectful and appropriate for the occasion. Well, that still leaves a lot up to interpretation, so hopefully these three style tips for special event dressing will help you find your best semi-casual style this year.

1. Go Long Sleeve
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Long sleeve gowns seem to be the most versatile of semi-casual dresses because they can be worn and adapted to a variety of different events. Longer sleeves can add a certain elegant charm to your look making them appropriate for a red carpet event while also providing extra coverage and comfort for a more casual affair. Even during the spring and summer months, long sleeves have become wildly popular in recent years with an abundance of long sleeved homecoming dresses for sale. Many girls are also opting for long sleeve dresses for prom because they are elegant and on trend and eliminate the need for a wrap or shawl if you are in an air conditioned venue. A simple online search will help you discover the most popular styles of long sleeve dresses from high quality retailers.

2. Choose Comfort First
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All too often we sacrifice comfort for style. I have done it. You have probably done it. But there is no need for it. You can look fabulous and be comfortable at the same time. If you are physically uncomfortable in your clothing or shoes, it will hinder your ability to enjoy the special occasion that you got all dressed up for in the first place. And that’s just silly.

Your outfit should match the occasion but without sacrificing your own comfort. Wear something that feels good on and that you feel good in. Trust your own sense of personal style and wear it with confidence. When it comes to footwear, consider the venue, the duration, and the activity and choose comfortable shoes that are appropriate for the occasion. If you are dressing for a truly semi-casual event, there is no need to kill your feet in heels. Consider substituting your favorite heels with your favorite fashion trainers instead. People will mostly take notice of your outfit and never look at your feet, but if they do look down they will only think you are the coolest cat in the room.

3. Business in the Front, Party in the Back
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Everybody wants to look great entering the room, but why not turn some heads when you are leaving the room, too? Look for dresses with interesting details on the back or simply add a unique necklace or piece of jewelry that accentuates the back side of your outfit. You could also choose a creative hairstyles that produces the same wow factor when you are walking away from the crowd.

4. Confidence
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Wearing any outfit well and looking fabulous in it really starts with the person wearing it. Have you ever heard people say, “She could wear anything” or “She would look great in a burlap sack”? Well, those people who could pull off anything really do exist and it has absolutely nothing to do with their height, weight, body shape, or size. It has everything to do feeling great in your own skin and living your life confidently. When you are confident in yourself, you will feel confident in your clothes. So before you invest in a fabulous new dress, invest in your self confidence. Regular self reflection, meditation, and an overall healthy lifestyle is an effective recipe for becoming more confident.

Now is the time to put down your phone and venture into your closet alone. It matters not what your friends are wearing because you are going to wear the outfit that makes you feel comfortable and confident. Once you have it all together, remember that a smile is the very best accessory you wear. Do not leave the house without it.

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I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.

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50 Comments

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 7, 2022 at 8:20 am Reply

      Oh my goodness, thanks so very much, Kathrine! Sometimes my confidence is fake, but even fake confidence works! I guess we should consider it the same as faux leather or imitation pearls. They still look great even if they are fake and so we can still look great even if we have to fake our confidence sometimes!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Mica - Away From The Blue

    June 7, 2022 at 7:18 am Reply

    What lovely outfits you’ve worn! I adore that first one! The dress is beautiful, such a great outfit for a special event!

    Thanks for the link up! Hope your week is going well. It’s a really cold, wintery one here!

  • Nancy

    June 7, 2022 at 7:33 am Reply

    I think you have enough to choose from right……lol. Talking to myself, haha. That dress you are wearing with those Coverse is just fab!

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 7, 2022 at 8:17 am Reply

      Hehehe, thanks, Nancy! That tan colored gown has such a crazy story behind it which makes it hard to part with! But now it smells all musty from being stored in my basement so I might be ditching it soon. And that makes me sad. But I am going to feel so much better when I clean out all the things that I don’t wear often. I have 75 pairs of jeans packed in my car right now to take the consignment shop. SEVENTY-FIVE!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Laura Bambrick

    June 7, 2022 at 7:43 am Reply

    Great tips Shelbee! Love your business in the front and party in the back! Honestly I wish I had a reason to dress up this summer! It’s fun to put on some glam!

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 7, 2022 at 8:15 am Reply

      Thanks so much, Laura! We should look fabulous coming and going, don’t you think?! I haven’t had much occasion to dress up in recent years, but now I have two weddings to attend in July! I don’t think either are formal though so summer sundresses might be the way to go. I will be sure o share photos!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

      xoxo
      Shelbee

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 7, 2022 at 8:13 am Reply

      I think we all have days like that, Michele. I still get terrible body dysmorphia with my hormonal cycle. And it doesn’t matter that I rationally know it’s the hormones playing tricks on me, I still struggle to feel any sort of greatness on days like those!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 8, 2022 at 5:56 am Reply

      Jess, thanks so much! I found the color of that dress irresistible! I think I might need to have it altered a little though. If I recall, I had to rig the back of the halter neck a little to make it fit properly at the top. And yes, confidence, real or fake, definitely elevates any outfit!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 8, 2022 at 5:53 am Reply

      Pamela, thanks so much! I have some weddings to start planning my outfits for this summer and both green dresses in this post are in the running! What is the current uniform these days anyway? I don’t think I have ever followed anyone’s “current uniform”! Haha. I was pegged as the “girl who dresses funny” when I was 5 old and that morphed into my current chameleon style today. I like my “funny” clothes so I definitely wear them with confidence.

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Christina Morley

    June 7, 2022 at 12:25 pm Reply

    I love your tips and especially the ones where you shared your own photo. I agree, comfort is so important! And long sleeves are so elegant but I never thought much about that aspect before. Thanks for hosting a fabulous hop and always linking on mine! 🙂

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 8, 2022 at 5:49 am Reply

      Thanks so much, Tina! I am always chilly so extra arm and shoulder coverage are important for me especially in an air conditioned venue. But on the flip side, if I am outdoors on a sunny day, I need the same coverage or else I will burn! Long sleeves for the win in elegance and practicality!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Joanne

    June 7, 2022 at 3:28 pm Reply

    I definitely think confidence is key but finding the outfit that makes me feel that way isn’t always as easy. I have definitely been getting more diligent about weeding out uncomfortable clothes though and try not to wear anything that I don’t love.

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 8, 2022 at 5:45 am Reply

      Oh my gosh, Joanne, I just started a massive closet clean out and I am ditching everything that I don’t love! If it doesn’t feel good on my skin and doesn’t make me feel confident wearing it, out it goes. I can’t wait to be able to actually see the things I own and want to wear. Wearing what you love definitely helps with confidence.

      xoxo
      Shelbee

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 8, 2022 at 5:39 am Reply

      Ha. Thanks, Rena! I actually just got invited as my friend’s plus one to a wedding in a few weeks and I am not too worried about finding something to wear in my closet. In fact, I am in the process of cleaning out and I have been finding all sorts of wonderful things that were forgotten!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Marsha Banks

    June 7, 2022 at 10:56 pm Reply

    It’s funny, but when my friends and I get together, we usually just hang out in the crappiest things we own because we are just that comfortable with each other! We spend so much time talking, eating, and laughing, we often forget we have plans to actually go somewhere. And, the best thing about these two…we may not see each other for months (or years lately), but we pick up as if it had just been yesterday we’d been together. And, now I’m crying because I miss my two besties!!! They would fall down laughing if I turned up in a ball gown! Maybe I should do that, though! We’d all have a good laugh and an even better memory! Thanks, Shelbee, for a fun read and the link party!

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 8, 2022 at 5:35 am Reply

      Oh my gosh, Marsha, I am so sorry that I made you miss your besties even more! But I am also laughing so hard at your ball gown comment. You absolutely should show up in a ball gown the next time you get together with them! Why the hell not? That would be great fun and you would make such a hilarious memory of it, too! Be as overdressed for the occasion as you possibly could be! Now I think I might do something similar the next time I am invited to a super casual affair. Maybe wear a ball gown to a ball game! Hahaha

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Carol

    June 8, 2022 at 8:45 am Reply

    These gowns are all fabulous! My favorite is the black and green dress with the black lace duster — very dramatic! I like the idea of a “fancy friends Friday” outing. It sounds like it would be lots of fun.
    Thank you for participating in Talent-Sharing Tuesdays Link-Up 21.
    Carol
    http://www.scribblingboomer.com

  • Barbara

    June 18, 2022 at 11:29 pm Reply

    Oh, Shelbee! The second dress you wore, with the color in front and all-black in back with lace and the handkerchief hemline… It is STUNNING! I l like the blue one but the other is totally me!!! Pinned both… And I know you already know, but I was happy to feature your post at Wednesday’s Share Your Style #349 for you. <3 Such a fun link party!!! Yours, not mine. 😉

    Hope you are having a wonderful weekend with your family,
    Hugs,
    Barb 🙂

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 20, 2022 at 9:23 am Reply

      Aw, Barb, thanks so much! I really appreciate that and I really love that green lacy dress, too! And what the heck are you talking about? Your link party is fabulous fun, too! There is always so much wonderful to be discovered at all the link parties! We had a fantastic weekend camping. I hope to post something about it this week if I can get all the camping laundry done!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

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