Three easy ways to get dressed for dinner dates
With the boys? With the girls? I've got your top half covered
Hi and happy Friday!
I was texting with a friend earlier this week when she mentioned that she had a big anniversary dinner coming up but nothing to wear. She then mentioned that she doesn’t really know what to wear to dinners out at all - with friends or lovers. The eternal conundrum, right? A full closet of clothes with not one thing that really excites. So I decided to use her quandary as a jumping off point for this week’s newsletter.
While I love styling really extravagant looks for dreamy scenarios, the truth is we all dress more utilitarian than fanciful because we have lives to live and need clothes that allow us to do that easily (and hopefully somewhat stylishly). As much as I love the idea of wearing a mesh ruched bustier and a leather pencil skirt, that’s not really something one can easily wear for a 9-to-5 desk job or effortlessly throw on for dinner with the girls (I’m speaking from my own experience. If that is easy for you…tell me your secrets).
So today is all about dinner looks for a real-ass wardrobe. Because dresses are single pieces, easy to throw on, and don’t require as much thought to create an outfit, I’m going to focus on separates. I tend to think that with dinner looks, your top is the main event because truly, that’s all that can be seen. The waist-up is what your dinner companions see so why not keep the rest of it simple?
The three tops I’ve chosen to focus on are: statement sweaters, sheer black tops, and the color cherry red. The pieces vary from casual to fancy and range in price from $10-150. So…
Happy shopping!
*don’t forget any piece marked with an asterisk is one where I received a discounted price after I added it to my liked items!
The look:
Pearl sleeve sweater, $150 (excellent drape) + Black leather pants, $30 + Stuart Weitzman boots, $85
The extras:
Black rabbit fur sleeve sweater, $40 // Open-back sequin sweater, $69 (even the dinner guests behind you will be impressed!) // Black swirled sweater, $65 // Gold hardware vneck wrap sweater, $34 // Cropped angora flower sweater, $15 // Paint stroke tunic sweater, $50 (a work of art!)
What’s easier to reach for than a sweater? You’ve already got your simple foundation of black pant and boot for fall, and you don’t want/have time to think about anything more elaborate so…a sweater it is! Whether in texture, color, or print, any of these sweaters would help you show up and show off without much effort.