So, now to the real work.
Some of you may have seen my post on the Fashion and Beauty board on the Nest. I have an Admitted Students Weekend up at Hamline on March 14th and 15th. I called, and was given sort of an outline of the dress for the event. Friday night is a cocktail and hors d'oeuvre reception at a pretty nice hotel in Minneapolis. The cheapest room is $150, and the pictures make it look like a pretty fancy place: http://www.thedepotminneapolis.com/hotels/renaissance-hotel.asp. They told me first business casual, but then the girl kept talking for a while, and made me think that probably the casual part should be dropped - making it business wear. She said this was appropriate for both days.
On Saturday, I was planning on wearing the outfit a couple posts down: coral wrap shirt with black lace cami, gray wide leg pants. I'll probably wear different shoes though, since I don't know where all we will be walking. I got a GREAT deal at Kohl's the other day on a pair of shiny black ballet flats, so those seem like a good choice. I don't have a picture of them yet, but they look like these, if you can imagine them all solid black.
That outfit is very comfortable, and it looks great as well. I do have one concern with the flats, that maybe someone can help me with. I think I have high arches. A lot of the time, heels are more comfortable, simply because the shoe's arch more closely matches mine. Flats don't offer any support, so I end up with aching arches. This would seem to have an easy solution - wear mostly heels! But the problem is that up until the past year and a half or so, I was a tennis shoe girl. When I was in high school, I would wear down tennis shoes to the point where they had actual holes in them inside of six months, because I wore them all day every day. While my high-heel-walking skills are improving, they still aren't perfect. Has anyone had any success with insoles for flats?
Now, the more complex outfit - Friday night. From what the girl said, it doesn't sound like cocktail dress, but it sounds like what I would consider probably formal business wear. I probably won't make H wear a suit, but I don't think he would be out of place doing so. I don't know if I explained myself properly on the Nest, so I'll try again here, but perhaps I'm just overthinking. I have a full tuition scholarship to this school. I plan on meeting and networking with professors. While I know it's more important that I show them that I'm worth their money in the classroom, I can't help but feel like I shouldn't look like a total mess. I want to look really pulled together and polished, for me and for them.
(Sidebar: I'm finally getting to know what it feels like when you wear clothes that you really feel good in. It makes a HUGE difference!)
The wonderful ladies on the Nest suggested a sheath dress with a jacket over it. This was my interpretation of that:
JCPenney, $24.99
Target, $29.99Thoughts?
I also like this from Newport-News.com:
This is actually part of their 10 Items 10 Ways Feature. I like all of it, except for the 1st and last outfits:http://www.newport-news.com/shop/category_splash.aspx?gp_coll_id=9&gp_cat_id=1649&gp_fashcoll_id=201
Are they horribly, horribly wrong for me?
A final note:
I'm learning to like color. I'm trying very, very hard. For my actual clothes, I'll probably stick to my black/brown/blue standbys, plus the addition of jewel tones like you all suggested. But, accessories can be any color! How fun! They can be bright! I decided I wanted a new purse for spring, and I was wandering around Gordman's. I said to myself, if 2 of my three sisters can carry bright red purses, why the heck can't I have a blue one? So I bought it! I have a bright blue purse with white polka dots! It's not going to be something that I can use all the time, but how fun for spring and summer!
8 comments:
No, no, no to that print jacket. No! If you want to wear a jacket over your sheath dress, go for a solid.
I fail to understand why this isn't a business casual event, especially since that's exactly what you were told. I'm not quite sure you know what "business casual" entails. If I were attending this (and I've attended countless events like this), I'd simply wear a nice blouse or sweater and simple skirt/trousers with heels. Anything more, and you'll stand out too much.
I also fail to understand what your scholarship has to to with anything. Objection -- relevance. What you look like doesn't mean a goddamn thing when it comes to your "worth" as a future lawyer. I wore vintage ringer-Ts and pigtails throughout law school; what you wear won't make a lick of difference on your exams, which is when you really prove your "worth."
Wear something simple, chic, and conservative. You don't need to go all out for this, nor do you need to wear a suit. Look professional, but don't look stodgy. There's just no need.
I guess what I'm getting at is that I want to make it clear that I'm a serious student. You can't tell me that dressing appropriately doesn't effect my worth as a lawyer. I'm majoring in psychology. It matters a LOT! But it's not like I'm wanting to dress particularly nice in class, just at a nice business event. That's all I'm trying to get at, that I take my education seriously. Again, maybe I'm overthinking it.
I think also perhaps that I have a different understanding of business casual. To me, business casual is khakis and a polo, which feels really casual for this. A nice blouse with a skirt belongs on the next level in my world. But perhaps I need to research the more commonly interpreted definitions here.
Thanks again for your advice!
the polo and khakis you mention is not "business casual" -- it's just plain old casual. wear a nice sweater or blouse and skirt or slacks and you'll be fine. you really want to just blend in, not stand out one way or the other. and i realize you're on a full scholarship, but that doesn't mean that you need to be over the top in how you're dressing. like the monkey said, prove your worth in the classroom where it really counts. good luck.
Shoes: if they make your feet hurt, you know you shouldn't be wearing them. But who doesn't own a pair of super cute shoes that look adorable but hurt?
What about shoes like this:
http://www.ninewest.com/n/browse/product.s?productId=2926984&source=category&index=6&prodIndex=6&listSize=9&categoryId=&codeName=BTEIGHT
Something in the 1/2" to 1" heel range should give you some arch support but also not make you feel like you're wearing stilettos. Gel inserts (you can get them at any Walgreen's, CVS, Long's, etc) are also wonderful for making heels comfier.
Now for your law school event: first, please, please don't mention your scholarship to any of your potential classmates or professors. Lawyers by nature tend to be very competitive, and you will come off as either a braggart or a brown-noser. Ugh. The school expects you will be a serious student--you don't need to stress that at a cocktail party, which in my law school experience was more about finding out if someone was interesting/nice apart from their law credentials.
And for clothing, I second weezer and amber. Lawyer work clothing is boring--suits and dark pants/skirts and blouses and sweaters. No cocktail dresses unless you're at the annual holiday party. Law is a weird industry from the recruiting to the salary to the hours, so the advice from the (assumably) non-lawyers on the Nest re: a cocktail dress is understandably off.
You are overthinking it. :) How about looking for a new light blue v-neck soft sweater to go with your new blue purse (pictures! we want pictures!) and wearing that with your wide leg pants? That would be a perfectly classic and conservative outfit.
Business Casual to me means trousers, flats and a button down shirt, or a sweater.
Because you have a small bust, look for shirts with visual details closer to the top, around the face, to draw the eye up.
Look for items that aren't as drapey, and don't cling to the body. Fitted does not equal tight. Look for tops with seaming, and stiffer fabrics, thus, making the shape you want, not the shape you have.
Buy arch supports to wear in your flats
Look into shapewear (ie, foundation garments) just like a bra can change your appearance, so can shapewear. Spanx is very popular.
Here are some ideas for tops
http://tinyurl.com/f6xgg
http://tinyurl.com/3bcosd
http://tinyurl.com/2jodje
http://tinyurl.com/2wzy9t
http://tinyurl.com/3azs6q
http://tinyurl.com/2josku
http://tinyurl.com/3bw49x
Tops should end between the hip and thigh. Too long makes it look like you are wearing something two sizes too big, and too short makes it look like you're trying to squeeze into something two sizes too small.
I agree with Weezer, no print on the jacket. Something like outfit #7 in the 10-ways "pink" section might work for the reception. Ditto everybody else on the distinctions between casual and business casual.
You don't need to worry so much about dressing "prove" yourself. Wear something that helps you feel confident, absolutely. But, allow your personality and performance make the real impression, rather than your clothing.
I do like the flats for walking around campus. Patent leather can sometimes take a longer break-in period, so wear them around before you go. Insoles can certainly help your shoes feel more comfortable. It's a little late for this now, but I love the brand "Me Too" for ballet flats. You can often find them discounted at places like Marshalls and TJ Maxx.
Enjoy the fun purse!
I just wanted to say that this idea for the bolg is great! I've always seen those makeover shows and wanted to get the help without actually going on TV!
I just wanted to let you know that I have been going through the same thing lately, and I know how you feel about wanting to make sure your outward appearance reflects your inner self. For years I have felt like my appearance in terms of dress, make-up and hair do not reflect who I really am, due to either my weight problems or not being able to afford designer clothes. So even though you probably wont need to dress up for class, you still want to look good. Especially if you are starting law school, because in order to do well you need confidence, some of which comes from looking and feeling good.
Just a few things I have learned in my "quest" for dressing/looking better.
(1) Like the ladies in the previous post said bra is key. Even though people told me this time and again I never really believed it until I sucked it up and went to get fitted. At first it was embarrassing because I'm not the thinnest person in the world, but the results were worth it.
(2) Layers are great! I, like you, stick with the basic dark colors. However sometimes that can look drab for everyday wear. What I do is get a nice neutral color shirt that is perhaps low cut and then layer it with a tank/cami that is a different color (but matches of course). It's makes the outfit interesting and breaks up the dark colors (especially if you are wearing dark jeans too).
(3) hair makes all the difference. I took the time and the money to go to a high end hair stylist once and let them give me their advice on what sort of styles would fit my face and then picked one. After that I just go to my regular place to maintain it. I have felt so much better with this new style. Even if my clothes are not very stylish one day I still feel good if my hair is done.
For this particular post, I agree with the other people. Trousers and a button down would be perfect. They will look great as long as they fit right. New York & Company have a lot of options and fit a lot of sizes, and they usually have great sales.
Good luck!!
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