Posted by
Dain,
Friday, August 24, 2007
11:25 AM (Eastern)
I suppose there are three levels of "going out". First, there are the kind of clothes you wear when you go to a bar or a club with your friends. Next, "dressy", for all but the most formal, weddings, funerals, cocktail parties, and dates. And finally, straight up formalwear, for black-tie events, which I suppose are rare in an average person's life. Anyway... a parade of beautiful things.
clubbing
Gotta look sexy, so "show some skin" (animal prints, leather, silk, and lace will add to the effect), though there's no need to go all out with the T&A (this article is about style, not sex appeal). Leave the complicated clothing at home, which guys don't "get" anyway. Anything skimpy, like this breezy lace inset camisole from Lyell ($115) (add a pretty bra to peek through). Anything body-conscious, like this pink wrap top from Anthropologie ($39.95). Anything sheer, like this sheer v-neck from Alexander McQueen ($1260). My favorite combination is a sheer blouse worn with a black bra and lace camisole underneath, plus jeans. I am not leggy, so I concentrate on tops. Perhaps a good third (if not half, about a dozen) of my shirts are flirty/lacey/sheer/print-happy blouses, so the examples above are only intended to be illustrative, though the Alexander McQueen is lovely (what the hell is with the price though?). I don't usually spend too much on these (less than $50 is fine), because they come and go with the vagaries of fashion, it's just not worth planning them in advance.
Since I already own a lot of tops, what I want instead is a dress made for dancing, like this spare, sexy sequin-studded slipdress. I would avoid bringing anything too nice to a bar, because accidents will happen, but I was thinking a pair of hoops would be so grand, and then I saw these Annette Ferdinandsen Silver Sea Fan Earrings ($275), similar look but much more interesting. Normally, I avoid coats when I go out (more to worry about), but if it's cold out, would not a sleek leather jacket ($650) look really sexy? What shoes would I wear? I wear heels all the time, but only when I'm sober and sure of going to someplace clean. Flats will do, ma'am.
cocktail
This is too easy. I mean, it's semantically obvious; if you want to be dressed up, the simplest thing is a dress. Dresses are beautiful, interesting, and so easy to wear. All you need are some heels, knockout jewelry, and a wee bag. Above, the most delectable of Alexander McQueen, but mine usually come from Anthropologie or Banana Republic. Since I'm petite and short-legged, I usually look for high-waisted dresses with a-line skirts of moderate (knee) length, like the froth-of-lace dress in the middle (if it were longer, that would be my wedding dress; the other two are "bias-cut", which is a good bet for curves, while angular, leggy people can wear those shapeless minidress sacks that one sees so much of these days). Like flirty shirts, there's no exact limit to the number of the pretty dresses I own (maybe 4-5?), because it's not really that frequent that I find one that I love, and I refuse to buy things unless I love them (an axiom of smart shopping).
For the dresses above, which are quite posh, a classic pump, strand of pearls ($390), and amethyst earrings ($7810) will do. For summery sundresses (I'm fond of colorful prints), I have a pair of green Banana Republic espadrilles, olive peep-toes with beige laces that wrap around the ankle), which are probably my favorite shoes, period. Neither is that difficult to walk around in, and the espadrilles, once broken in, are surprisingly comfortable. If and when they finish, I'll probably look to Castañer, the brand that is to espadrilles what Repetto is to ballet flats.
formal
Olivier Theyskens is the couterier of my dreams, though not everyone will feel that way. If you want a reason, just look at this magnificent gown (Rochas FW 2005), heavy textured silk with petals of florid kimono print appliqued o'er. What would you do with this dress? Stand around, look statuesque, sip some champagne. It's a freakin' ballgown, what else would you do? Don't get me wrong, you could definitely do "cocktail" to a formal event (no one would knock you down for wearing Alexander McQueen), but this gown is a notch above in formality.
Also from FW 2005 are these crystal-bow pumps from Balenciaga, which at the time demanded a heartstopping price of $2240. Still, I've never seen a pair of evening sandals quite so gorgeous. I would kill for these shoes, though they look like they would kill your feet. And what about a profusion of diamonds (rather like a tennis bracelet that shuns the straight and narrow) for your delicate wrist? These are from Harry Winston.
evening bag
Calvin Klein's silver lizard clutch ($470) will go with everything on this page. Minimal shape won't overwhelm jeans, the luxe skin isn't too humble for gowns, and then there is the laudable neutrality of silver.
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