Fashion Forum

by Laura Milligan

When a cocktail party or after-hours business event comes around during your normal schedule, you’re probably excited to play dress up and impress the crowd with your stylish choices. But when you have to pack for a special event, it takes some of the fun out of digging around in your closet and experimenting with new looks, especially if your sartorial brilliance comes at the last minute.

Packing for a cocktail party or evening out also poses a problem in terms of dressing for a restaurant or bar you’ve never been to before. You can check out the venue’s website and do a little research on WTW to find out what people are wearing in a particular city, but when it comes to picking out a foolproof cocktail outfit that’s easy to pack and makes you feel comfortable and fabulous, you’ll have to consider things like fabric, your travel itinerary and accessories.

Here are some tips to make your packing challenge a little easier.

•    Pick one or two statement accessories to keep your suitcase light: choose either a crazy awesome pair of shoes (neon yellow pumps or studded gladiator heels) or a diamond-encrusted choker, for example. Then, you can add in two or three mix-and-match pieces that go with your louder accessories and that will give you some room to change your mind depending on your mood, weather changes or the overall tone of the party. Good basics to throw in could be a leather mini skirt; black one-shouldered dress; or dark, expertly tailored jeans.

•    Stick to wrinkle-free materials and hang up your outfit in your hotel as soon as you arrive. If you have time to check in to the hotel after your flight, hang up your party outfit to loosen any wrinkles. (Locking it in the bathroom while you take a hot shower is also a dirty little trick to smooth out light wrinkles.)

•    Pick the right fabrics. If you’re going to be pressed for time and don’t think you’ll be able to wrestle with the iron before you go out, be cutthroat about picking clothes based on fabric. Jersey, wool, and even structured, embellished pieces won’t wrinkle as quickly, while silks, light cotton and linen will be your worst enemies. Another helpful tip is to favor heavily textured items or clothes that depend on your body to give them structure. (i.e. anything uber stretchy).

•    Consider your comfort. While wearing 5” platform pumps and your tightest jeans might be an okay choice when you’re in your own city and can head home whenever you feel like it, going out on vacation or a business trip means your plans are probably less flexible. Wear something fashionable but something that you know you’ll feel comfortable in as you battle jet lag, unfamiliar territory and even (ew) irregularity.

•    Keep in mind the culture of the city. We’re obsessed with researching the trends and styles of girls in other cities (that’s why we’re here after all!), and what’s appropriate for a business cocktail party in Austin won’t necessarily fly in Boston. Ask your friends, family, and of course, us, if you need tips on dressing up in a new town.

Gwyneth Paltrow. Photo credit: Jon Furniss/WireImage

Sienna Miller. Photo credit: people.com

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