Dear FO Personal Stylist: Need An Outfit for Country Clubbing
Help! My boss’ wife has invited me to lunch at their country club. The majority of the dresses that I have are appropriate for dance clubs, not country clubs. I want to look presentable but I don’t want to splurge on a boring Sunday dress that I may never wear again.
Do you have any suggestions???
Thanks!
Lynne S., Sacramento, CA
Dear Lynne,
A country club lunch sounds so delightfully retro (or at least, delightfully pre-recession). On one hand, you could go the nouveau preppy route and Waldorf it out, but depending on your boss’ wife’s sense of irony, you may want to play it a bit safer.
Unless her country club has ultra-formal dress code rules, the good news is that as long as your dress hits the knees or thereabouts, you’re already off to a smashing start, and there’s virtually no semi-formal wardrobe emergency that a cardigan and nice jewelry can’t fix.
If you absolutely want to buy a new dress, there are plenty of cute and thrifty choices available at retailers like Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe, and you won’t have to feel guilty if you never wear it again. Mix in some higher end pieces from your closet, and no one will be the wiser.
I’ve put together four potential ensembles for you. As always, they are ultimately meant to provide some inspiration to incorporate into your pre-existing wardrobe.
Potential Outfit #1
Outfit #1 is centered on a colorblock dress that retails under $30, paired with accessories that you probably already have in your closet: a simple black shrug/cropped jacket to conceal the dress’ spaghetti straps, and neutral peep toes. A nice piece of statement jewelry (in this case, a chunky onyx and coral necklace), pulls together and elevates the overall look.
The Items
- Forever 21’s Retro Colorblock Dress, $27.80
- White House | Black Market’s Supple Crop Shrug, $68
- Bounkit’s Onyx & White Coral Necklace, $690
- Bebe’s Kendra Snake Slingback Sandal, $159
Potential Outfit #2
Outfit #2 goes the Jenny Humphrey/UES punky princess route, with the sweetness of the bow dress being offset by the slouchy dolman shrug and cage heels. Mabe pearl earrings and an antique cameo brooch tie the ensemble together, for an overall look of dressy with an edge. Much like Outfit #1, we start with a very affordable dress and just add to it.
The Items
- Charlotte Russe’s Bow Tie Dress, $29.99
-
Banana Republic’s Dolman Shrug Cardigan
, $69
- Forever 21’s Donna Cage Sandals, $26.80
- Majorica’s White Mabe Pearl Earrings, $125
- Antique Victorian Coral Cameo Pin, $975
Potential Outfit #3
Outfit #3 offers an alternative to the dress and heels route. Since the high-waisted full skirt and frilly blouse are so feminine, the accessories should remain more low-key. I opted for a sleek feather headband, stud earrings, and metallic flat sandals.
The Items
- Charlotte Russe’s Pearl Flower Blouse, $22.99
- Emporio Armani’s Skirt With Diagonal Pleats, $357 (originally $595)
-
Sergio Zelcer’s Web Flat Sandals
, $141.95
- Cathy Waterman’s Star Flower Post Earrings, $1090
- Jennifer Ouellette’s Curved Feather Headband , $125
Potential Outfit #4
Outfit #4 is the least complicated ensemble of the bunch. But really, what says WASP more than a striped boatneck Tory Burch dress? Pyramid stud earrings and red cork heels add an appropriate amount of personality and contrast.
The Items
- Tory Burch’s Azure Dress, $198 (originally $495)
- Urban Outfitters’ Pyramid Stud Earrings, $16
-
Christian Dior’s Starlet Peep Toe Pumps
, $536 (originally $670)
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