It’s now 7 on Friday night. You and your friends are going out and your room is a mess. But somehow, out of all this chaos, you have managed to plan three to four choice outfits for the evening. Your hair straightener is warming up and you can hear Akon singing over the speakers of your laptop, one of the songs that you chose as part of your “getting ready” playlist. If you are at all like me and have a hard enough time getting dressed for class on a Wednesday morning, then you definitely have a mental breakdown looking for just the right ensemble for a big night out.
You fight with yourself, going back and forth between your favorite maxi dress and your new leather mini skirt. For me, this is one scenario in my life that makes me particularly anxious. Maybe instead of going downtown you’re meeting your best friend’s parents who are visiting St. Pete for the weekend or you’re meeting your crush at the Pub for dinner. Whatever it is, I hope I can help you overcome at least a little bit of the anxiety that goes with picking out the perfect outfit.
When I set out to write this article, the first dilemma that came to mind was what to wear to a party in the Maximo neighborhood. These parties tend to be pretty laid back, but what if you’re trying to meet a new guy? Any girl can pull off a long-sleeved v-neck sweater with a pair of jean shorts and a belt. To keep your hair off of your neck and out of your face, pull it back into a basic ponytail or a fishtail braid. And to accessorize, wear a pair of small earrings like pearls or my personal favorite is my silver seashell earrings or maybe just wearing a stack of silver bangles.
It’s easy to stay casual at on campus get-together as well. In Omega or Nu you can easily pick out at least a few girls dressed in their favorite t-shirt and jeans or in something a little more fabulous like a strapless mini dress in coral or a pair of grey jeans with a black or eggplant top.
OK, so now it’s First Friday. And like I said before, you’re getting ready with a couple of your closest friends and you’re planning on hitting up Scene, a night club downtown. It’s obvious that you’ve got to rock the heels! Especially with promotional photographs being taken and posted on Facebook, you want to look fine for the camera and, inevitably, for your profile picture. Go for a ruffled top, maybe with one shoulder strap, and a mini-skirt or dark skinny jeans. Of course, can never go wrong with a LBD (Little Black Dress) and red pumps.
Every girl has a dream date, and mine takes place at Ceviche. My fantasy outfit is a Little White Dress with nude colored heels. A white and lacy dress is totally innocent but totally hot! With a little red lipstick and mascara, you’ll definitely be able to keep his attention over dinner! If you’re headed to Dallas Bull for a first date, perhaps wearing a flannel button down and cut off jean shorts is appropriate, but either way, your date will be going ga-ga over your look. And what about that first awkward get-together with your crush? Maybe your doing a group project together and decide to meet up and discuss your presentation over wraps at the Pub one evening. I suggest an adorable high-waisted skirt, with a pattern like aztec or polka-dots, paired with a white deep-v T-shirt and a headband.
But if I could pick a favorite occasion to get ready for, it would be meeting my friend’s parents. The greatest gift a college student can receive is a nice meal. One possible ensemble is a floral print cotton top or a white cotton top with relaxed jeans or a tailored button-down with jeans.
For such high-stress fashion situations, it’s easy to pick out a few statement pieces to build off of. One would be a pair of cute flats or a jean jacket. It’s important to find those pieces that you feel most comfortable in, whether you have dressed them up or down. Some great stores to hit up for big pieces like those are H&M, where you can always find a great jacket, top or pair of jeans at a great price, and Forever 21, where you can always find something cute and inexpensive to buy. Even a company like Pac Sun, which offers quality and comfortable dresses and tops, can have great finds.