There is a dress for every occasion. And apart from the fact that it commends our fashion personality, it also shows that we are well prepared for such experience.
So, it becomes necessary to know the right kind of cloth to wear for weddings, dinner parties, business dinner, religious activities, and birthdays, even funeral and so on.
Occasions are not what we attend to every day; it might be a once in a year activity like birthdays or anniversaries.
Every special occasion needs its exclusive dress, and at times it can be challenging to choose the appropriate attire for each event, especially when you are a woman.
Nevertheless, here are some factors that can help you get the appropriate dress for that occasion when you put them into consideration;
- Is it an informal or informal occasion?
The first factor to take into account is whether the occasion is a casual or formal one, which can be gleaned from the invitation one receives if the event demands it.
This way you can be able to dress right without other attendees raising their eyebrows when you pass or being the talk of the occasion in a dissatisfactory way.
For example, you can dress in funny costumes for a birthday, if it’s an informal invitation but dressing so in a formal birthday invitation looks bizarre.
And creating that kind of scene isn’t what you or anyone else would like.
Another example is, the way you dress when there is a particular dinner party at home in the expectance of your cousin or any other relative is far different from how you dress for a business dinner.
While the former may be informal without considering a dress code, the latter expects something professional such as a lovely looking corporate gown, pants with suitable tops, with or without a blazer.
- What is the time for the occasion?
The time/season for an occasion might affect what you have to wear by deciding whether the dress/outfit should be long or short.
Usually, all special occasions after six p.m. require long dresses, and before that hour, one can wear short although elegant style dresses.
While this may not matter for those with same weather condition throughout the day, it counts for those that their weather condition varies.
During the day, the weather seems warmer than in the evening or night, as temperature drops, making the weather cooler.
And you wouldn’t want a situation where you can’t enjoy the party or occasion simply because you are feeling cold.
Unless you go with an additional outfit like a jacket, just wear anything long and suitable for the occasion.
- Chose dresses that complement your figure
Another aspect to consider when choosing a dress for special occasions is the way it fits and flatters one’s figure.
This is one of the things that some women fail to consider, forgetting we all have a different body shape.
And that the cloth we wear can either enhance the curves or make it look inappropriate.
For example, wearing a sexy bodycon dress looks great on curvy ladies (hourglass figures), as in those with small waist and larger hips.
But the same dress will lose its glamour when someone with tiny hips and way too broad shoulders or has a larger midsection (apple shape) wears it.
So when preparing for an occasion, instead of putting on what looks good on others, first understand your body and find what can enhance your curves while dressing rightly.
As there are many dress style, anyone can choose from, and that brings us to the next thing to be looking at when choosing women’s dresses for special occasions – style.
Ideas can be sought in magazines or on the Internet, where there are hundreds of different styles to choose from.
You are keeping in mind that it is best to choose a classic elegance that will usually fit in wherever you go.
And can be used again on other special occasions with slight changes, such as different shoes and bag, scarves or brooches, making the dress appear entirely different.
Amongst the more classical styles of women’s dresses are the black cocktail dress, a goddess gown (draping style), a ball gown and a slip dress.
Note that there are some cases that you may get that sexy and curvy look even when you don’t have it, all thanks to designs and patterns.
The pattern of cloth can help to enhance curves, make one taller or shorter, fatter or slimmer, and so choosing the right patterned fabric will be helpful too.
- Find the right color
While color may not matter on all occasions like a birthday, it issues on some occasions like a funeral.
The color of women’s dresses for special occasions can vary considerably with many different hues and tones proposed for each particular event.
The classic black dress remains the most comfortable choice for classy events; it will, of course, give the figure a more slender appearance and is usually the most flattering.
It is best, if in doubt to stick with the darker colored dresses with simple and precise cuts, for those are the ones that complement the most, and one can find them in sheath or A-line cuts.
On other occasions such as theatre outings, dances or cocktail parties’ one may also choose dressier options with bolder colors, such as red, gold, silver or shimmering patterns.
While on the other hand, softer colors, such as pastels and soft prints, are more suitable for special occasions during the day, such as weddings.
Where one must remember that white is banned for guests, well not banned but inappropriate, as only the bride may wear that color.
For a funeral, a dress color code is expected, and that is black or other darker colors like navy blue.
Putting on brighter colors such as yellow, red and so on may signify disrespect to the dead or that you are happy about the incident.
Other colors, which look good on most women, are navy blue, pink, white and cream, and this is good for most occasions be it during the day or evening.
In fact, women can look good in any dress color, once it blends well to give a pleasant look.
- Purchase
This may not be a factor to consider when choosing a dress for any outfit, as individual choices and taste differs, because, when you have the money, where and how much you purchase doesn’t matter.
But for those that aren’t financially buoyant enough, you may consider “purchase” as a factor.
So once you have chosen the perfect dress the next step is the purchase. Most women’s dresses for special occasions are expensive.
Therefore it is a good idea to compare various web sites or shops to find the best prices.
Another place to look at would be to browse in second-hand shops where excellent bargains can be found, as in most cases the dresses sold have only be worn once or twice at the most.
There are, of course, those particular special occasions, which requirespecific choosing criteria as aforementioned.
Such as weddings for the bride’s and bride’s maid’s dresses and communions, while other more classical occasions will be a cocktail party, opera, cruises, funerals etc.
There are elegant, glamorous, sophisticated and flirty dresses for all tastes and occasions; one simply has to take time to hit upon the right ones.
