17 May 2013

Punk'd: Dressing for a Challenging Party Theme


We at Our Style File love a party with a great theme. But when we heard this year's Met exhibit and gala were celebrating punk fashion, we knew the Red Carpet looks were going to be a challenge. Sadly, there were few celebs that truly nailed the look. This posed the question: "If celebrities can't lead the way for party dressing, where can people turn?" To your favorite style experts (that would be us), of course!

Here is our easy recipe for Dressing for a Challenging Party Theme:

One part time and location suitability
One part event appropriateness
A dash of theme “nod”

Combine these elements, and you get a well-dressed partygoer!

Time and location suitability: Is it a day or evening event? Will it be held at a beach, a garden, a beautiful restaurant, etc.? If you don’t know anything about the specific venue, use the great tool of the Internet to do a little reconnaissance.
Event appropriateness: Is it a dinner, a birthday party, a gala? Typically an invite will indicate what type of dress (business casual, cocktail, black-tie, etc.) is appropriate. You can also take clues from the style of invite: Was it a formal invitation or a casual ecard?
Theme “nod”: You can easily acknowledge the theme through your hair and make-up, accessories, and/or dress color choices.

Here is an example of a Met Gala attendee who may have followed our recipe:


Katie Holmes’ Calvin Klein gown was perfect for an evening gala being held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Then she added her dash of punk with a smokey eye, sharp edged diamond earrings, and a shredded hem on her train. A little side boob didn’t hurt either! 

So if you are met with a similar fashion conundrum and the theme just isn’t your style, don’t fret! Just use our recipe. We don’t advise you overdo it nor do we advise you completely ignore the theme (like one very prominent attendee did at the Met Gala; you know who you are). Simply give a little nod while maintaining your personal style—lest you be punk’d.

Photo credit: Getty Images

No comments:

Post a Comment