What to Wear when you don't know the Dress Code.

Yesterday afternoon I was lucky enough to be going to a hen night.
I knew it was going to be lots of fun, but a very sophisticated affair.
It wouldn't be involving costumes, strippers, shot glasses or inflatables.

{Although, I'm all for that kind of wild hen night too!!}

We were off to a lovely restaurant for food and plenty of cocktails.

Unfortunately, I had to work in the morning and had very little time to get ready when I got home.
Problem?
Not really.

How to get ready in 10 minutes.

1. Plan.

This is the most important part.
Spend time (when you have it) assembling your entire outfit.
You need to make a quick change so everything must be ready.

A bit like fireman's overalls, you will simply step into your preplanned outfit and be ready to go.
Make sure you have tried everything on and you are happy with it.
This will save any last minute panic.
Check from all angles now, so on the day you don't need to.
This stops the last second dash that involves throwing clothes and shoes around shouting "I've got nothing to wear!"... or maybe that's just me?

2. Lay out.

Get your entire outfit together.
Attach any belts to belt hoops, or brooches to lapels, and have everything (and I mean everything) either laid out in order of use (if you have space) or all together on a hanger.

I had this entire outfit on one hanger. Even down to the underwear I was going to wear with it.
My shoes, bag and earrings were in a shoe box nearby ready to pop on.
Have your evening bag as prepacked as possible ready to grab and go.

3. Freshen up

Spend any time you do have refreshing your makeup, giving yourself a spritz of scent and sorting your hair.
I managed to top up with some eyeliner, lipstick and powder, fluff my hair a little (although that was a pointless exercise as we were caught in a rain shower) and use some body lotion on my arms.
Good to go!

What to Wear when you don't know the dress code.

Dress codes can be tricky can't they?
When an occasion has no specific dress code and "anything goes" this can make it much more difficult to decide what you should wear.
It's so much easier when you know what's expected of you!

Black tie? Simple.
Smart-casual? Help!

This outfit is a great one for when you are not sure how smart (or casual) other people are going to be.
Hen nights are like that.
Some people can be in jeans, others in evening dresses.
I always feel that the occasion deserves the respect of making an effort, but (in my opinion) it is always better to be slightly underdressed than overdressed.

So, my go-to smart/casual outfit would be a pair of dressy trousers and a pretty top.
Dressy trousers come in every shape, colour and design.
There is bound to be a pair that appeals to your sense of style.

Satin trousers can be hard to wear (they are completely unforgiving on lumps and bumps) but they do strike a great balance between comfort and style, with enough impact to seem 'dressed up'.
I teamed them with a chiffon top that adds interest and a more seasonally appropriate feel.

Comfortable platform heels and a few pieces of jewellery finished my look off.

Would you rather be over or underdressed?
Why?
Please share in the comments, I'd love to hear your opinion on this!

TROUSERS: Finery... these are nice and on sale!
TOP: Primark... this is pretty.
SHOES: Vagabond (those are the tan ones)
BAG: Old....and crumbling. Similar.

GET THE LOOK