Ask C. Style

I’m trying something new today, and I hope you guys like it. What I love doing most is helping people, even if it’s just with clothes. I believe it goes way beyond that, but I digress. Connecting with and helping people (especially ladies) is kinda my passion, which is why I love C. Style! All year round, I get really great questions from readers (I try to answer all of them, but some slip through the cracks). I thought it would be fun to start sharing the questions I receive, with the hope that it will help others who may have the same question. Let’s call it “Ask C. Style”, because I can’t think of anything better to call it -ha! I’ll keep all questions anonymous, and all opinions are my own. So here it goes:

“My friend… has been invited to attend an evening showcase at NYFW. The dress code is “smart casual”. Do you know what that means? Cause we have no idea and she’s trying to pull together the right look. Thank you for your help!”

When I’m trying to figure out attire, what helps me the most is thinking about the setting, the people, and the time. In this case, the event is going to be at a fashion house, there will be industry people there, as well as people who just love clothes, and it’s in the evening. Most people will be coming after work, but since it’s NYFW and it’s all about fashion, “business casual” seems too boring, and that’s where you get “smart casual”. This means you don’t want to wear anything that would be inappropriate for work, like jeans, capris, jean shorts, flip flops, or t-shirts (in the traditional sense. I’ve seen t-shirts and shorts go really dressy and look great, but you see where I’m going…). Therefore, a dress, a jumpsuit, a nice maxi dress, a women’s tuxedo, a suit, or even a really nice fitting pair of slacks and a silk blouse would be great! You can jazz it up with on trend shoes or accessories, and if you want to get creative with your outfit, this is where to do it! Have fun! But, when in doubt, a dress is always appropriate- like this one I found at CM.

“My High school daughter and I love your blog posts and get lots of inspiration from you:). She is approaching her first homecoming and the girls are already shopping for dresses (no matter if a boy asks them-gotta love it!). So….I wanted to get your input on her first dress choice. She’s got a great white crochet Lilly Pulitzer dress that is so flattering on her…but I’m worried about the white after Labor Day issue. (I usually wear white in Sept….but hoco is Oct 2 so that’s a little later.) Any thoughts or ideas on accessories to make it not scream summer? Thanks!”

While white can definitely be worn after labor day, I think crochet lends itself to too much of a summer-y feel for homecoming. This may not be the answer you two were hoping for, and I’m so sorry. If she is dead set on white for homecoming, I think it could be cool and make a statement. I really admire that. I wore red to my eighth grade dance to make a statement (it seemed outside of the box for me), and I love looking back at those pictures because I felt pretty! I’d go with a white dress that has a more transitional fabric and silhouette. For example, a dress that is long in length or has long sleeves. You can even add black accessories to “winterize” it. Cream is also a great alternative to white for the winter. Here are a few of my favorites:

“I’m flying with my boys for the first time without (my husband) and looking for some sort of a backpack where I can go hands free. I was going to just get a random one from our local out doors store, but (husband) made a great suggestion and told me to see if you know of any cute ones out there! I know cute and backpack don’t go together, but I need to be hands free! Flight, rental car, lunch, etc.!”

I love backpacks, and there are some really cute ones out right now! In fact, a lot of bag designers have come out with backpacks as part of their fall lines.  Ideally it would be great to be able to use it beyond just this trip, either for everyday wear or as a gym bag, so I’ve linked to a variety. Here are my favorites:

Did you guys like this post? Do you want to see more “Ask C. Style”? Send me your questions for a chance to have your questions answered on the blog!

Canvas at the beginning of the post can be found here.