How to Dress for an Evening Wedding

With a couple of evening weddings coming up I wanted to know if the rules had changed since the last evening wedding I had attended. Dressing for an evening wedding is a little more formal than an afternoon wedding, but I didn’t know exactly what the rules were so I did a little research. I came across the article below at the eHow website. (http://www.ehow.com/). I found the information very helpful. Let me know what you think?

How to Dress for an Evening Wedding

By an eHow Contributor

Evening weddings are more formal than their daytime counterparts. Invitations may say black tie; if not, opt for semiformal. So just what does that mean?
Instructions:
1. Consider an evening wedding as an occasion to dress up. Leave your daytime clothes in the closet and pull out those really dressy things you thought you’d never have the opportunity to wear.

2. Remember, the more formal the venue, the dressier the attire.

3. Rent the tux, guys, or pull it out to its hiding place in the closet. Black tie means just that: a black bowtie and cummerbund.

4. Opt for a formal gown or ensemble for black tie, ladies. Keep the lines simple, the accents subtle and the color complementary to your coloring. Consider a sleek velvet dress with a little lace, or a full shimmery skirt with a sequin stretch top and color-coordinated satin wrap.

5. Regard semiformal as slightly less dressy than black tie. A man may opt for a cummerbund and tie that match the colors of his date’s dress, or a very nice dark suit and tie. A woman might consider an elegant cocktail dress that hits just around the knee.

6. Select shoes wisely. You’ll be on your feet socializing and dancing well into the evening, so keep them comfortable. Women Stockings are a must.

The dresses below from Chadwicks are a great pick for a night wedding.

Office Staples to "Must Have" Items - CHADWICKS Here I Come!

Yesterday’s CHADWICKS facebook post on office wardrobe staples left me asking what are my “must have” items? Or do I have any of the office staples on my “must have” list? So last night I went home and opened my wonderful walk-in closet, boy was I amazed at what I found! Yes, I have all of the office staples but beyond that I found my closet to be somewhat boring. I need color, I need diversity in my items and most of all I need to make my office and weekend attire blend seamlessly! What did I do next you ask? I opened up the latest CHADWICKS catalog and circled all the items that will help me achieve my goals! Turned out to be a big list but they did become my “must haves” items...I need to order them! I know you’re waiting for it so below is a breakdown of my Fall 2010 “must haves”.

1. Easy Knit Drape-Front Ruffle Cardigan
2. Flyaway Sweater
3. The Layered-Look Henley
4. Pleated Tee
5. Ruched Leather Blazer
6. Dressy Denim Trapunto Jeans
7. 3-Piece Point Knit Ensemble
8. Knit Ruffle Wrap Dress
9. Scrunch Scarf
10. Tall Leather Wedge Boots

A Bridemaids Bliss

Happy Friday! Tomorrow is my BFF's wedding and I’m super excited. In fact, I’m not even nervous that I’m her only her only bridesmaid. I mean how could I be? Especially when I got to buy whatever dress I wanted, without any interference from the bride (boy am I glad she trusts my taste). I immediately bought the Stretch Satin Party Dress, its’ been on my list for a long time and I finally got the reason to purchase it!

My weekend duties will include the toast (I’ve been practicing for weeks), paying the vendors (checks are cut I just need to deliver them during the reception) and of course helping the bride with anything and everything she may need. I’m always good in a pinch so this will be easy, or at least I thought…Last night the Bride called me in a tizzy insisting I make her an “emergency bag”. If this kit were for me I’d just throw in some chap stick, a few Band-Aids and some travel deodorant. That however, will not fly with this girl! She carries a large purse everywhere “just in case” she needs something. Help, what do I include in an emergency bridal kit?!? I want to please the bride but I also want to be practical and not lug around an over-sized bag all weekend.

I LOVE CLEARANCE!

I am proud to say that I am one of those shoppers that walks into a store and goes directly to the sale rack. Or I pick up a catalog and turn to the clearance section. I love to get items at a bargain. This is my first year working at Chadwicks. And the Summer Clearance catalog is phenomenal! I got shirts, jeans, and a jacket at amazing prices. Each of these items are under $10!

Check out our website at www.chadwicks.com for even more bargains.

Purse Persuasion

So if there’s one thing you need to know about me it’s my obsession with accessories, especially bags, purses and clutches! I love them so much that my new walk in closet has an entire wall dedicated to my beloved items. But with so many to choose from I find myself actually using two bags on a regular basis while the others are used for specific occasions/outfits.

My two go to bags are:

1. Satchel Bag (medium sized) – fits everything I need on any given day, the arm loop is big and comfy and it’s a solid color that will either coordinate or add a pop of color to my wardrobe.
2. Small Leather Clutch – Its length and slimness fits just my necessities, Chap Stick, ID, credit card, cash and Blackberry. I only use this bag in the evenings whether it’s a girls night at the bar or out to dinner with the hubby a clutch add instant class to any ensemble.

What are your top bags and purses? Do you find yourself using one style verses another?

Sweaters Among Us!

Say it isn't so, that there's only a few short weeks of Summer left! I do love a warm beautiful Fall day though. It is time to pull out some long sleeve tops and some light sweaters for those cooler Summer nights. Sweaters are so versatile today with all the styles and colors to choose from. You can dress in layers or simply wear them alone. Who doesn't love a great comfy sweater on a damp rainy day too? The season is here to start shopping for Fall Sweaters for your everyday jeans or casual pants to wear to work. Do you have room for some more sweaters in your closet? I always do!

Family Fun in the Backyard

Since the economy has hit a "snag" there has been a resurgence in yard games and backyard fun. I remember playing Crocket, Tetherball and Bocce growing up but not since I was 10...until last summer that is! My husband and I are addicted to Ladderball; our neighbors gave us the game last summer and we've been playing it ever since. It’s a great way to laugh and unwind after a long day. We enjoyed our time in the backyard so much we went out and bought more games including Bocce (my favorite from childhood), Bean Bag Toss and Washer Toss.

And backyard games are not just for BBQ's or family reunions anymore. Whenever I have friends, neighbors or family over we always end playing games in the backyard, even if it wasn’t our original intention. So fellow CHADWICKS are you as addicted as I am? What is your favorite yard game or way to relax in the backyard with your family?

Comfortable In Capri's

At 5’5 I am by no means tall or short but that leave me without issues of finding the proper pant length. With shorter legs and a longer torso I fond it difficult to wear capri’s without long like I shrunk my wardrobe. Until this summer I wore long shorts (falling just above the knee) but now I proudly done ankle length capri’s! How did I pull it off? I followed a friend’s 3 basic rules for capri’s and well I wanted to share the wealth!

1. Never wear flats even if the heal is ½ inch – 3 ½ inches it will create the effect of longer legs!
2. Make sure the pants have movement to them. Opt for something besides a straight cut, if a pant pulls away from your body at the cuff it will make you legs look slimmer and your body longer,
3. Make sure the hem hits at least 2 inches above your ankle anything falling at or above this height is too short to be considered waders, making it obvious that your wearing cropped pants.

f I can finally rock the cropped pants look without sacrificing my style or height so can you! In fact I now live in my Not Your Daughter’s Jeans® Ultra-Slimming Ankle Pants.

Farmers Market Fresh

I don’t know about you but I love to cook…ok well at least attempt to pull off a good meal! Summer is one of my favorite times to experiment and try new dishes. So many fresh fruits and veggies peak in the summer, making it the perfect time to try a new flavor you might not have considered before. I visit my local farmers market for the best products they offer a wide variety of items and can often offer advice on how to integrate them into your meal. After my last trip to the farmers market I made an amazing grilled chicken breast topped with a fresh basil, mint, papaya, peach and apple salsa. It was so yummy that my husband had thirds! Sad part is I don’t know it if I could replicate it because I just threw a bunch of ingredients together and crossed my fingers that it worked...

But that got me wondering. What are your favorite summer recipes? Can you offer me any advice for fresh summer cooking? Please feel free to share your post your ideas or recipes below

Legging Longevity

Leggings are all the rage and we know it can be scary to try something this bold. Lets be honest it’s a fashion statement that really puts your fashion sense on display! Personally I’m a fan of pairing the leggings with shirt dress and finishing the look with a large loose fitting belt. If you want to wear them to the office and it’s within your dress code try pairing them with a cute skirt or dress you typically wear on the weekend. My only stipulation on this is that all assets must be appropriately covered before the leggings are added! Keep in mind that outside the workplace leggings are great under many things including empire waist dresses, tunics, over-sized boyfriend shorts/button downs even skirts.

Follow my quick tips and I’m sure you’ll be trying the leggings in no time!

Do:

1. Make sure the fabric breathable to help keep you cool.
2. Try a legging in basic black, its slimming and easy to pair with almost any outfit!
3. The leggings should end a few inches above the ankle, think Capri or clam digger length.

Share your thoughts and post below. Do you have any tips and tricks for making leggings work for you?