Dressing for the Occasion

Pants: Zara...Blouse: Banana Outlet...Cardigan: Target...Belt: Target...Shoes: Cole Haan via  DSW...Bag: D&B via Buffalo Exchange...Shades: via TJ Maxx

I've been thinking a lot about the word "appropriate." More specifically, about how very little I actively think about dressing appropriately for something but how nervous and anxious I subconsciously become about properly gauging an event.

When I talk about "appropriate" dressing, I'm talking about taking into consideration the event, the weather, casual or fancy? Need to impress anyone? Cheerful attire vs. understated, consider level of comfort and mobility, temperature, versatility. We all know I'm a grab and go kind of girl when it comes to dressing, so needing to be conscious of what I'm choosing to wear for an event quickly becomes a big darn deal. And I tend to yank out and hang back up several real duds before landing on something that I think is absolutely awesome. Fast forward about two hours into the wearing... and I'm either way overdressed, self-conscious of how trendy I look or too casual and weirdly okay about that.

But, each failure means I'm learning. Especially when I think "Neat, a concert to attend! I can wear something awesome and fashionable!" And then I realize (only upon arrival) that eeeeeveryone else attending the recital is a student... a sea of fitted tees and jeans. And me and my sky-high strappy sandals and awesomely large draped scarf are way out of place. What are your tips and tricks for dressing appropriately? What questions do you ask yourself to determine if you're on the right track for a specific event?